1997 Chateau Montelena, The Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga 1x375ml

Robert Parker 98

There are 10,200 cases of the remarkable 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. Opaque purple-colored with a dense, chewy, full-bodied personality, it displays abundant cassis, mineral, and earth notes. This brilliantly made, super-concentrated, pure, blockbuster possesses sweet tannin as well as a terrific finish. Having added additional weight since last year, this sumptuous, multilayered, profoundly concentrated Cabernet contains 14% alcohol. It is a candidate for 25-30 years of longevity. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2030. (Release date 3/01) Tel. (707) 942-5105; Fax (707) 942-4221 [23/12/2000]

Anticipated maturity: 2003-2030

Vinous 93

Good medium-dark red with a healthy rim. Sexy red berry aromas are lifted by exotic spices and complicated by notes of smoke and leather (Barrett noted that this vintage showed a brett element early on but today the leathery nuance is just another note of complexity in the wine, as it was in a sample I tried two years ago as part of my 1997 horizontal tasting.) The palate delivers a lovely combination of sweetness and silky, fine-grained texture, with tactile raspberry and redcurrant fruit delivering surprising freshness and energy. Not hugely concentrated or thick but finishes broad and deep, with a firm tannic spine to support continued graceful evolution. Barrett noted that he was back to "moderate maceration–just two weeks" in 1997, and that this was the first year that he hand-harvested his fruit at night. (14% alcohol) [Stephen Tanzer, 21/05/2019]

Anticipated maturity: 2019-2036