Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Spectator Top 100 #76

1985 Vintage

Awarded: 1989

Wine Spectator Top 100 #47

1984 Vintage

Awarded: 1988

Wine Spectator Top 100 #8

Suggested Dishes to Pair With This Wine

Salt and pepper ribs Starter Course: Contains: pork ribs, Szechuan pepper, five spice; Chinese

Swordfish steak, grilled Main Course: Worldwide

Calf's liver Main Course: With red wine braised lentils; Contains: calf liver; Western

Mimolette Cheese Course: French

Details

Analytical Data

Alcohol ABV: 13.6 - 14.2%
Sweetness: Dry

Production Attributes

Maturation: Oaked
Oak Type: French, Hungarian
Winemaker: Matt Crafton
Ownership: Michel Reybier
Closure Type: Cork
Ageing: 16 months in French and Eastern European oak, 28% new

Awards

(3)

1987 Vintage

Awarded: 1991

Wine Spectator Top 100 #76

1985 Vintage

Awarded: 1989

Wine Spectator Top 100 #47

1984 Vintage

Awarded: 1988

90 / 100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

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Peter Granoff & 1974 Chateau Montelena Cabernet

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Critics Scores & Reviews

(123)

All vintages

90 / 100

123 scores

95 - 100

90 - 94

85 - 89

80 - 84

75 - 79

0 - 74

95 / 100 Bacchus Magazine

2018 Vintage Tasted: May 2024

When to drink: 2026 to 2038

Directement associé à la reconnaissance internationale de l’industrie vinicole californienne grâce au célèbre «Jugement de Paris» de 1976, Château Montelena est l’un des vignobles les plus prestigieux de Napa Valley. Situé à Calistoga, ce domaine historique fondé en 1882 a été acquis par James Barrett en 1972, qui a ensuite passé le flambeau à son fils Bo Barrett en 1982. Aux côtés de l’œnologue Matt Crafton, ils élaborent des vins profonds, complexes et concentrés, parfaitement illustrés par ce remarquable Cabernet-Sauvignon. Il révèle des arômes séduisants de framboises, de cassis, de cerises noires, d’épices, de tabac, de vanille et de moka, rehaussés de délicates notes fumées et minérales. En bouche, il se distingue par son intensité, son amplitude et une richesse exceptionnelle, équilibrée par une fraîcheur irrésistible. La longueur des flaveurs est superbe, menant à une finale voluptueuse qui persiste agréablement. Passer en carafe ±2 heures et servir à 17 °C. Divin avec le carré d’agneau en croûte d’épices, la bavette de boeuf grillée, les côtes levées sauce barbecue, le filet mignon, ou le magret de canard rôti.

About Bacchus Magazine

PRO Jancis Robinson

2018 Vintage Tasted: Jun 2022

See score for this and 6 more vintages with a PRO subscription.

About Jancis Robinson

92 / 100 Tom Cannavan

2016 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2021

(2021) A certain dustiness and sweet plummy fruit depth here, a touch of tapenade and also some sweet floral aspects as cassis asserts. Smooth and silky on the palate, more toast and nutty oak components showing through, but everything polished and creamy, tannins and acids integrated with the substantial fruit. Stylish. Price and stockist quoted is for a more recent vintage at time of review.

About Tom Cannavan

1974 Vintage Tasted: May 2017

At close to 45 years of age, this still has its old school charm intact, with its tobacco, cedar wood, cassis and tart, red berry profile. Medium/full bodied, and with a bit too much tart over sweet fruit, with rustic tannins in the finish, it's still a fun look back at the old school, California Cabernet Sauvignon. 90 Points

About Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

92 / 100 Owen Bargreen

2013 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2017

When to drink: 2017 to 2030

- This excellent Cabernet was aged 14 months in French and Eastern European oak (16% new) prior to bottling. It is a blend of 85% Cabernet with 14% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. The wine has aromatics of pipe tobacco, blackberry cobbler, sage and mint. There are flavors of cassis, anise, coffee grounds, eucalyptus and black cherry cough syrup. This Bordelaise bottling has marvelous structure and elegance.

About Owen Bargreen

92 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2014 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2017

Softened by the addition of 13% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, this wine leads with smoky oak and baked bread aromas, followed by cassis and mocha notes. Medium bodied, with a seamless texture, it adds baked cherry, cedar and tomato leaf components with measured richness.

? / 100 James Suckling

2012 Vintage Tasted: Jul 2015

A subtle red with red pepper, berry and sweet tobacco character. Full-bodied, balanced and refined. Very fine and polished tannins. Needs a few years to come completely around. Drink or hold.

About James Suckling

87 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2008 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2012

Starts out fine and impressive, but as this wine breathes a certain imbalance emerges. There's a green unripeness to the blackberries and cherries, although the wine does exhibit fine tannins and a balanced approach to oak. Drink now.

87 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2006 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2010

There's some bitterness in this young Cab, enough to interfere with the blackberry and cherry-herb fruit. Tastes very dry, with puckery-astringent tannins. It's quite a good, rich wine, in a rustic way, and should age for some time, but lacks an essential richness.

90 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2003 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2006

Too young to enjoy now. The tannins and acids are such that they lock the wine down. The fruit tastes sharp and jammy, and the alcohol, even though it isn't high, sticks out. But it's all there, including oodles of blackberries, cherries, licorice and spice. Needs time. Give it until 2009.

About Wine & Spirits Magazine

94 / 100 Tom Cannavan

1999 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2002

(2002) Quite a dominant impression of concentrated, sweet, vanillin oak. Minty ripe, the fruit is dense and rich with a compact, powerful character. the palate is intensely concentrated too, with a great drying quality of deep blue/black fruit that is bittersweet, and massive tannins drying the mouth. This is layered with plum and blackcurrant fruit, and stays powerfully focused into a long finish. I see now that Robert Parker rates this 96-98 and suggests three decades of evolution. I wouldn't argue.

About Tom Cannavan

94 / 100 Bacchus Magazine

2016 Vintage

When to drink: 2025 to 2035

Directement associé à la reconnaissance internationale de l’industrie vinicole californienne à travers le fameux «Jugement de Paris» en 1976, Château Montelena est l’un des vignobles les plus importants de Napa Valley. Basé à Calistoga, le vignoble fut fondé en 1882. Puis, en 1972, il devint la propriété de James Barrett qui a passé le flambeau en 1982 à son fils Bo Barret, qui est l’oenologue du domaine. Il produit des vins profonds, complexes et concentrés, tout à fait à l’image de ce savoureux Cabernet-sauvignon. Un vin qui dévoile des arômes de framboises, de cassis, de cerises noires, d’épices, de tabac, de vanille et de moka, escortés de notes fumées et minérales. Beaucoup d’intensité en bouche avec de l’amplitude et une merveilleuse richesse qui est équilibré par une fraîcheur irrésistible. Superbe longueur des flaveurs qui nous tient jusqu’à une finale voluptueuse! Passer en carafe une heure et servir à 17 °C. Divin avec le carré d’agneau en croûte d’épices, la bavette de boeuf grillée, les côtes levées sauce barbecue, le filet mignon, ou le magret de canard rôti.

About Bacchus Magazine

93 / 100 Wine & Spirits Magazine

2015 Vintage Tasted: Dec 2018

95 / 100 Hudin.com

2004 Vintage Tasted: Feb 2018

About Hudin.com

95 / 100 Jeannie Cho Lee

1978 Vintage Tasted: Nov 2015

90 / 100 Jeannie Cho Lee

1991 Vintage Tasted: Nov 2015

88 / 100 Jeannie Cho Lee

1995 Vintage Tasted: Nov 2015

89 / 100 Jeannie Cho Lee

2012 Vintage Tasted: Mar 2015

When to drink: 2017 to 2017

87 / 100 Wine Spectator

2009 Vintage Tasted: Aug 2012

82 / 100 Wine Spectator

2005 Vintage Tasted: Oct 2008

69 / 100 Wine Spectator

2001 Vintage Tasted: Nov 2004

89 / 100 Wine Spectator

1980 Vintage Tasted: Feb 2001

94 / 100 Wine Spectator

1978 Vintage Tasted: Nov 1999

93 / 100 Wine Spectator

1987 Vintage Tasted: Nov 1999