1993 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
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Tasting notes
‘This period was the apogee of the score system. We were taking bullets from Michael Broadbent about having too much ripeness. Old cooperage back then.’ Aged for 14–24 months in oak. Bottled August 1995. Dark shaded ruby. A little bit of Elastoplast on the nose and some dry and dusty animal notes; Bo Barrett and his winemaker Matt Crafton admit there’s a bit of brett and they still encourage a little in their reds. Drying finish. A bit too old. (JR)
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Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
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Montelena produces two cuvees of Cabernet. The estate Cabernet Sauvignons, Montelena's flagship wines, have been remarkably consistent. From fruit grown in their Calistoga vineyards, which are dry farmed (non-irrigated), approximately 10,000 cases of this wine are estate-bottled each year. It is hard to find less than a stellar vintage. The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (the current release) possesses the most aggressive tannin of the 1993-1996 Estate Cabernets. It is a weighty, hefty, powerful wine, with a dense purple color, ripe, sweet black fruit flavors, considerable muscle and depth, and a spicy, full-bodied, tannic finish. This wine has all the necessary components to age effortlessly for 20+ years. However, it will require 3-4 years of cellaring in order to shed some of its tannin. The straight-talking, down to earth Bo Barrett, told me on my visit in October, that 1997 may be the vintage of his career. He was not the only person to say that when talking about Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ... ummmm! Tel. (707) 942-5105; Fax (707) 942-4221
About the producer
Chateau Montelena is a historic Napa Valley estate that rose to global fame after its 1973 Chardonnay won the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Renowned for both its Chardonnay and Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, the winery continues to produce elegant, age-worthy wines with a legacy of excellence.