Sharon B

9.5

Tis the season 🇩🇪🍺 — 8 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Been a bit since my last but still do not think much of the style of their Cabernet. Especially, given its price point.

2022 Napa Cabernet’s more than less boil down to when did you harvest, before or after the 10 days of intense heat during the harvest window.

2026 Taste of Oakvile — 3 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.3

1L. Not my style. Ok over all. Juicy and big, chocolate overtures. Dark berries, mostly sweet blackberries, tastes pretty stemy but i assume this has no stems. Chassis. 14.2%. — 9 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

The first couple times I tried 08 I was definitely too quick to judge. It needs a ton of air, and it’s different from the rich, oxidative, nutty house style of the past, particularly the warm and ultra forward 2006, the previous release. 2008 is indeed young, tightly wound with a pulsating core of energy.

The first glass offers very little. Subdued, austere and youthfully reserved. But ensuing pours eventually unleash its core of powerful clean orchard fruit, coffee bean and grilled nuts. On the palate it continues to become so much more textural with crazy gains in weight, depth and fruit intensity as the night goes on. It really fills the mouth, saturating the palate with a satin-like texture, ripping citrusy acids and saline laced minerals that follow deep into its finish. Enjoyable now with enough air (needs 2 hours), but no doubt one to hold. To live forever. — 4 years ago

Jol

9.1

Excellent à tous point de vue Mon style — 5 years ago

E & K G

9.3

This bottle was in a great place with depth and layers of flavors. The stylistic oxidized style shines through perfectly well with highlights of honey, roasted nuts, brioche that follow the ripe stone fruit flavors. — 6 years ago

Hanibal

9.1

Getting old but still kicking....tertiary notes here but i appreciate the old guard style that it has... — 6 years ago

Ming L

9.2

The house style is still here with ripe, slightly over extracted blue fruits, baking spices, cocoa, and a plush velvety palate. But the fruits become less confectionary and some savory components have emerged. Acidity seems more apparent. Really nice integration.

I think Pinot bottlings from Belle Glos are at their best with 5-8 years bottle aging. This is another proof. — a month ago

Ed Chin

9.1

My first and I found it quite interesting. Nutty with a fino type finish. Definitely need to have food with the bright acidity it has. I think more age is needed to bring the out the complexity. The oxidative style isn’t for everyone — 8 months ago

ESF

9.5

Outstanding — 8 months ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.2

Ripe and confected style. Still quite youthful and could go another 10-20. — 3 years ago

Paul H

9.4

When they say bring your A game you can think of this bottle. This is an amazing glass of wine. It benefits from decanting for a good bit. Upon opening I thought of dusty plum and cedar on the nose. Tasting brought plum, currant, blackberries, vintage leather plus an array of other items indicative of this style of big wine. There is a good mix of tannins and acid that makes this a classic great glass of wine. I want to try it again in a few years to see how much better it may get. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Classic Cabernet descriptors of Cedar, Tobacco, Red and black fruits and a herbal note. Lovely on the palate, drinking at its peak with excellent balance - smooth, fluid, resolved tannins. One could easily pick this as a Left Bank Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Shows more French restraint than the full blown Napa style for me. Medium + weight palate with balance and concentration. Probably my favourite Napa Valley Cabernet though admittedly I have not tried some of the big guns like Harlan. Post script: A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot. No Merlot was used in the blend for 2004. — 5 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.6

I thought I would open another LLC tonight. The 86 is one of my favorite drinking vintages. This was classic & old school that has a burly, muscular style & is starting to enter its drinking window with many years ahead displaying black fruits, cassis, graphite, iron, leather, forest floor, brown spices & tobacco. This btl was in perfect shape showing how monumental this wine can be. — 6 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Chateau Montelena — Chardonnay 2023
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Released as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the historic 1976 Judgment of Paris, this vintage continues the legacy that forever changed the perception of California wine. Crafted in Montelena’s unmistakable style, it favors precision, freshness, and restraint over richness, proving Napa Chardonnay can be both powerful and elegant.

Aromas & Flavors
Lemon curd, baked pear, crisp apple, citrus blossom, and subtle white peach are beautifully intertwined with delicate hints of wet stone, light vanilla, and restrained oak.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and exceptional balance. Rich enough to satisfy yet remarkably focused, the palate delivers silky texture, impressive tension, and a long, refined finish that never feels heavy.

Food Pairings
Lobster, scallops, roasted chicken, creamy risotto, grilled halibut, or triple-cream Brie.

Verdict
A benchmark New World Chardonnay that continues to set the standard nearly five decades after its historic triumph. Complex, poised, and beautifully balanced, it is a wine that appeals equally to classic California Chardonnay lovers and those who typically favor more restrained Old World expressions.

Did You Know?
The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won the white wine category at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, defeating France’s finest Burgundies in a blind tasting and forever changing the reputation of California wine on the world stage. The 2023 vintage celebrates the 50th anniversary of that landmark event.

🍷 Personal Pick
I’m generally selective with Napa Chardonnay, often preferring leaner, mineral-driven styles. Chateau Montelena remains one of my rare exceptions. It captures the generosity of Napa’s sunshine while preserving freshness, finesse, and impeccable balance. This is a permanent fixture in my cellar and one of the few New World Chardonnays I’d confidently pour for someone who believes they don’t enjoy Napa Chardonnay. — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Pretty deep ruby garnet , medium wide garnet rim . Aromatic and really classic with a mix or red and dark fruits , tobacco , grafite and cedar . On the palate this is quite linear , again with the red and dark fruits from the nose, cedar and grafite and quite rounded resolved tannins . Fresh acidity , good cedar with grafite length , very classic in style . Enough density and fruit to cover the rest of the structure. In a perfect place now at least in this format , and probably will be over the next 10 years . This was from an Imperial , at BBR in London . — 9 months ago

Doug Powers

9.3

Sometimes no other wine will do for me than old-style (13% ABV) Bordeaux, and this lovely medium-aged Pauillac absolutely fills the bill, redfruits, structured but not really tannic, great acid balance really lifts the fruit, not a blockbuster, but very fine nonetheless, I could drink a lot of this!! — 3 years ago

with Jim

Jay Kline

9.3

Christmas lunch date at V. Mertz. Disgorged January 2013. No formal notes. Rich in style with bruised apple, brioche, honey and some nutty, oxidative notes too. Zippy acid still. A truly wonderful way to close out the meal. — 5 years ago

Kerry Whitlock

9.2

2016. Red and black fruit with firm tannins. More of a traditionalist style but very approachable now. Rich. A lot of body without being heavy. — 6 years ago

Dawn E.

9.2

Old World Style presents with Cassis, Spice, Dark Berries, Leather, Milk Chocolate, Smoke, and mild Vanilla! Development of this wine is very enjoyable at this point..I use WE Vintage Chart as a soft guide and almost put it back (I will continue to slap my hands on more precious bottles). QPR on this is most satisfying..easy drinking, mild tannins and Medium bodied. — 6 years ago