Chateau Montelena Zinfandel

Kirsebær, søte plommer, lakris og eukalyptus

2015 vintage

44th Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2017s (R&D's) : Our penultimate bottle, double decanted off its sediment 45 minutes before service. Short version- typical Montelena Zinfandel- elegant with perfectly ripe red berry fruit, never raisined or pruney. Aromas of raspberry, blackberry and cherry with licorice, floral and spice undertones. Perfumed and pretty. A touch darker on the palate with black raspberry and mulberry qualities. Balanced, with plenty of fruit carrying the finish. Drinking very well at the moment, and while …

2015 vintage

Sadly my last bottle... blackberry bramble deliciousness :)

2015 vintage

A little spice on the nose. Some fruit, but a bit tart on the finish; probably waited too long on this one. Drink now if you still have any.

2015 vintage

Deep dark reddish garnet in color. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty notes, herbs, spices, pepper, cocoa, minerals & oak/vanilla in the background. Medium bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, jammy, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, minerals & a hint of oak/vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present when decanted & extended airing, but at …

2015 vintage

Real good

2015 vintage

42nd Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2015s (R&D's) : Double decanted off its sediment and served with dinner 3.5 hours later. Light red color. A bit bigger than the '13, showing more red plum and raspberry than anything else, along with vanilla and pepper notes. Abundant elegant red zin fruit and pepper on the palate with a lingering finish.

2015 vintage

This rates higher than indicated. California Zinfandel trends to heavy handed high alcohol fruit bombs. This is far more balanced, graceful and sophisticated. Age has treated her well - a mature beauty in excellent shape. Don't make her wait...

2015 vintage

Way above expectations, both pleasantly tannic and bright with cherry and plum.

2015 vintage

Opened for BBQ night. Med/Med+ intensity, plump dark fruits, juicy plums, blackberry, cassis, black cherry. Good amount of oak, cedar, baking spices. Went very well with burgers and brats, but died after a hour of being open - no lasting power. Some leather and jerky came into the nose as it faded (fruit intensity fell hard), but overall a decent Zinfandel for the price. Definitely a great pairing with barbecue though. 86-88 pts.

2015 vintage

Not overdone, abundant fruit, spicy, a little earth, lingering finish.

2015 vintage

Textbook California Zinfandel. Wild bramble berries with heavy form. Spicy finish.

2015 vintage

Solid zin and drinking well right now.

2015 vintage

Cooked fruit and not very focused flavors. Adequate acidity.

2015 vintage

One of my go to Zins, the Not in your face style! Drink now thru 2024

2015 vintage

A well thought out zin, light in style- Not your typical Napa friut bomb.. Chocolate, coconut, oak, smoke.. They actually put real oak on this wine which helps balance the tannins to fruit. I’m a fan of their Zin and have been since 2003. Good juice Drink now thru 2024

2015 vintage

Dark nearly opaque reddish-purple. Decanted 45 minutes before the initial tasting. Very fruity blackberry, plum, cherry nose backed up with vanilla, black pepper, and hints of a humidor. Heavy bodied, higher than expected acidity, and very jammy. Lots of dark fruits here – blackberries, blueberries, currants, plums, and a bit of leather. Smooth tannins carry through to the end of the finish. Medium finish containing black pepper, granite, graphite, tart plum, and a bit of cedar. After a few sips, …

2015 vintage

Nope. Tasted like a $9 grocery store red. Must have had a bad bottle? I'll defer from posting a score.

2015 vintage

One of my favorite Zins

2015 vintage

Lush plums, prunes, and strawberry compote

2015 vintage

Nose: Raspberry and blackberry, leather, herbs. There is a bit of a sharp note, like acid in a jam, that indicates this isn't going to be an overwhelmingly sweet fruit bomb. Palate: Lighter than the nose suggests. All of the jammy flavor without the cloying sweetness. Actually somewhat light, almost perfumed, with an excellent acidity. Very soft tannins.

2015 vintage

Brambly black and red fruits, licorice, pepper and blue fruit notes. Based solely on the bouquet this seems a bit bigger than I typically expect from a Montelena zin, but the palate remains true to form. For a Napa zin, it is restrained and very Montelena in style. Flavors of candied black raspberry, vanilla, pepper and dark berry fruit. Ripe but not overdone. Excellent as usual. 92+ for both Domino and I.

2015 vintage

Aroma of leather, tobacco and black cherries. Also a little bit if sage in the background Flavor: Softer than you'd expect from the smell. Slightly jammy, but not overpowering. I always am a huge fan of Montelena's approach to using oak. It's never the leading flavor and I think that's a beautiful thing. Makes your ribeye even juicier! But to give you a sense of how soft it is, garlic mashed potatos completely overpowered the wine. However, it does hold …

2015 vintage

On the nose- Dark fruits, blackberries, dried cherries, cedar, cigar box spice, five spice, black pepper, red flowers, with a hint of mint On the palate- Dark fruits and blackberries, dried cherries, cedar and cigar box spice, five spice and black pepper, red flowers with a hint of mint on the the finish, the tannin's are smooth and plush, this wine is drinking great now but could age another 5-7 years if not longer

2015 vintage

2020 ZAP Trade Tasting, lovely nose of dark fruit, big body, tasty, lovely, rich, touch simple, and a long finish.

2015 vintage

Are you sure?

Chateau Montelena Zinfandel

Vintages

Community Reviews