Chateau Montelena is one of California’s most storied estates, globally recognised after its 1973 Chardonnay triumphed in the famed 1976 Judgment of Paris. Yet it is Cabernet Sauvignon that lies at the heart of the Montelena legacy. Situated at the base of Mount Saint Helena in Calistoga, the estate’s vineyards benefit from a rare convergence of volcanic and alluvial soils, diurnal shifts, and cooling breezes from the Pacific, ideal for growing structured, balanced Cabernet.
In the glass, it reveals a deep garnet hue with violet edges, hinting at the concentration within. Aromatically intense, it opens with layers of cassis, ripe blackberry, and black cherry, interwoven with graphite, cedar, and crushed violets. On the palate, the wine is both powerful and poised, with lush dark fruit gliding over a frame of fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity. Hints of espresso, cocoa nib, and dried herbs add complexity, while the wine’s mineral core and cool vintage tension carry through to a long, graceful finish.
