SKU: 08397
Château Montelena Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
- wa95-97
750ml
Save $30.01 (30%)
$69.98
Category | Red Wine |
Varietals | |
Brand | Château Montelena |
Origin | California, Napa Valley, Calistoga |
It's an elegant introduction for this wine on the nose with perfectly ripe blackberry and cranberry sauce notes. Given its youth, it's not surprising that the aromatics are dominated by fruit and earthy vineyard character punctuated by hints of black pepper and cedar. An ambitious swirl of the glass reveals additional layers of mint, cassis and black cherry.
The palate is intense, to say the least, as the tight, angular tannins vie with silky bright fruit for dominance. There's a youthful exuberance here as well that's both hedonistic and magnetic, tied to fresh strawberry and sweet, raspberry candy. The acid runs the seam of the wine like
a spine, from which build stacks upon stacks of chalky, dense tannin. With some additional air, the wine's breadth begins to reveal itself with mouthcoating texture, black plum and mocha.
The finish on this wine doesn't quit. It just keeps evolving through coffee bean, then vanilla and finally dried blackberry. These slowly morph both texturally and in flavor into fresh walnut and dark chocolate. It's delicious now but will reward with additional patience and time in glass.
Wine Advocate
- wa95-97
Winemaker Matt Crafton showed me a sample of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (Montelena didn't pick any red grapes in 2020) that he said represented, "kind of what I think the Cabernet Sauvignon portion will look like." It reveals engaging floral nuances, intense red fruit notes and hints of cedar and vanilla. As yet, it's not quite as opulent as the 2019 but maybe a touch more elegant yet concentrated and boldly flavored.