2018 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo Vineyard
Community Tasting Note
Rieslingfan wrote:
Thursday, April 20, 2023 - Tasted after a two hour splash decant, this is certainly drinkable, though it is extremely tannic. Deep black fruit, savory tones and a minty top note create a pleasurable aromatic, and the depth of fruit is enough to buffer the tannins…for a while. Eventually is becomes quite stern, though the overall quality is still apparent. It actually reminds me a bit of the Corison Napa Cabernet, though I think the balance is managed better in the Corison. In the overall Napa Cabernet marketplace this is a good value for what will likely be a very ageable wine in the classic style.
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6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (5,796 views)
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (5,796 views)
Comment posted by gymnastpro:
4/20/2023 9:29:00 PM - Ketan said this was his most tannic 18 and needed a 24 hour decant if opening before 10 years.
Comment posted by thesternowl:
4/21/2023 6:43:00 AM - @rieslingfan per usual, fabulous note and very helpful. Thank you! Now, I'm curious what people think of the Montecillo "300" and whether that really is suitable for earlier drinking, as Ketan has intimated.
Comment posted by KPB:
4/22/2023 4:41:00 PM - I just posted a TN for the 300! What I would say is that perhaps it is drinkable earlier, and in fact is good right now, but a two hour splash decant isn’t remotely enough.
When you drink a young Sonoma or Napa mountain cab, open it a whole day in advance, drink enough to leave an air gap or just put a tissue in the neck of the bottle, and leave it in a cool place to breath for at least 24 hours. 48 hours might be even better.
People somehow assume that every wine should open up if you shock them with air and give them two hours. Not true, and it isn’t just young Cabernet. Barolo is even slower to open and can need three days.
So when you pop and pour this way, they seem closed and harsh, but in fact this way of serving them isn’t fair to the wine. Either wait 15 years or give them days to quietly relax and breathe. I’m not new to this, and I find this again and again with this grape, and with Nebbiolo (well, maybe not Langhe Nebbiolo, but high end stuff).
Some varietals are hungry for oxygen and in the bottle are starved for it. You need to give them air, but also time for the chemical reactions to occur. Some things can’t be rushed.
Comment posted by Decanting Queen:
4/23/2023 4:42:00 AM - Great comment KPB. Could not agree more.
Comment posted by Rieslingfan:
4/23/2023 6:20:00 AM - Of course I didn’t pop and pour, and not everyone has the luxury of time. ;)