Decanter 99:
The flagship wine of Chateau Montelena sourced from the winery's estate vineyard adjacent to the chateau near the base of Mount St Helena. Compact and restrained at first; give it some air and good things will come. Bright red-toned fruits and dried wild herb notes are tethered to rich cedar spices. Well-endowed with impressive depth and concentration, particularly evident in the mid-palate which is weighted by crushed stones and earthen minerality. Elongated tannins are crisp while acids are firm and tangy. Those capable of looking past its upfront approachability will be rewarded with patience as this wine will evolve and shine over the next four decades.
It was also one of their top two “Napa Cabernet buys” of the 2019 vintage.
Also the top-rated Montelena Estate Cabernet ever for Vinous:
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is heady and quite extroverted, especially compared with the 2018 tasted alongside it. Readers will have a very hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine. Silky, plush tannins wrap around a core of dark fruit, chocolate, lavender, spice and leather. The combination of a generous, opulent style with the classically-leaning Montelena style makes for a hugely appealing Cabernet to drink over the next two decades or more.
When Stephen Spurrier chose his Napa wines for his famous 1976 tasting, he focused on small, family-owned wineries. Montelena remains one of the few that is still family owned.
And as Decanter noted, in top Napa Cabernet terms – and with a 50 year track record of greatness, this also remains a relative bargain.