Continuing our blockbuster wine dinner tasting series, the Orlando Group gathered at the Herbst's home on August 3rd for a tasting of Chateau Montelena wines spanning the years 1984 - 2013. The tasting team is pictured below.
In a previously mentioned Vant podcast, Chateau Montelena winemaker Matt Crafton made some observations on winemaking at the estate:
- They remake the wines every year
- They harvest in windows
- White wine lots are kept separate; retention of aromas is key
- Barrels are never the story; rather, it is the vintage and the vineyard. Barrels play a supporting role depending on the vintage requirements
- The Cabernet Franc tends to be more aromatic than the Cabernet Sauvignon
- The Petiti Verdot is not as aromatic as either the Cabernet Franc or the Cabernet Sauvignon; instead, it tends to manifest more texturally --- fine-grained, sandy, etc.
The following were some observations drawn from JJ Buckley notes on a 15-vintage tasting of Chateau Montelena wines:
- The first Cabernet Sauvignon released by Chateau Montelena was the 1974 and was based on fruit sourced from Alexander, Napa, and Russian River Valleys
- Beginning with the 1979 vintage, the estate has used the same winemaking and aging protocols across all lots in order to capture and highlight vineyard differences
- By 1994 the estate had phased out long macerations
- More youthfulness was exhibited in the wines after 2001
- The winery started to create wines with polished tannins without resorting to excess ripeness or high alcohol
The Tasting
A 2020 Napa Valley Chardonnay was the sole white wine in the tasting. The red wines were deployed in flights: the 1980’s (1984), the 1990s (1990, 1991, 1993, and 1997), the 2000s (2000, 2004, 2007), and the 2010s (2013).
Chateau Montelena 2020 Napa Valley Chardonnay
According to Decanter, the 2020 growing season was very much about farming choices and location. The growing season began with a dry winter; early rains reduced crop yields. Two fires impacted the region in the middle of the growing season.
The wine is 100% Chardonnay aged in French oak for 10 months.
For me, mint, apple-pear on the nose. Round mouthfeel. Spiciness.
Matt saw the wine as showing melon on the nose. Balanced. Kiss of oak.
Sean -- Very refreshing. The type of wine I would like to have with some food; or by the pool. Smooth and silky texture, good acid, good finish. I could pick up the oak in there but it is not overwhelming at all. 13.1% alcohol, much like a richer white Burgundy. I would buy this for my own cellar.
Chateau Montelena 1984 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Very heavy late fall to early winter rains. No late winter rains resulted in warm soils and early budbreak. Hot spring and summer yielded the shortest growing season on record. Very clean fruit. Big, with surprisingly good balance.
The wine was fermented for 12 days in stainless steel and matured for 22 months in oak. Refined in bottle for 2 to 3 months.
For Matt this wine had a "small nose" with pungent black tar and a light perfume. The fruit was static and, overall, reminiscent of a South African wine.
Sean -- My girlfriend’s birth year wine, so I’ve had my fair share of 84s and most haven’t been anything to write about. But this one was certainly up there with the few that drank well. I had hoped it was still drinking and to my surprise it was. Perhaps well past its prime, but still enjoyable with that potpourri note I came to expect from Montelena. On the mouth I noted age but still had some nice dark red berries and some of that forest floor quality I get from old Bordeaux; although perhaps faded, still present. I also love the fact that this Napa wine is only 13.5% alcohol. Napa should take note and go back to those days. I was impressed with it still hanging around after all these decades. Not the best of the bunch, but not bad at all.
Chateau Montelena 1990 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Drought from 1987 continued into this year "except for Memorial Day when a deluge disrupted bloom and flowering," wiping out half the crop.
Matt -- Good color but weak fruit. Disjointed. Near its end.
Sean -- Found this to be tannic and with the fruit faded. It was even a bit sour to my taste, so not a fan of this bottle. 13.5% alcohol though, which makes me wish I had had it in its prime.
Chateau Montelena 1991 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Light winter rains but good March precipitation helped soil moisture through to harvest. Cool growing season with warming right at harvest ... Fairly big crop with very good maturity and concentration of flavors.
Matt -- Structured tannins. Perfect time to drink. Superb all the way around. Balanced.
Sean -- I’m typically a fan of '91s and felt it a stellar vintage for Napa. I’ve had a few over the years and they generally never disappoint. This '91 was the same. It was my wine of the flight as I believe it was for most. Rich dark berries on the nose, faded with time, but still noticeable. That same hint of potpourri, spice box, also and more dark berries and currants on the palate. Still structured and balanced for a wine that old which is perhaps why so many and myself thought it the wine of the flight. Always a pleasure to try '91s that are still drinking.
Chateau Montelena 1993 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Average rainfall with some rain falling every month through June. Cool spring and cool weather at harvest. Good fruit maturation. Average crop size. Excellent flavor development.
Author -- High-toned red fruit plus beeswax and spice on the nose. Syrupy and jammy along with spice on the palate.
Matt -- Strained fruit. Pruny. Raisiny. Past its prime (if ever there was one). Skunky nose.
Sean -- Harsh, tannic, not much fruit, faded, sour, and not pleasant. Perhaps the worse of the flight, but still interesting to compare with the others from the 90s.
Chateau Montelena 1997 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Average rainfall. Warm winter and spring. Mild summer. Slow ripening and wonderful weather during harvest with warm days and cool mornings. Large crop.
Author -- Coal, tar, and dark fruit on the nose. Balanced.
Matt -- Elegant. Old-world style. Balanced. Perfect timing. Structured.
Sean -- This one really surprised me. I had read that 97s were more or less dead, but this one proves that wrong. It was silky and smooth with excellent balance. It was very much the wine of the night for myself, so much so I feel I should look for some more 97s to revisit. I remember it was considered a top vintage, but thought its time had come and gone, but maybe not. Need to explore further. More red berries and that potpourri spice thing going on in the nose, which was delightful. On the palate, as I mentioned, it had that velvety feel, which I long for in a good wine. More of those dark red berries and currants. A solid wine which I suspect was well stored. Good finish.
Chateau Montelena 2000 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Virtually picture-perfect growing season, according to Andrew Hoxsey, valley grower and owner of Napa Valley Wine Company. The almost uneventful spring and summer weather pattern, every grower's dream, produced exceptional quality and substantial yields.
Author -- Broad-based sweet red fruit. Unbalanced.
Sean -- Smooth with slight tannins. Red fruits again, Dark red berries, but discombobulated. One of two I dumped into the dump glass. Not one of my favs.
Chateau Montelena 2004 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Short and sweet summarizes the 2004 vintage -- the harvest was early, the crop was small, and the grapes ripened well.
Matt -- Lether and tobacco. Lots of tannins. Less fruit. Stale cherry. Very mineral taste to the wine.
Sean -- Most attendees enjoyed this one a bit more than I did, but it was a nice one. Felt it had more heft, making for a bigger Cali wine experience. Smoke on the nose and something like tar. Darker in color than others in the flight. On the palate dark berries again, but something chocolate-like, or maybe coffee? Enjoyable.
Chateau Montelena 2007 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Warm spring conditions led to earlier-than-normal budbreak while the moderate temperature in summer and early fall further extended the growing season resulting onn long, slow ripening with fantastic flavor development and near perfect juice chemistries.
Matt -- Inky. Big wine that is a bit more "California" than earlier wines. Very nice. Could stand five more years.
Sean -- This is a year for Napa I typically like. I used to buy many Dunn Howell Mountains from this vintage and I liked this one as well.
Chateau Montelena 2013 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Early winter rains and dry spring weather combined to induce enough early stress in the vines to stimulate the development of rich texture and body ... long warm summer ... each block balanced ... uniform ripening.
Matt -- Very structured -- like all '13s. Subtle tannins. Not too oaky. Peppery. Needs ten years. Elegant.
Sean -- 14% alcohol. I thought it again had that lovely perfume-like nose with potpourri, spices, and, maybe, tobacco. Big dark red berry, licorice on the palette, tannic, but drinkable. A good steak wine with fat and salt to smooth out those tannins. May benefit from more air. This bottle didn’t feel quite ready and perhaps too much in its youth. I suspect trying it in a few year’s time will greatly improve it.
Additional Attendee Observations
Late 2000s were still too big and jammy. Would try again in 5 years. 2004 was more integrated and in a good drinking window. 1990s were mixed. Enjoyed '97 and '91. '93 disjointed. 1984 held up surprisingly well; smooth and silky. It would be fun to have a current release to go with the tasting, so we could see current trends -- Fred Wittenstein
The '84, '97, and '04 wines were my favorites. They were classic with the '97 being wine of the night. The more modern vintages changed direction and were sweeter with almost a Zinfandel component. It would be interesting to taste them in 10 years. I felt several of the '90s wines were past and slightly tainted -- Richard Cohen
Top wines were '04, '97, and '91. I like balance so those hit that mark -- Brian Herbst
Good evening and good food and good wine, with good people. Try to talk Saru into bottling that hot sauce. She could sell it at her events. I’d buy a bottle -- Sean Hall.
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This was an interesting tasting and rather eye-opening for those of us who are reflexively Napa-averse. The 1997 was especially attractive; so much so that we decided on the spot to explore the vintage further in our next tasting event.
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