95 Points - limited reserve cab                                    
Chateau Montelena's exclusive Estate Reserve Cabernet is one of the best Cabs this winery has ever produced. Try this beautiful Napa Cabernet while its still available.

99 Points Decanter: "Bright red-toned fruits and dried wild herb notes are tethered to rich cedar spices. Well-endowed with impressive depth and concentration, particularly evident in the mid-palate which is weighted by crushed stones and earthen minerality. Elongated tannins are crisp while acids are firm and tangy. Those capable of looking past its upfront approachability will be rewarded with patience as this wine will evolve and shine over the next four decades."

96 Points Vinous:  "The Chateau Montelena 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is heady and quite extroverted, especially compared with the 2018 tasted alongside it. Readers will have a very hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine. Silky, plush tannins wrap around a core of dark fruit, chocolate, lavender, spice and leather. The combination of a generous, opulent style with the classically-leaning Montelena style makes for a hugely appealing Cabernet to drink over the next two decades or more."

96+ Points Robert Parker: "I tasted the soon-to-be-released Montelena 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate from two bottles, one freshly opened and one that had been opened the day before. Both were clearly outstanding, with the freshly opened bottle being just a bit tighter and less luxuriously textured but obviously packed with potential. Mixed currants and cherries appear on the nose, joined by hints of dark chocolate, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, rich, expansive and velvety, with a lingering, mouthwatering finish."

The 2019 Estate Cabernet from Montelena is made up of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Petit Verdot and 0.5% Cabernet Franc. It was aged in 100% French oak barrels (40% new) for 22 months.  At a minimum, it takes three years from gently hand-planting each individual vine to the first harvest. However, that initial crop is quite small and it will be another two to three years before the vines really hit their stride. After harvest, fruit destined for the Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon will spend an additional two years in barrel before bottle aging in our cellar prior to release. At best, it’s six solid years of farming, winemaking and cellaring before we can pull that first cork. That type of commitment requires a fundamental belief in ourselves, our work and our mission.