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Wine Description
The Story
Jim Barrett’s dream of Chateau Montelena was that this wine, their flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, achieve the balance and complexity of flavors, aromas and textures to be considered among the great examples of Cabernet in the world. Almost since his first vintages in the 1970s, this wine has been a show-stopper that has everything in place, while revealing the majesty and distinctive character of the estate vineyard site in the northern Napa area that the Barretts led to recognition as its own appellation, Calistoga.
Today, the 50-year legacy of excellence in farming, crafting and blending powerful wines and continued innovation and attention to detail is what sets Chateau Montelena Winery apart.
This wine is 100% made with estate fruit. The diversity of soils and slopes where this is grown in Calistoga directly translates to layers of complexity and depth in the glass. The Estate vineyard is comprised of varied terrain, from flat to steep hillsides. The vineyard gently slopes downward towards its base, where a small patch of sedimentary soil was deposited by the settling of an ancient ocean or lake. Extending out from the Napa River is the alluvial soil, the most prevalent type on the property. In the back and outside areas of the vineyard are volcanic soils, formed by ancient lava flows caused by tectonic uplifting.
One of the historical attributes of the Montelena Estate Cabernet has always been its age-ability and longevity; often though, this meant that the wine really needed to be cellared before it would show its true beauty. Well, here at Montelena we’re all about the pursuit of excellence, and have been working to expand that window of drinkability through careful changes in how we farm, pick, and ferment the grapes from this magnificent property. By focusing on precision viticulture techniques, small fermentation lots, and earlier integration of more precisely chosen barrels – matched to the unique characters of each lot – we have been able to make the wine more approachable at a younger age, while retaining the core elements that ensure a long life in the cellar.
Wine Information
In our world, there are three kinds of growing seasons: cool, warm, and “just right.” Any vineyard can produce great cabernet in a “just right” aka “Goldilocks” year; however, the best sites rise above the pack in challenging years. Cooler vintages, in particular, exemplify the truly exceptional nature of this piece of land – the grapes receive the prolonged hang time that is ideal for flavor development without getting baked by excess heat. These conditions enable us to craft classic, Old World-styled wines that showcase the incredible fruit our Estate produces.
94INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR
91THE WINE ADVOCATE
The 2010 is shaping up to be another beauty. Violets, freshly cut flowers, mint, spice box and plums all jump from the glass in this vivid, beautifully delineated cabernet. (93-95 Points)
ANTONIO GALLONI, VINOUS
VINTAGE WEATHER
Wines produced in cooler vintages like 2010 tend to be quieter and more subdued upon release than the noisier, hot vintages. Nonetheless, these wines will evolve with unmatched grace and elegance. Perhaps the wine is simply echoing the long, steady growing season and extended time on the vine as it develops in the bottle. Who knows for sure, but whatever the case, you can expect great things from this year’s offering of the Chateau Montelena Estate.
TASTING NOTES
Deep, saturated color is just one of the hallmarks of our Estate Cabernet, and this inky purple beauty shows great intensity all the way to the edge of the glass. The nose is loaded with rich aromas of black fruits and spices. Notes of blackberry solicit memories of hot summer afternoons while clove, allspice, vanilla, and hints of cocoa tease with thoughts of baked goodies. Emerging from these layers is a core of brandied cherries, light oak, and a hint of anise. This wine shows a smooth entry that steadily builds to a full, fleshy mid-palate, then evolves seamlessly into a rich, spicy finish that invites you back for more. The black fruits from the nose are evident throughout the palate, and are complemented by lively, red fruit characteristics brought forward by the core of bright acidity. There are loads of fine grain tannins that give mass to the wine without being aggressively astringent, hinting at the delicacy and suppleness that will come with time in the cellar.
| PURCHASE PRICE | $150.00 |
|---|---|
| HARVEST DATE | September 30 to November 5, 2010 |
| BLEND | 98.75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.25% Cabernet Franc |
| BARREL AGING | 22 months, 100% French, 29% new |
| BOTTLING DATE | December 2012 |
| RELEASE DATE | March 2014 |
| ALCOHOL | 14.2% |
