Solidly built, showing an array of singed vanilla and cocoa along the edges, with a core of steeped plum and blackberry compote flavors. The slightly chewy finish is scored by tar and savory accents, giving this a bit of an old-school bent in the end. Best from 2023 through 2034.??–JM??Region: California / Napa / Napa Valley Select to Add

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley includes 9% Merlot from a vineyard in Oak Knoll and spent 16 months in 28% new French oak, with a bit of Hungarian as well. It offers up textbook notes of cherries and redcurrants, plus a hint of vanilla, all in an easy-drinking, medium to full-bodied format. The tannins are silky, and the acids are tart in this moderately concentrated effort that should provide enjoyable drinking over the next 10 years or so.

Chateau Montelena’s lower-level 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon shows nice, soft fruit, medium body, dark color and an easy-drinking style. Clearly, this is not their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which I’m sure would be much more seriously endowed and powerful. Drink now-2022.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is meant for up-front, immediate drinkability, and is primarily designed for restaurants. It reveals Montelena’s damp earthiness and spiciness as well as a dark ruby color, no evidence of oak, and medium-bodied, spicy flavors. Drink it over the next 6-8 years. An iconic offering, their Cabernet Sauvignon Estate has long been one of the staples in my private cellar with vintages going back to the 1970s. It has been one of the longest-lived wines in Napa.

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a lighter ruby color as well as more diluted aromatics, and a pleasant, short, round mouthfeel that tails off. There is no herbaceous or vegetal character, but the wine reveals the vintage’s lack of intensity. Drink it over the next 5-7 years. Tel. (707) 942-5105