2005 | Chateau Montelena | Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Dark and powerful in the glass with great density and saturation, this wine grabs your attention from the first glance. Luscious and rich on the nose with great depth, we find top notes of violets, cassis, and rich dark cherry, all riding over a base of warm leather, cocoa, wet stone and molasses. The palate opens with red raspberry and blackcurrants before building to mouth-filling ripe cherry, a beautiful acid balance, and round rich velvety tannins. The incredible intensity of the palate fades slowly leaving a finish of dried fruits and hints of clove with remarkable weight and tremendous persistence.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Deep garnet in color, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate leaps from the glass with notes of crushed blackberries, black cherries and Bing cherries with hints of raspberry leaves, bay leaves and underbrush plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, nicely poised, very fresh and beautifully elegant, it has a solid frame of very fine-grained tannins and a very long, berry-laced finish.

• Decanter: A long, cool growing season, with harvest from the end of September to the end of October, delivered fantastic flavour development. More Bordeaux-like than most in the tasting, it was highly aromatic, with a lush cassis, violet and graphite nose, and intense flavours of dark plum cherry fruit, cocoa, and notes of espresso.

Producer Information

Chateau Montelena is one of the most prominent Napa Valley wineries. It was directly associated with bringing international recognition to the California wine industry through the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Based in Calistoga, it is famous for its varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines.Despite its claim to fame with Chardonnay, the flagship wine of Chateau Montelena has actually been its Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. It was born in the early 1980s, when the estate vines had matured enough to start producing quality fruit. After fermentation in stainless steel, it is barrel-aged in a series of tunnels and caves beneath the winery for up to 22 months. Also sourced from Chateau Montelena's home vineyard is the Estate Zinfandel. After extensive investment into reworking the vineyard, the 2018 vintage saw the wine return from a five year hiatus. Other wines in the collection are predominately sourced from the Napa Valley and include a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and a Petit Syrah. Chateau Montelena also produce a Riesling, sourced from vineyards within the Potter Valley AVA. Fire damage in the 2018 growing season meant that for the first time since 1972, the Potter Valley Riesling was not released.

DISCLAIMER** This is a single item listing unless otherwise noted in the description. Retailer advises either in stock or in route to their location. Usually ships within one to four business days. Longer processing times may occur especially around holiday(s). Some items may become backordered or delayed without notice due to demand & will ship out upon arrival. Overseas 700ml products typically have longer processing/transit times. You can always verify product availability by calling 1-888-548-0333. Please refer to our cancellations & returns agreement or reach out to our support team at help@caskcartel.com for any additional questions.

Our dedicated team specializes in creating personalized shopping experiences. If you’re looking for a specific item or collection that isn’t appearing on our marketplace, please reach out to us at concierge@caskcartel.com or fill out the product inquiry form and one of our dedicated team members will be in touch.  Whether it’s a product you’ve experienced while traveling or a rare, hard to find item you’ve been searching for, we have an established global network of retailers with the ability to locate and source the rarest and hardest to find products.