Good red-ruby color. Brighter aromas of black cherry, pepper, chocolate and fresh herbs. Sweet and lush, if not quite as fat as the '96. A note of humus adds complexity. Finishes with fresh cassis and cherry flavors, moderate tannins and excellent length.

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At the winery, I rated the 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate one point below what I gave it in the blind tasting. Nevertheless, my notes on both tastings are nearly identical. This is another winery where the 1995 may be as strong as the 1994. The color is an opaque purple. The wine is full-bodied and powerful, with classic notes of cassis intermixed with loamy soil scents, underbrush, and spice. There is massive body and elevated, but sweet tannin that is well-integrated with the wine's other components, a blockbuster mid-palate, and a finish that lasts for 30+ seconds. Modern-day society seems to always be in search of new stars, but this winery has been a super hero for great California Cabernet Sauvignon for nearly 25 years! Montelena's Estate Cabernet Sauvignons are equivalent to buying blue chip stock. They get better and better with age and as the vertical tastings I have attended so persuasively attest, they are still relatively young wines at 20 years of age!

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Not as dense and concentrated as the 1994, but still a tremendous wine. Elegant and rich, with currant, cherry, cookie dough and vanilla-scented oak.--Chateau Montelena vertical.

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Opened a few hours before serving, poured a bit out and recorked. The wine was dark ruby/garnet in color with very little bricking on the edges. Nice aromas of tobacco, earth, dark fruit and a bit of mint/eucalyptus. Black cherry and some leather on the palate, with velvety tannins and a nice long finish. This was an excellent and enjoyable wine and well-stored bottles should continue to drink well for several more years.