1991 Montelena Estate Cab

[hautbrionlover]

I hadn't had this in a few years. I opened a bottle last night with some prime, dry-aged Porterhouse steaks on the grill. I had decanted it 1 1/2 - 2 hours before serving.
I have always immensely enjoyed this wine before, but last night was its best performance yet. This is Napa Cabernet at its best. Deep and powerful nose of cassis. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied with gorgeous ripeness balanced by perfect acidity. It has a beautiful, long finish.
I have been known to sometimes comment, upon drinking a great Bordeaux, that "This wine is why I collect Bordeaux!" Well, the '91 Montelena is why I drink great Napa Cabs - particularly the Montelena Estate Cabs! It was pure pleasure!

[DavidG]

Glad to hear this - been hanging on to a couple of bottles and haven't opened one in over 5 years. I remember my non-wine-geek friends giving me grief about buying a half-case of this "expensive" $22 wine.

[dstgolf]

Thanks for the note. I fully agree about Montelena. I've certainly enjoyed some great California Cabs over the years but my most reliable and trusted go to wine has been Montelena. It holds up well to aging and unlike most Californians this one does get better with age! I was fortunate to pick up 5 bottles of the 78 a few years ago and boy is this ever a great wine. Still one left and waiting for that special occasion and no I don't have any fear of this one dying in the near future.The only downside now is the pricing but I've certainly seen it on sale at Binny's in Chicago a number of times picking up the 2001 a few years back for $49!

Danny

[gmarie]

Tom opened a 1997 Montelena Cab this past weekend and it was so enjoyable -the kind of wine that just keeps you coming back for more. Montelena Cabs in good years are California's great imitator of really great bordeaux wines. A while ago, back in the early 90"s- we went to an 82 tasting of great growths from bordeaux, (I'm sure Tom can probably recall the details)what I remember, is an 82 Montelena being snuck in. Everyone at the tasting thought it was one of the great growth wines and it was one of the favorites of the tasting. I've always loved their wines - the winery and gardens are so beautiful.

[Claret]

I am a Montelena fan too. I opened a 91 a year ago and it was an off bottle that had a distinct funk and was missing the zoom factor that this great wine should have. This is the kind of bottle of Montelena that Laube rags on. Never the less, it was still one of my top wines of last year.

The 82 is by a far margin the best Cab that I have had from that off vintage. It slightly bested the 84 side by side in the mid 90's.

I am glad that your bottle delivered for you.

[hautbrionlover]

Last weekend, in honor of my son's 24th birthday, I brought a bottle of the '91 Montelena Estate Cab when we dined out to celebrate. It was every bit as terrific as the one referenced above (from this nearly-six-year-old thread), but it's now really showing secondary and tertiary elements. Subtle hints of eucalyptus and Pauillac-like pencils shavings accompanied the gorgeous ripeness of the Napa Cabernet fruit. The wine is now noticeably softer than in the past, but I detected no hint of imminent decline, just layers of flavor. I still have 4 bottles from the case I bought 20 years ago (precisely so that I'd be able to drink them with my son for appropriate celebrations), and I am looking forward to seeing how this wine evolves over the next 5+ years.