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Chateau Montelena - Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
- Producer Chateau Montelena
- Country USA
- Region California
- Appellation Napa Valley
- UPC 7 33555 25102 2
Estate
Chateau Montelena's rich history began on a chilly fall morning when Alfred L. Tubbs spaded over and inspected the soil where he thought of planting estate vineyards. He'd heard the Napa Valley was the best place to grow grapes in California. A deal was struck and in January of 1882 the San Francisco
entrepreneur owned 254 acres of rugged land just two miles north of Calistoga at the base of Mount Saint Helena. The soils are well drained, stony and loose – perfect for the vine cuttings he would plant.
Tasting notes
"In the glass, aromas of ripe plum, raspberry, and strawberry jam co-mingle with a touch of vanilla and star anise. The bright ruby color belies a rich concentration and viscosity punctuated with blueberry and blackberry notes woven into chewy, ripe tannins. The rich acid backbone ties the palate together and aids the seamless transition into a finish layered with ripe cherries, baking spices, and cocoa."
Vinification
Chateau Montelena's Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is made up of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine is aged in French and Eastern European oak barrels (16% new) for 14 months.
Vintage
2012, the old Calistoga vines woke up to a beautiful, mild spring that dovetailed into classic ripening weather for Cabernet. Summertime temperatures were pleasantly warm by mid-afternoon, with just a little bit of chill each morning from the fog that sneaks in from northern Knight’s Valley.
That marine layer gives the vines a chance to ease into the day and helps preserve the acidity that remains a hallmark of this wine, especially in the dry-farmed vineyards. It's rare to get incredible flavor development and high yields in the same year, but 2012 was definitely a bumper crop and we
couldn’t have been more pleased with the power, elegance, and nuance in the fruit we harvested. The key word here is 'balance' – both in the vines and in the wines.
Wine
The wines at Chateau Montelena are often described as having classic “old-world” structure with ripe California fruit. What that means is that these wines tend to have more acid, lower pH and more moderate alcohol levels as compared to some of the flashy “modern” Cabs. This classic chemistry allows them to pair very well with a wide variety of dishes and sets them up for graceful aging.