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| | Vintage | 2007 |  Label 1 of 249 
 | | Type | Red | | Producer | Chateau Montelena (web) | | Variety | Cabernet Sauvignon | | Designation | n/a | | Vineyard | n/a | | Country | USA | | Region | California | | SubRegion | Napa Valley | | Appellation | Napa Valley | | Options | Show variety and appellation | | UPC Code(s) | 006000008961, 055099397500, 085000017241, 086891072913, 400001454633, 400007184527, 4000151626780, 657398000114, 733555250926, 733555251022, 733555251121, 733555251626, 852319004008 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.6 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 204 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by cucycling on 6/14/2023 & rated 90 points: Still a very enjoyable bottle of wine, but possibly past its peak, losing a bit of its fullness. Memories of a lovely tasting experience at the winery are still vivid… (684 views) | | | Tasted by Asull2k on 12/17/2022 & rated 90 points: Decanted a portion for about an hour, also slow oxidized the rest over a few days. Did not need much time to open. Dark ruby and touch of garnet color. Dried cherry and cranberry and raspberry on the nose. Ripe cherry, plum, red cassis, pepper on the palate with about 30-35 sec finish. (958 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 9/5/2022: Popped and poured. Domino thought she detected TCA but I, nor anyone else, picked up on it. Red plum and cedar tones. Integrated tannins. (1259 views) | | | Tasted by DrSteveP on 5/22/2022: Mmmm (1323 views) | | | Tasted by kmejkwe on 1/30/2022 flawed bottle: My Bad. I left this one in the wine cellar too long. (2007 Vintage).
The cork broke up during opening. Otherwise, it was not bad. (1497 views) | | | Tasted by Jpickell on 1/29/2022 & rated 93 points: Tested along side a Brunello from the Stanson’s. This was ruby red. Smooth. Cherry. Moderate to full body. Fruit forward (cherry currant) but secondary coming out. Best bottle since new storage.
Fwiw same winery from Bottleshock movie. (1099 views) | | | Tasted by MusicAndWines on 1/27/2022 & rated 91 points: drink now... still delicious (976 views) | | | Tasted by mlawren1 on 11/10/2021 & rated 91 points: Fruit going secondary with stone fruit and leaves. Finishes with a bit of earth and mint. (880 views) | | | Tasted by Myownscale on 9/10/2021 & rated 92 points: Nose:
Palate:
nice currant, good, tobacco, alcohol Dawn's favorite of the night (767 views) | | | Tasted by wineshlub on 8/23/2020 & rated 92 points: Opened one hour in advance. Bright cherry aroma. Rich, sappy flavors of cherry, black fruit, and a bit of forest floor. Some tar in the finish. Lively, vibrant, fresh, good depth, firm backbone, some complexity, great staying power. Still going strong. (1605 views) | | | Tasted by Gr8penut on 1/8/2020 & rated 88 points: I hope it is just a "dumb" phase... (1706 views) | | | Tasted by PMJak11 on 11/21/2019 & rated 88 points: 1hr decant. Dark red color. French like nose. Wine was very thin but no resemblance of bricking. Lovely nose but wine lacked depth and fruit. Not sure if it needed more air, was past prime, or just not in my wheelhouse. (1712 views) | | | Tasted by Captain Marko on 1/19/2019 & rated 92 points: Decanted for an hour. Wonderful. (2137 views) | | | Tasted by yukoner on 10/21/2018 & rated 90 points: As perfect as it is going to get. (2215 views) | | | Tasted by Ed B on 9/2/2018 & rated 92 points: PnP at a restaurant. No detailed notes. Bid, dark vibrant. Plenty left. (1841 views) | | | Tasted by prof b on 6/3/2018 & rated 92 points: Classic cabernet, really nice. (2008 views) | | | Tasted by Delli on 6/1/2018 & rated 91 points: Surprisingly consistent with my last note from seven years ago. Currants are more pronounced on the nose and palate. The wine has rounded leaving a lingering dark chocolate and currant finish. 5+12+16+8=91 (1796 views) | | | Tasted by manny651 on 2/4/2018 & rated 93 points: excellent, beatifully aged cab with long elegant finish (1724 views) | | | Tasted by Snag One on 12/16/2017 & rated 88 points: Enjoyable wine with layers of mint, bell peppers, licorice and cassis. I wanted a longer finish, but the finish was short and shallow. (1712 views) | | | Tasted by Tahlequahdave1972 on 10/7/2017 & rated 92 points: I'm a little biased when it comes to Montelena cabernets. Their wines are my generally preferred style. Decanted for an hour plus. Dark purple, almost black in the glass. Nose of blackberry, black currants, blueberry pie and floral notes. Flavors of blackberry, cola, vanilla, blueberry, graphite and dark chocolate. Rich, smooth, balanced and a sweet hint on the mouth feel. Pleasant. Sumptuous. Underrated. Early peak period but will last in a proper cellar for many years to come. (1905 views) | | | Tasted by Ed B on 7/25/2017 & rated 92 points: Quick rescue wine after another was off. Splash decanted and drank with strip steak. Always reliable. (2329 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 6/11/2017 & rated 90 points: Second Sunday Group: Chateau Montelena Cabernet (Non-Estate) Vertical, 2005-2012 (Our house): Opens with peppery, spicy oak aromas followed by red plum, vanilla and currants. The palate follows the bouquet. Herb and mocha qualities emerge as it opens further in the glass. Medium+ tannins. Still on the young side. 90+ pts.
My #2, Domino's #4
Group #2, 36 pts (tie broken by 3rd place votes) (3099 views) | | | Tasted by 560 B&W on 5/20/2017 & rated 87 points: Decanted. Some good notes but heavy and not all that interesting. Doubt it will improve. 14.2% (2286 views) | | | Tasted by Ed B on 4/26/2017 & rated 93 points: PnP at a restaurant. No detailed notes. Drinking very well now. Everyone loved it. (2271 views) | | | Tasted by bdemus on 8/27/2016: Bright fruit, good length. Very nice. Had the pleasure of comparing it to the '03 while eating roasted lamb. The '03 was deeper and more elegant, but they were both excellent dining companions. (3608 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By David Lawrason
WineAlign (3/30/2011)
(Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2009, IWC Issue #144
(Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/22/2010)
(Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley) Pre-release (end of Sept. 2010 release) - herbaceous, Cabernet Franc nose; tight, tart cassis, herbaceous, menthol palate; medium-plus finish 91 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Chateau Montelena Producer website
Very DETAILED history of the property
From winery:
What’s not to like about the weather in 2018? The late spring rains in March and April were very productive and the vines responded with plentiful growth into summer. Unusually low nighttime temperatures coupled with warm to hot days magnified the acidity in the fruit, creating elegant structure for extending aging, rather than overtly jammy flavor. Harvest was slow and methodical as subtle variations in soil and sun exposure magnified the typically nuanced differences in ripening and maturation.
NOSE PALATE FINISH
Fresh and lively, the wine opens effusively with raspberry, mint and plum sauce. The baking spices soon follow, leaning clove initially but with plenty of cedar and vanilla. Still subtle, the ripe fruit elements, mostly cassis and fig at this stage, lurk beneath the surface along with beautiful hints of graphite and toasted sage, awaiting additional time in glass.
HARVEST DATES
September 20 – October 25
ALCOHOL
14.2%
BLEND
98% Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5% Petit Verdot 0.5% Cabernet Franc
Still very tightly wound, it’s the texture and mouthfeel that drive the palate initially. The tannins in particular are somewhat coarse but not so angular to overshadow the abundant dark fruit. The dynamic tension on the midpalate serves to focus and magnify the layers of black cherry, cocoa powder, and black pepper, before turning slightly earthy and dusty. The structure is pronounced, but still harmonious and well defined.
Technical Information
BARREL AGING
22 months in 100% French oak, 40% new
BOTTLING DATE
August 2020
It’s in the transition to the finish that the acidity materializes in almost candy-like fashion, a beautiful contrast to the supple tannins. Here the wine’s density shines elegantly, well balanced between smoky, espresso bean and delicate, dried blackberry. It’s the latter that defines the finish at this moment, persistent in length and depth.
WINEMAKER
Matt Crafton
Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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