Chateau Montelena
The Montelena Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California, USA
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim. Not showing age at all.
Fruit forward on the nose.
Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, spices, oak, licorice, vanilla, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth and light black tea.
This 24-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is still delicious, though I had hoped it would be even better.
Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel, but it feels a little tired.
Needed 2 hours to open up properly, and remove the mildew notes.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with food too.
A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc.
13.9% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$100.
Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim. Not showing age at all.
Fruit forward on the nose.
Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, spices, oak, licorice, vanilla, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, earth and light black tea.
This 24-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is still delicious, though I had hoped it would be even better.
Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel, but it feels a little tired.
Needed 2 hours to open up properly, and remove the mildew notes.
Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with food too.
A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc.
13.9% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$100.
Gosh, even as a 2000, this could go another 5-7 before declining. This was vibrant. The aroma of this wine was sexy and seductive. I love my heavy, dark and tannic cabs, but the elegance and age on this was just a treat. Could smell it 5 feet away from the glass. Swirling notes of boysenberry, cranberries and a tad bit of red licorice. The tannins were perfectly integrated...great bit of sediment. Got that typical chewy sensation that I find typical with cranberry noted wine. Strawberries and white flowers on the tongue.
Gosh, even as a 2000, this could go another 5-7 before declining. This was vibrant. The aroma of this wine was sexy and seductive. I love my heavy, dark and tannic cabs, but the elegance and age on this was just a treat. Could smell it 5 feet away from the glass. Swirling notes of boysenberry, cranberries and a tad bit of red licorice. The tannins were perfectly integrated...great bit of sediment. Got that typical chewy sensation that I find typical with cranberry noted wine. Strawberries and white flowers on the tongue.
Dec 31st, 2016Beautiful Cab Sauv from a stellar year in Napa! Can’t beat Montelena for structure, balance and a long shelf life. The only comparable wine (I’ve tasted) from this vintage is Shafer Hillside Select. This wine was fruit forward, mid pallet of aged leather, tobacco, nice tan is and a finish that lasted until the next sip!! Drink now, but would still be a very nice wine 10+ years from now!!
Beautiful Cab Sauv from a stellar year in Napa! Can’t beat Montelena for structure, balance and a long shelf life. The only comparable wine (I’ve tasted) from this vintage is Shafer Hillside Select. This wine was fruit forward, mid pallet of aged leather, tobacco, nice tan is and a finish that lasted until the next sip!! Drink now, but would still be a very nice wine 10+ years from now!!
Jan 29th, 2023Has been five years since I've enjoyed this one. Wrote a novel the last time, mentioning that the next decade would be kinder to this wine than this one, and I still for the most part believe that. I think the drinking window on this wine will be short. If you're holding a mag or 3L of this wine, I can imagine how much better off you're going to be than the holders of the 750's. Black cherry, dirty raspberry and graphite. A little more herbaceous than the 91, and also a little thinner. I think either this wine is as good as it gets, or can maybe see some improvement in the next couple of years. Best years for this wine IMO 2020-2025.
Has been five years since I've enjoyed this one. Wrote a novel the last time, mentioning that the next decade would be kinder to this wine than this one, and I still for the most part believe that. I think the drinking window on this wine will be short. If you're holding a mag or 3L of this wine, I can imagine how much better off you're going to be than the holders of the 750's. Black cherry, dirty raspberry and graphite. A little more herbaceous than the 91, and also a little thinner. I think either this wine is as good as it gets, or can maybe see some improvement in the next couple of years. Best years for this wine IMO 2020-2025.
Sep 28th, 2019
Delivered a complex and beautiful wine. Bit more peppery than I expected.
Delivered a complex and beautiful wine. Bit more peppery than I expected.
Jul 21st, 2019
Pronounced nose, blue and black fruit on palate, sweet, silky, long finish. Elegant, balanced, has life ahead of it. One of the first wines I started buying when I became interested in wine, always a treat.
Pronounced nose, blue and black fruit on palate, sweet, silky, long finish. Elegant, balanced, has life ahead of it. One of the first wines I started buying when I became interested in wine, always a treat.
Aug 14th, 2018
Classic Montelena from a subpar Napa vintage
Classic Montelena from a subpar Napa vintage
Jun 3rd, 2018Great wine lots of fruit decanted and no tannins. At its peak.
Great wine lots of fruit decanted and no tannins. At its peak.
May 21st, 2017
