Chateau Montelena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County

Very aged notes with a strong earthy nose. Good freshness on the palette but lost the fruit

2006 vintage

Consumed too late, tasted ok but past it's prime. Ended up being the base for the holiday mulled wine.

2006 vintage

Way past its prime. The winery sold us on a library box last year and we had to toss all of it.

2008 vintage

Outstanding Cab with Lots of Character and Body I have always like the Chateau Montelena cabs. The wine has a very deep, dense, dark ruby color. Its aromas are very aromatics. There is a lot of berry, cedar, licorice, with this Cab. It has a very good fruit concentrate finish. It worked great with food and I loved just drinking it alone.

2005 vintage

Past its end date

2008 vintage

So seamless and elegant. I've never had anything this balanced and beautiful. Dark fruits, boysenberry, cocoa, and graphite. Silky and smooth. Will evolve for 5 more years still, and age for at least another 7 to 10

2017 vintage

I don’t drink a lot of California cab, even though I have a lot in my cellar. This wine is drinking well however. It is lacking in tannins on the finish and the palate is a touch too sweet with maybe a little too much oak. However, everything else is balance and it is well made. Excellent wine for the price. No bricking noted, however it needs drank, fading a little.

2008 vintage

This has aged very well. Château M is still one of the best produced wines in Napa. Wonderful flavor and not overwhelmed by tannins or alcohol.

2017 vintage

P&P. Did not live up to expectations given the reputation of the winery. Pretty ordinary, with light tannins and low acidity (not flabby, but I would be wary of pairing with some food). DIAM 30 cork suggests the winery thinks it's for the long haul, but I'm not so sure.

2017 vintage

Cranberry, tobacco, earthiness. Very nice. Definitely holding up well. Would drink over next couple years.

2008 vintage

Balanced Cabernet. Light tannins still there. Med-full body. Delicious with my grilled lamb chops.

2017 vintage

Nice full bodied cab in the Napa style. Fruit and oak equal measures with velvety tannins and dry finish.

2017 vintage

Euchre night (R&D's) : After a run of either flawed or disappointing bottles we have finally found a winner. Double decanted off its sediment about ninety minutes earlier. The bouquet shows black currant, plum, chocolate and leather aromas. Full-bodied with softened tannins and flavors of currants, plum and cedar. Coming back to it three hours after it was opened has brought out more of the cedar and chocolate notes but also hints of tobacco. The dark plummy fruit remains. Plush, …

2008 vintage

Lunch at La T (La Trompette) : Leaner on the nose initially, then opens to a depth of warm fruit and some cool mint. Cooly dense. Lots here but not really expressing itself now. ***(*)

2003 vintage

A bit flat and disappointing. Montelena wines generally age well, so I am not sure why this bottle lacked character and I am hoping my remaining bottles are more enjoyable

2003 vintage

Smooth but not very full body. Does not contain much off oak flavor or chocolate, easy going wine.

2008 vintage

Birthday Dinner (La Trompette) : Served blind. Clearly a bdx blend, some American oak? Some menthol to it, and lovely vibrant acidity. A precision and a lightness of touch. Really lovely and most importantly was enjoyed by the birthday girl.

2006 vintage

Corked.

2008 vintage

Obvious Napa with some maturity. Cherries, plums. A little too big still for my taste. But good overall.

2005 vintage

Has improved with age. Nice and generous.

2017 vintage

A little too much acidity

2006 vintage

has lost the fruit & acidic

2006 vintage

PNP but consumed over two hours. Predominately black cherry, leather and tobacco flavors delivered on a medium mouthfeel with a silky texture. Classic Montelena presentation with many years of life ahead. Recommend a two hour decant if drinking currently.

2017 vintage

Dinner with Friends (Gen Hoe) : Double decanted off its sediment nine hours prior to ending up in the flight, served double blind to the group. As it was on opening, quite reserved and a bit four square. Shows a bit of black currant on the nose and palate but there’s not much else. I wonder if perhaps there is some very low level TCA here.

2008 vintage

Opening early or wait 2 years.

2017 vintage

Let this one breathe more than 15 min. More like 1 to 2 hours. All in all a superb wine. Had with a nice steak.

2017 vintage

Excellent wine. 91

2017 vintage

Opening day dinner at the club. Double decanted a couple of hours before dinner. Plum and cherry with a bit of cedar and leather as well. In a really nice spot. 92-93 pts.

2005 vintage

Beautiful dark fruits, herbal, earthy on the nose. Hint of green on the palate. Old school, balanced, bdx like. Alc is in the 13.x%. Acidity is high, tannin high. Hint of vanilla from the oak. Enjoyable wine.

2017 vintage

A delightful wine at its peak. After opening, with a little time, the nose had candied red fruit with a bit of menthol and earth. Balanced red/black fruit flavors on the palate. I don’t think it will get much better, but it sure is delicious right now!

2005 vintage

Went great with Prime Rib at Christmas Friends dinner. Still had fruit and vibrancy

2006 vintage

I may only have 3 bottles

2006 vintage

Needs age. Needs air. Old world style. Balanced. Ruby red. Something on the nose I couldn’t place but pleasant. I would buy a few to cellar. Could be interesting.

2017 vintage

Slight oxidation evident on first pour. Concentrated, very dark. Dense, concentrated black fruit flavours. Excellent.

2003 vintage

Ruby red in colour with a dark blood red belly. Cherry and black fruit on the nose. Cassis and dark chocolate on the palate. Slightly saline with an olive and tobacco back palate. Still young with lots of promise.

2017 vintage

Beautiful nose: red currant, cherries, well integrated wood. Structured and long palate. Positive surprise and in a really nice drinking window at the moment

2005 vintage

The wine looks ruby colored. It smells like cherry. It tastes like chocolate and mineral. The body is full. The wine has silky texture. The wine has medium acidity.

2017 vintage

I likely drank this much too young so my rating is adjusted for potential. I would rate it as an 88 now and a 90 for potential. What I like about this wine: it is not a typical Cali fruit bomb that tastes like blueberry jam covered with vanilla ice cream drowned in cola and screaming of oak. Even at this young age, this was not what I don't like about Cali cabs so that is a good thing. That …

2017 vintage

Still in fine shape. Slight clearness at the edge, no bricking, dark red, violet. Still some black fruit on the nose, soft cedar aroma. Nice acidity balancing remaining fruit. Soft tannins. Medium minus taste length. Enjoyable.

2008 vintage

PNP drinking great

2006 vintage

Dark fruits, a lot of vanilla, nice acidity to keep things balanced. Not the most complex but tasty and easy drinking.

2017 vintage

Excellent bottle, but way too young to drink now. I would keep this for another 5 years before drinking. We tasted a 2012 at the same time, which was great and more mature.

2017 vintage

Brief decant. A back and forth of red and black currant, plenty of dried herbs - but no tobacco - and initially some musty notes hence would recommend a quick 30min decant. At its peak developing a nice floral add-on of pressed blossoms and eucalyptus as well as a sweet and sexy core once you‘ve peeled through all the rest. But that was a rather short phase, ultimately expressing mostly green, herbaceous notes. On the palate juicy and fresh, albeit …

2003 vintage

Dark fruit, black cherry ripe plum cola vanilla

2006 vintage

Dark fruit, black cherry, plum, cola vanilla. Served with fillet mignon, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts with lemon garlic sautéed.

2006 vintage

Too much oak, vanilla

2017 vintage

Red berries and cassis on the nose, with a little bit of unintegrated oak. Very smooth cherries and a touch of spice on the palate. Solid steak wine.

2017 vintage

Cabernet stuk, gott

2017 vintage

Not blind. Tasted with the 2001 Montelena estate.

2001 vintage

Dark and youthful appearance, restrained but present dark fruit, still noticeable tannin presence, fairly well integrated. 60 min decant probably too short. Overall very nice and still has time.

2003 vintage

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Chateau Montelena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County

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