2019 Chateau Montelena 'Estate' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Farming and winemaking are acts of optimism and commitment at Montelena. It takes six years of meticulous work before the first cork is popped—three years for the vines to mature and another two in barrel. The 2019 vintage, with its big yields, required even more patience and precision. The resulting Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon offers bright acidity, raspberry and cranberry notes, framed by chalky tannins and hints of cedar and mint. This is a wine for the future, one that rewards patience and promises a beautiful evolution.
Decanter
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.
Wine Advocate
I tasted the soon-to-be-released 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate from two bottles, one freshly opened and one that had been opened the day before. Both were clearly outstanding, with the freshly opened bottle being just a bit tighter and less luxuriously textured but obviously packed with potential. Mixed currants and cherries appear on the nose, joined by hints of dark chocolate, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, rich, expansive and velvety, with a lingering, mouthwatering finish.