WTN: 1996 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

[David M. Bueker]

• 1996 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley (5/10/2024)
  From my late father’s cellar, and properly stored since release, this is a joy. It still has a finishing kick of tannins, but also some bottle age sweetened fruit that cozies up to those tannins and says “I got this.” Classic Napa Cabernet that is wonderful now, but has plenty of runway.

Alas, I drank mine up years ago. Couldn't keep my hands off it, it was so good.

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

Given how good it is now I am not surprised. I suspect this was actually better 2-3 years ago, but it will hold and still give great pleasure for a while.

I'm taking part in a vertical tasting from 1991 through into the early 2000s next month and looking forward to it greatly - I have been leaving my stash alone for years now but as your note indicates, the time has come..... I don't recall ever having a bad bottle of the cab, or for that matter any of their other wines.

I intend to rewatch Bottle Shock in advance!

I checked my cellar inventory and it turns out I still have four bottles of the 1996 Montelena Estate cab. I'll have to open one.

-Paul W.