Chateau Montelena The Montelena Estate Napa Cabernet 2017 Rated 93+VM

VinoUS Media Review
Rated 92
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate shows the racier, more voluptuous side of the vintage. A burst of super-ripe red cherry fruit, spice, mint, tobacco and cedar gives the wine an extra kick of exoticism that is a signature of the year, and a bit out of character for Montelena. Even so, the wine retains its super-classic sense of structure. Today, the 2017 is clearly still recovering from its recent bottling a few months ago, but it has so much to offer. Drinking Window: 2022-2042. (Antonio Galloni, September 2019)

Wine Tasting Notes

• Nose: Blueberry, sage and cedar accentuate the opulence of the vintage before yielding to spicy black pepper and dried cherry. It's an incredibly interesting contrast that's easily identifiable now but will mellow in time.
• Palate: °ere's an abundance of purity and freshness as the palate leans toward cool character with layer after layer of raspberry jam, cocoa, strawberry and clove. While not overly coarse, the tannins are persistent and mouthcoating, a perfect balance to the laser-focused seam of acidity that slowly yields to the stony minerality that's typical of wine from the Estate.
• Finish: Polished and persistent, the finish transitions from mineral to cassis and then glides through ripe plum adorned with allspice and espresso. Delicate notes of vanilla and mint slowly come into focus leaving an extraordinarily complex and delicious experience to behold.

Varietals: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet FrancAlcohol: 13.8%