Chateau Montelena The Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Good deep ruby-red. Complex aromas of currant, licorice, graphite, bitter chocolate, smoked meat, tobacco and brown spices. Began juicy, penetrating and quite youthfully unevolved, but aeration brought a suppler, rounder texture and more generosity to this impressively structured wine. Complicating notes of bitter cherry, menthol and minerals. This will require a good eight to ten years of aging but the substantial tannins are sweet and lush. Very long, pure and powerful on the finish.

Bright medium ruby. Medicinal aromas of crushed cassis, blackberry syrup, bitter chocolate and licorice; I might have picked this as Latour from the nose. Then almost surprisingly sweet and silky in the mouth; comes across as more pliant than the 2004 but with more acidity. This demonstrates less obvious concentration and power but boasts lovely balance and aromatic persistence. With less of the medicinal licorice and tarry quality on the end, this may well develop “naturally,” as Barrett predicts.

The flagship wine, the 2005 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate displays a lovely perfume of fresh herbs, loamy soil, black cherries, and black currants. Spicy and very Bordeaux-like in this vintage, with high tannins, a cool climate freshness, and a leaner personality than is found in riper vintages, it will benefit from 1–2 years of cellaring, and should drink well for two decades or more.

Quite rich and exotic, with complex, appealing flavors of cocoa puff, mocha, buttered cinnamon toast, blackberry granola and smoky cedar. This richness finishes drily, but the wine is very tannic, giving it a lockdown astringency. Needs time. Best after 2011 through 2015 or so.