Great mountain fruit (perfectly sweet & ripe) in this old style Napa Cab. Solid cork and minimal sediment; soft yet firm tannin on the mild and dusty finnish; cassis berries, minerals, well-aged tobacco and cedar. It's beginning to lighten and is now showing its age; I'd drink it sooner rather than later, unless in large format.
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Not the best showing of this wine but not sure I would go all the way to flawed. Opened a few days ago and seemed very sherry like with a sour finish. I wasn’t sure if it was the other wines I had open or me or a flaw. Put some away and tried again day 3, much better but still below expectations.
Big plummy fruit, Christmas spices, fruit a little stewed/sherries. More in balance than day one and finish is long and smooth. This was pleasant but not as great as I know this wine can be.
In my cellar since release. Decanted at 4pm (a little later than I had planned due to a delay in my daughter’s soccer/“football” game) and tasted from 6-11pm. 14.3% ABV (high for Montelena of old). This wine is shockingly youthful, opaque dark garnet with a bright crimson meniscus and zero bricking. The nose exhibits some new oak derived scents of vanilla, tobacco, cedar, also quite spicy along both the sweet and picante spectrums. Tannins are still there but more than half integrated. Bright natural acidity. Fruit is complex…cassis, black raspberry, plum, blackberry and lots of underpinning minerals and floral elements like violets. Complex, layered, long on the finish and balanced. Classic old-school Napa Cab, NOT over-ripe, over-extracted or over-oaked. As always with Montelena Estate Cab, this needs a long decant. Gorgeous with grilled steaks. I would say this could age nicely for another decade or two effortlessly in a cool cellar.
At Somm's Kitchen's Bordeaux's tasting. Brought as a ringer, which worked well with the theme. Not at all tired. Good color, with no bricking at thte rim evident. Wonderful aromatics, pallet, and flavors. Opened and poured right away. Was great upon opening, and blossomed more over the next 2 hours in the glass. Will continue to hold steady for years to come!
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4/29/2024 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great mountain fruit (perfectly sweet & ripe) in this old style Napa Cab. Solid cork and minimal sediment; soft yet firm tannin on the mild and dusty finnish; cassis berries, minerals, well-aged tobacco and cedar. It's beginning to lighten and is now showing its age; I'd drink it sooner rather than later, unless in large format.
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4/7/2024 - Decanting Queen wrote: 89 Points
Not the best showing of this wine but not sure I would go all the way to flawed. Opened a few days ago and seemed very sherry like with a sour finish. I wasn’t sure if it was the other wines I had open or me or a flaw. Put some away and tried again day 3, much better but still below expectations.
Big plummy fruit, Christmas spices, fruit a little stewed/sherries. More in balance than day one and finish is long and smooth. This was pleasant but not as great as I know this wine can be.
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2/27/2024 - Fftjr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent. Deep ruby. Inviting nose. Well balanced. Plenty of berry and cassis. Has another 5 years minimum
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2/24/2024 - oldwines Likes this wine: 96 Points
In my cellar since release. Decanted at 4pm (a little later than I had planned due to a delay in my daughter’s soccer/“football” game) and tasted from 6-11pm. 14.3% ABV (high for Montelena of old). This wine is shockingly youthful, opaque dark garnet with a bright crimson meniscus and zero bricking. The nose exhibits some new oak derived scents of vanilla, tobacco, cedar, also quite spicy along both the sweet and picante spectrums. Tannins are still there but more than half integrated. Bright natural acidity. Fruit is complex…cassis, black raspberry, plum, blackberry and lots of underpinning minerals and floral elements like violets. Complex, layered, long on the finish and balanced. Classic old-school Napa Cab, NOT over-ripe, over-extracted or over-oaked. As always with Montelena Estate Cab, this needs a long decant. Gorgeous with grilled steaks. I would say this could age nicely for another decade or two effortlessly in a cool cellar.
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12/16/2023 - heathenone@msn.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
At Somm's Kitchen's Bordeaux's tasting. Brought as a ringer, which worked well with the theme. Not at all tired. Good color, with no bricking at thte rim evident. Wonderful aromatics, pallet, and flavors. Opened and poured right away. Was great upon opening, and blossomed more over the next 2 hours in the glass. Will continue to hold steady for years to come!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment