Medium deep garnet ruby , quite thin garnet terracotta rim . This is quite classic and more austere on the nose after the 1990s , grafite , cedar, sweet spice , earthiness and mint. More dry and four square on the palate compared to the 1990s but enough stuffing to fill out. Cassis , plum and blackberry , coffee , grafite . Refreshing acidity , slightly grippy drier tannin. Sous bois , grafite , herbal character with good length and earthy cassis finish . This got better with time in the glass and probably should have been decanted . This shows there is some upside , from now , with time in the glass, and over the next 10 years. The wine that improved the most during the dinner , quite impressive . — 2 days ago


1 hour decant(decent fine/cloudy sediment). A wonderful dark magenta color. On the nose: mellow notes of dark black/blue fruit, pencil shavings, smoked meat, pine, tobacco leaf. Taste: silky wine with blackberry, currants, graphite, earth, and a spiced mineral-mocha medium plus slightly astringent finish. YUM! — 19 days ago
Beautiful fragrance and on the palate after 20 minute exposure to air. Dark cherry but nice balance. After 14 years, awesome. October 2025. — 9 days ago
Medium ruby garnet terracotta rim, slightly wider than the Lynch. This is cooler and slightly sterner in character than the Lynch. More mineral , with ash , cedar and grafite in character , cassis , blackberry , dark cherry fruits. On the palate this is denser with more tannin , and balanced acidity . Grafite , cassis , herbal cedar , menthol touch . Long fresh but densely fruited, grafite finish . This is younger and more serious than the Lynch, more austere . Probably deserves a little time in decanter, though this is probably in the middle of its drinking window . Certainly no rush here , can go on well for the next 10 if not more years . This shows a really good mix of St Estephe austerity , seriousness and the ripeness and generosity of 1990. A great bottle , showing very well. — 2 days ago
Rehearsal dinner wine for my nephew. I thought this probably WOTN. — 12 days ago
Doug Powers
Absolutely beautiful Montelena Cabernet, violets, beautiful aromatics, still some structure (and this seems to have 10+ more years of ageability, long, lingering finish, really a super fine bottle of this wine (last bottle seemed fully mature)!! — 14 days ago