Chateau Montelena, The Montelena Estate Zinfandel, Napa Valley

drink up

2012 vintage

Popped and poured and followed over an hour, enjoyed with a pork shoulder. Raspberry and cherry with terrific white pepper and brambly overtones. Flavors of red berry fruit, pepper and blueberry. While mature, there’s still a freshness about it- Montelena’s zins age beautifully, and this was no exception. Sadly, it was our last bottle.

2012 vintage

Drunk with cheeses. 14.4%. From magnum. Bright translucent ruby, with pale rim and no bricking. Lovely nose of red cherry, strawberry and raspberry. Soft tannins and lovely balance that carried the alcohol very well. Definitely quite a feminine Zinfandel. A pleasure to drink.

2012 vintage

Translucent red with just the slightest touch of brown. Cedar, mushroom, and earth nose. Medium bodied, bright cherries, cranberries, woody tannins, a bit of heat, and a long finish. Very funky on day 1; I was worried, but it emerged in great shape.

2012 vintage

Missing some expression on the nose, a bit muted. Noted oak influence. Medium weight through the mid-palate to finish. Dark red fruits, black fruits. Integrated tannins, no evidence of bitterness or dryness. Medium+ - Long- finish. Good quality wine for daily consumption.

2005 vintage

In great shape, rich, slightly syrupy, deep somewhat faded ruby; lots of cherry syrup, very slight sweetness, ripe attack, lots of ripe black and red fruits, dusty herbs; decent structure, tannins, a bit of lift; walked and talked like a CdP, which most guessed. Monopole blind

2004 vintage

Decanted off its sediment and followed over two hours. Great color- no bricking, just very light as Montelena zins tend to be. Cherry, white currant and white pepper, with hints of wild strawberry underneath. Absolutely delightful. 92-93 pts.

2012 vintage

Still drinking great after 1 hour decanting. Fruit forward, no tannins. Color has really lightened. Looks like a Pinot in the glass.

2006 vintage

Decanted off its sediment and enjoyed over four hours or so. Notes of white pepper, wild strawberry, mint, rose and cherry. Medium-bodied, soft and elegant, with peppery spice, boysenberry and raspberry fruit. 92+ pts.

2012 vintage

Very smooth, lots of flavor spice and pepper!

2004 vintage

Très beau vin. Robe bourgogne clair. Sur les petits fruits, tabac et de vanille. Bel équilibre et une bonne longueur en bouche. Tannin fondu et décanté 1h.

2012 vintage

Opened on a Saturday and foolishly PNP. It was good. But next day, awesome. Deep red fruit on the nose. Translucent. Very dark fruit Modest finish. Absolutely stunning.

2012 vintage

Strong plum. Deep and rich nose. Licorice toast for the finish. A lovely wine.

2012 vintage

Ruby red in color. Notes of dark cherry, dark chocolate and tobacco. Dry, medium body, medium acidity, and smooth tannins. This was a very elegant wine. Not sure if it is quarantine but I’m loving California Zinfandels with some age.

2012 vintage

Chateau Montelena tasting at winery : Aromas of mulled spices, brambly dark fruit, root spices and rocky earth. Stately and elegant palate with nice fruit expression & secondary depth, and easy round tannin on the finish. Drinking well.

2012 vintage

My last note we a touch confused. Reads like I got Ridge and Chateau Montelena confused. Anyway ... The wine is purple with a transparent edge. The nose is red berries, figs and cassis. The palate is balanced, consistent with the nose with a lingering red fruit that turns a touch tart on the finish. The mouth feel is medium with soft tannins, modest acidity and and moderate alcohol. The wine is drinking very well. 5+12+17+8=92

2012 vintage

4th Saturday group uptown tasting (M&R's) : Double blind. Cherry and currant notes. Slightly tannic, wit white currant, cherry and spice flavors. More spice and dark fruit as it opens. Elegant. I like this but I am not sure what it is. No guess on the variety. 88-89 pts. Always a nice zinfandel, in a style I like, but certainly not what should be put in an "uptown" tasting.

2012 vintage

Opens up nicely after about an hour. Not a typical explosive California Zin. This is nicely restrained which really impressed me.

2012 vintage

Beautiful aroma. Crisp, sharp, stand at attention first sip. Finishes with a fruity lavender.

2012 vintage

Surprisingly young and fresh tasting. On opening rather muted, earthy, with more restrained fruit. After some air, the fruit shows and the earthy notes faded. Very good value for a Zin of this quality.

2012 vintage

Bay Area Wine Tour; 1/11/2019-1/15/2019 (Bay Area, CA) : Smells super young, with ripe black fruit. Some anise and oak on palate. Good acid, a little flat though.

2012 vintage

Just beautiful. Fruity, earthy, with lots of exotic spice. Prime.

2006 vintage

Excellent 2012 Zin...well balanced.

2012 vintage

Not in your face like many zins, but it doesn't need to be: Complex and interesting, very self-assured. A classic.

2012 vintage

Pale ruby color with slow legs. Some earth on the nose with oak and jammy aromas and sour cherry. Mixed berry jam on the palate with a hint of red currant. Smooth finish for a zin given the high alcohol content.

2012 vintage

Surprisingly light and smooth for a Zinfandel!

2012 vintage

No note. Probably the usual stuff.

2012 vintage

Blind. A touch of bricking shows this as one of the older wines in the flight. Aromas of sage, licorice, currants and red cherry becomes more spocy and plummy with air. Red fruit, spuce and a hint of plum and raisin on the palate. This was our bottle and so easy to pock out as an older zin. Time to drink up. 89+ pts.

2006 vintage

Always a favorite. Think this was previously called the Three River Zin. Don’t think I’ve ever had a European Zin but this tastes like it has been done a European style. The color is bright crimson with medium transparency. The nose is bright red berries. The palate is very velvety with balanced acidity and a red berry finish. Would have guessed 13% heat and not 14.4%. 5+12+16+8=91

2012 vintage

Very nice. Not too extracted. Seemed lighter than the current vintage. Is this the age or just a bit different style?

2012 vintage

Fruit croquant, belle tenue. Va gagner encore avec un peu de temps.

2012 vintage

Excellent Hurricane Harvey drinking! Bold and smooth!

2004 vintage

Oh my. Tasty. Great reminder of the benefits of age, particularly on more concentrated and tannic wines. This was a real treat. Balanced, mellow, full bodied, and long finish. Lots of leather and deep purple fruits, but fully ripened rather than first of the season. Wish I had more, was our last bottle.

2005 vintage

4th Saturday Brown Bagger (Our house) : Aromas of plum, pepper and spice. Red fruit and pepper with nice spice lingering through the finish.

2005 vintage

37th Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2010s (R&D's) : Crimson core with some bricking. Notes of red fruit and cherry; soft and light. Red berries and white pepper on the palate turning austere on the finish.

2005 vintage

Still going strong. Excellent, especially for a zin that was projected to not last past 2011

2005 vintage

Wonderful nose, nice smooth finish. Still drinking well!

2006 vintage

unusual in that this is a fairly elegant style zin -- not the jammy fruit bomb we are used to. a great example of how zin can actually be shown in an old world style. very nice wine.

2006 vintage

Needs drinking

2006 vintage

Still drinking very well. Still getting a lot of spice, fruit and jammy flavor with a great finish. Opened the 2007 vintage as well. 2005 spicier and more full bodied with longer finish. Guests preferred the 2005 to the 2007.

2005 vintage

Opened at a fundraiser. Very good. Tobacco. Spice. Smoke. It was the second most drank wine at the party. Way behind the 3L Schramsberg that just disappeared. Compared to only 2 bottles of this.

2006 vintage

Popped & poured after the undrinkable Peju. Aromas of raspberry and red fruit, pepper and spices. Full-bodied and lush, with red fruit, raspberry, vanilla and pepper persisting through the finish. Not as elegant a wine as I am used to from Montelena Zins, but very fruit forward and lush, and a nice match for the porterhouse I grilled for supper.

2006 vintage

I love their Zin. This one is ready and would not cellar any longer

2006 vintage

Like drinking ripe raspberry jam!

2005 vintage

My fav is the 2007. Have not had any later vintages. I have a 2010 magnum but have not tried it. This year seams to be lacking in the luster that the 2007 has. Still good. Color is lighter red almost pinot noir in nature. We love this with pizza

2006 vintage

PnP. Soft nose of dark fruit, strawberry and a hint of tobacco. Initially, the palate was light, slightly dry and a little awkward, with brambly raspberries and spice with a little acidic bite, but, over the next half hour, opened up, loses some of the dust and gained weight with a balance of raspberries, cranberry, cherry and nice winter spices that finishes with silky tannins. With a little decanting, a very nice medium-bodied zin!

2006 vintage

May be near the end of enjoyment. Much more fruit when originally purchased years ago.

2005 vintage

This is my fav wine to have with pizza.

2006 vintage

Light beautifully balanced wine

2006 vintage

I'm sure it's a little past its prime but still drinking well. Great nose and it opened up to full flavors after an hour.

2005 vintage

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Chateau Montelena, The Montelena Estate Zinfandel, Napa Valley

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