Montelena‘s 2014 Estate Cabernet is a wine still being made in the bottle. Montelena Cabernet is classically designed to age for a few years before opening, and this 2014 bottling is no exception, being a bit standoffish at the present. An aggressive nose of tobacco leaf and leather dominates the up-front, then intense notes of cassis and very bitter chocolate emerge. It’s hardly a wine that one would call approachable at this stage, and only time will tell if its leathery, tannic core settles into a more fruit-forward groove with time. Today, a finish of dried herbs and pine needles offer a more austere experience.

B+ / $160 / montelena.com

2014 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga

$160

8.5

Rating

8.5/10