Shay A

9.4

Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.

Here we are six years after my last ‘88 Montelena and I’m looking at my old review as if I wrote it about this current bottle! So bright and lively. Gorgeous deep ruby color (darker than the ‘88 Leoville Barton). There is a Christmas spice (maybe more mint-driven) aromatic with bing cherries and floral notes. Red fruit to the core with some spiced blackberries, earthy/herbal savoriness, great acidity and a snappy/youthful finish. Cedar and espresso. Held strong over a few hours open. Not falling off a cliff, but don’t miss this window if you have some! — 8 days ago

Kyle

8.9

High alcohol and earthy on the nose. Big up front with Silky finish. Blueberry or blackberry. Medium to high tannins. Let it breathe a bit. — 4 days ago

Danielle Metzger

9.8

Crisp apple notes, fresh floral aromas, and perfect straw color. Intense sweetness balanced out by acidity and dryness — 14 days ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Quite a nice montelena - and birth year to boot! Had with some Allen bros wagyu ribeyes, which honestly were too gratuitous, wouldn’t purchase again.

Would have guessed this was older Bordeaux from the nose, which is a high compliment. Decanted 2 hours and took it fine - the tannins are still quite there. But the fruit is secondary and quite seamless in a nice way. Finish maybe slightly lacking some depth which would make this higher - but overall very good. — 13 days ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.0

Medium ruby color. Aromas of cranberry, cherry cola and herbs. Bright cherry and smooth black tea finish. — 9 days ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

Surprisingly restrained & cool on the nose. Needs some time to open up.
On the palate this is a bit bolder yet still quite cool style. Nice energy & depth. A bit of heat in the finish.
Still very young, with the wood still sticking a bit out. Very high quality wood but sticking out. Will def improve with time.
A nice one. — 7 days ago

Andrea Watt

9.4

Bright lemon, yellow apple, and melon. Clean and balanced with a soft touch of oak. — 11 days ago

Tony D

9.2

Good Pinot. Light easy. Good for a Thursday when your kid opens the wrong bottle. Pleasantly surprised! Better than the Thursday leftovers that it was paired with. Approx 40$. — 2 days ago

Boris Mathiszik

9.1

New vintage of this trusted cab. Delicious as always. Layers of cherry, some constraint, smooth. — 9 days ago

Frank Soldano

9.8

2018 Far Niente Cabernet. Love this vineyard and their signature cab is outstanding! Very nice bouquet, rich with dark fruits, blackberry, plum and light earth notes. Thick long lasting legs. Very smooth on the palette. Rich ripe fruit at the start with blackberry. Finish is smooth with light berry notes. Very low tannins. Love it! Paired well with a big Italian meal with lasagna and sausage. — a month ago