1990 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
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Tasting notes
Excellent ruby-red color. Less expressive, youthfully unevolved aromas of cassis, black cherry, tar and shoe polish, plus a varnish-like high tone. Strong in extract and quite dense but very tightly wrapped today. Slight suggestion of nutty herbaceousness. Finishes with substantial chewy tannins, but also very long on the palate. This showed more and more texture with extended aeration. A slightly more rustic wine than the '91, but one with a long and bright future.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
About the producer
Chateau Montelena is a historic Napa Valley estate that rose to global fame after its 1973 Chardonnay won the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Renowned for both its Chardonnay and Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, the winery continues to produce elegant, age-worthy wines with a legacy of excellence.