Chateau Montelena
Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma County, California, USA
Still in a great place. A lot of fruit remaining. I called 85 Chateau Montelena blind.
Still in a great place. A lot of fruit remaining. I called 85 Chateau Montelena blind.
Jul 28th, 2015
My girlfriend and I, both born in '74, had this recently for her birthday to commemorate our not-quite-end-of-30's. Worth the wait for every insanely good drop.
My girlfriend and I, both born in '74, had this recently for her birthday to commemorate our not-quite-end-of-30's. Worth the wait for every insanely good drop.
Dec 2nd, 2013
Surprisingly good for how old it is. Tiny hint of ripe red fruits & sweet toasted oak. Light to almost minimal tannins & smooth finish.
Surprisingly good for how old it is. Tiny hint of ripe red fruits & sweet toasted oak. Light to almost minimal tannins & smooth finish.
Feb 27th, 2021
Upon opening, my first evidence was the spongey cork, saturated top to bottom, of this 42 year old cab. I thought it would be either corked or port-like... it was... that is, right out of the bottle. I could not get past the musty, pungent smell and was ready to toss it... my wine bud, Andy Laursen, shouted, "WAIT!" He decanted it and we waited a bit. After a mere 5 minutes, it had calmed down considerably, blown off the must, and the fruit started to come out. Then some soft milk chocolate flavor emerged. The sharp initial smell shifted to a subtle chipotle smoked vegetal matter after an hour. After 2 hours, I was astonished to sense a pure blueberry nose, and the taste buds were singing fruit and sweetness. There was nothing at all resembling the first moments opened. Thank GOD for Andy's rescue. THE most memorable transformation I have ever experienced. And, the deep red and clear visual has been a sight to behold.
Upon opening, my first evidence was the spongey cork, saturated top to bottom, of this 42 year old cab. I thought it would be either corked or port-like... it was... that is, right out of the bottle. I could not get past the musty, pungent smell and was ready to toss it... my wine bud, Andy Laursen, shouted, "WAIT!" He decanted it and we waited a bit. After a mere 5 minutes, it had calmed down considerably, blown off the must, and the fruit started to come out. Then some soft milk chocolate flavor emerged. The sharp initial smell shifted to a subtle chipotle smoked vegetal matter after an hour. After 2 hours, I was astonished to sense a pure blueberry nose, and the taste buds were singing fruit and sweetness. There was nothing at all resembling the first moments opened. Thank GOD for Andy's rescue. THE most memorable transformation I have ever experienced. And, the deep red and clear visual has been a sight to behold.
Dec 8th, 2016
Magnum. Still has a tremendous life ahead. Fruit is very mature, but energetic. Light and dense at the same time.
Magnum. Still has a tremendous life ahead. Fruit is very mature, but energetic. Light and dense at the same time.
Dec 19th, 2015Wow. Really lively and fresh. Driving acid. This could easily go another decade.
Wow. Really lively and fresh. Driving acid. This could easily go another decade.
Aug 29th, 2015
Holding up perfectly with enough tannins and acid to give it many more years to come.
Holding up perfectly with enough tannins and acid to give it many more years to come.
Feb 23rd, 2015Yep, we drank it. '74 Chateau Montelena cab. The winery that put California on the map with their Chardonnay at the '74 Paris blind tasting. Wine has held up pretty well. Fruit still there, little oxidation, nice acidity and mellow tannins
Yep, we drank it. '74 Chateau Montelena cab. The winery that put California on the map with their Chardonnay at the '74 Paris blind tasting. Wine has held up pretty well. Fruit still there, little oxidation, nice acidity and mellow tannins
Feb 6th, 2014