1990 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
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Tasting notes
Good medium amber-tinged red, with a healthy rim owing to the small crop. Aromas of plum, earth and hazelnut, shortly after the wine's release I read its nutty quality as an herbaceous element but not today. The plushest and silkiest of these wines to this point of the tasting but quite dry and classic too, showing surprising acidity to frame its cherry, dark berry and licorice flavors. Concentrated, tactile and smooth; this is altogether suaver than preceding vintages. The tannins arrive later, gently coating the palate. Barrett noted that this was his first vintage with a gentler destemmer. (13.5% alcohol; still just 20% new oak)
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
James Laube, Wine Spectator
More reviews and scores
Tremendous complexity, depth and richness, with sharply focused layers of currant, anise, cedar, tobacco and spice, firming on the finish, where the tannins are soft enough for the wine to be enjoyed now.--California Cabernet retrospective. 9,500 cases made.
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.