WTN: 1997 Chateau Montelena

Chateau Montalena 1997

Nice and dark, no fading. Nose of cassis, some wood, some leather, some cedar; restrained but very pleasant. Lovely cabernet fruit on the palate wrapped around a core of acidity. Good volume, good length. Not your garage blockbuster but an exceedingly nice wine. Enough fruit and balance to be drinkable on it own yet enough acidity to complement food. Excellent plus. Fully ready but not in any danger of decline.

Regards,

Robert

Was this the Estate or the regular Napa bottling???

[Jenise]

Was this the Estate or the regular Napa bottling???

Knowing Robert, it's the Estate. Interesting note--don't see that many highly complimentary notes these days on '97s. So many lacked the structure needed for the long haul.

Aaagh Montelena. I will always remember a great Riesling from these guys tasted a few yrs back at the Mishy off-line.

Montelena's Estate Cabernet Sauvignon has always been one of the genuine California "first growths". I've bought every vintage since 1980, and it's always been one of the top wines of any given vintage for Napa. It always combines power, grace, elegance, and finesse in a way few other wineries ever achieve.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, I believe you've complained that you don't buy Bordeaux anymore because of the prices. You don't find Montelena's price off-putting (compared to what's happened elsewhere in Napa most would think their prices aren't bad, but still, a hundy is a hundy.)

The comparable Bordeaux, such as Pichon-Lalande and the Bordeaux first growths, are hundreds of dollars a bottle in the latest 2009 futures offerings I've seen. D'Yquem is over $1000/bottle. $60 for Montelena Estate is a bargain by comparison. I was happier a decade or two ago when the price was half what it is now, but this is the one wine where I break my usual price threshold rules.

-Paul W.

I assume, Paul, that you are buying these retail or at auction, as they are not available from the winery at that price of $60, not even for those who buy futures.

James, you're right--the $60 figure was me remembering prices from some years ago.

The latest Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet futures offering--direct from Montelena as a member of one of their wine clubs--was the 2008 vintage (which I bought March 2010), in two 6-bottle (750ml each bottle) wooden boxes, for a 12-bottle case price of US$870, including shipping.

If my math is correct, that comes to US$72.50 per bottle.

That's still way less than the price for the comparable top second and first growth Bordeaux, all of which are in the hundreds of US dollars.

-Paul W.

Paul.. I agree that is very fair value for those wines...