1979 | Chateau Montelena | Cabernet Sauvignon

Austere, with drying tannins, this lacks the opulence of the 1978 but has its own sense of elegance and grace, with chocolate and cherry flavors.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: 1978 was the first vintage for the Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. Medium to deep brick colored, the 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate opens with expressive black forest cake, dried black currants and dried mint with touches of lavender sachets, tar, licorice and black soil plus a waft of game. Medium-bodied, the palate offers lovely harmony and savory depth, with a solid frame of chewy tannins and well-judged freshness, finishing long and earthy.

• Decanter: Rich, soft, and more evolved than 1974, the first Estate Cabernet in the line-up showed California fruit as well as notes of tobacco, earth, spice, and a bit of brett. It was a cool year with harvest from mid-to-late September. Despite no good equipment – 'we were still broke', said Barrett – winemaker Jerry Luper, who arrived in 1977, had brought growing precision to the wine. His mantra: 'balance is everything.'

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.

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