Chateau Montelena Chardonnay Napa Valley 2015

VINTAGE WEATHER: The 2013 vintage was yet another blockbuster for Napa Valley. Early winter rains and dry spring weather combined to induce just enough early stress in our vines to stimulate the development of rich texture and body, characteristic of our Estate Cabernet. The long, warm summer that followed, coupled with good yields, brought each block into balance quite quickly requiring little intervention and encouraging uniform ripening. The result is an age-worthy wine that showcases the classic balance of Old World structure and New World ripeness. NOSE: In the glass, the wine displays classic notes of raspberry jam, mocha, and a subtle hint of baking spices. After a few minutes, the bouquet opens to reveal lush aromas of toasty cedar, crème de cassis, and fresh blackberry. PALATE: A complex interplay of sweet French oak, subtle earth, and a chewy minerality that devoted Montelena fans will instantly recognize. The mid palate is clean and fresh with rhubarb pie, strawberry candy, and just a touch of smoky espresso that become incredibly pronounced with additional time in the glass. FINISH: The transition to the finish is seamless, and will only improve with age. Here the refreshing acidity, rounded tannin, and intense fruit vie for the spotlight. Upon release, the soft tannins seem to win out as the dense texture lingers, inviting another sip from the glass. BLEND: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5% Cabernet Franc 1.5% Petit Verdot BARREL AGING: 24 months, 100% French, 30% new ALCOHOL: 14.1% ** Only 2 in Stock **

VINTAGE WEATHER: The 2013 vintage was yet another blockbuster for Napa Valley. Early winter rains and dry spring weather combined to induce just enough early stress in our vines to stimulate the development of rich texture and body, characteristic of our Estate Cabernet. The long, warm summer that followed, coupled with good yields, brought each block into balance quite quickly requiring little intervention and encouraging uniform ripening. The result is an age-worthy wine that showcases the classic balance of Old World structure and New World ripeness. NOSE: In the glass, the wine displays classic notes of raspberry jam, mocha, and a subtle hint of baking spices. After a few minutes, the bouquet opens to reveal lush aromas of toasty cedar, crème de cassis, and fresh blackberry. PALATE: A complex interplay of sweet French oak, subtle earth, and a chewy minerality that devoted Montelena fans will instantly recognize. The mid palate is clean and fresh with rhubarb pie, strawberry candy, and just a touch of smoky espresso that become incredibly pronounced with additional time in the glass. FINISH: The transition to the finish is seamless, and will only improve with age. Here the refreshing acidity, rounded tannin, and intense fruit vie for the spotlight. Upon release, the soft tannins seem to win out as the dense texture lingers, inviting another sip from the glass. BLEND: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5% Cabernet Franc 1.5% Petit Verdot BARREL AGING: 24 months, 100% French, 30% new ALCOHOL: 14.1% ** Only 3 in Stock **

VINTAGE WEATHER: The 2013 vintage was yet another blockbuster for Napa Valley. Early winter rains and dry spring weather combined to induce just enough early stress in our vines to stimulate the development of rich texture and body, characteristic of our Estate Cabernet. The long, warm summer that followed, coupled with good yields, brought each block into balance quite quickly requiring little intervention and encouraging uniform ripening. The result is an age-worthy wine that showcases the classic balance of Old World structure and New World ripeness. NOSE: In the glass, the wine displays classic notes of raspberry jam, mocha, and a subtle hint of baking spices. After a few minutes, the bouquet opens to reveal lush aromas of toasty cedar, crème de cassis, and fresh blackberry. PALATE: A complex interplay of sweet French oak, subtle earth, and a chewy minerality that devoted Montelena fans will instantly recognize. The mid palate is clean and fresh with rhubarb pie, strawberry candy, and just a touch of smoky espresso that become incredibly pronounced with additional time in the glass. FINISH: The transition to the finish is seamless, and will only improve with age. Here the refreshing acidity, rounded tannin, and intense fruit vie for the spotlight. Upon release, the soft tannins seem to win out as the dense texture lingers, inviting another sip from the glass. BLEND: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5% Cabernet Franc 1.5% Petit Verdot BARREL AGING: 24 months, 100% French, 30% new ALCOHOL: 14.1%

In the glass, this wine has a classic Chardonnay hue of pale golden straw. The bouquet draws you in with delicate nuances of wet stones, lichee, white peach, orange blossoms, and a slight hint of toasted almonds. The palate is soft and fleshy and loaded with bright citrus tones of sweet mandarin and Meyer lemon, white nectarine and rich tropical notes of guava, pineapple, and lichee - all complemented by subtle sweet oak. There is a delicate smoothness to this Chardonnay and fantastic weight throughout.

Nose: Extraordinarily rich notes of dried cherry, cocoa, muddled mint, and blackberry. As the wine continues to breathe, one by one subtle hints of tobacco, cedar, and perfume emerge with patience. Palate: There is considerable depth on the palate as fresh, tart raspberries contrast the rocky, earth undertones, so emblematic of our Estate, leading to a texture that is at once austere, awaiting further time in bottle, and voluptuous. Finish: After two years in oak, the tannins are wonderfully integrated with just enough toast to seamlessly transition to blueberry, cassis, and mocha on the finish. Vintage Weather: 2012 was one of those vintages that allowed us to express what makes the Montelena Estate a rarity, even in the Napa Valley. Our porous alluvial soils and craggy volcanics soaked up the late spring rains, which, coupled with copious sunshine and moderate temperatures, set the stage for an ideal growing season. By August, as most of the Valley dealt with triple digit highs, reliable northerly breezes materialized by mid-afternoon as the substantial heat inland drew in ocean air from the Pacific, which thundered down Mt. St. Helena to cool our Estate. In short, the fruit from this vintage experienced the best of what this vineyard can offer, allowing us to craft a wine of elegance, structure, and finesse.

Montelenas 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate wraps around the palate with serious depth. Even with all of its intensity, the 2009 has a silkiness that makes it incredibly delicious at this early stage. Red berries, flowers, tobacco and sweet herbs all flesh out on the generous, radiant finish. While many 2009s are a bit tight today, Montelenas 2009 Estate is showing very nicely, although it is keeping some cards close to the vest. I imagine the 2009 will start to enter its prime drinking window around age 8-10 and drink well for at least another decade beyond that. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029. - Robert Parker 93+ Points(bottled in December of 2011): Good red-ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of black cherry and menthol lifted by rose and spice oils. Suave, pure and vibrant, with red berry and spice flavors lifted by a pungent minty quality. Nothing black fruit about this vintage. Finishes with fine-grained, rather silky tannins and terrific energy. Less forbidding at this young stage than many recent vintages of this wine, and in a distinctly food-friendly style. This wine benefited dramatically from its final months in barrel. - Stephen Tanzer 93 PointsTight, intense and focused, this has a Bordeaux-like austerity, with a crushed rock and cedar overlay. Featuring a dense if murky mix of leafy berry, dried herb, sage and tobacco leaf. Best from 2014 through 2022. 7,104 cases made. JL - Wine Spectator Magazine 87 Points

Nose: Notes of strawberry, rhubarb, and vanilla jump out of the glass, closely followed by lavender, bay laurel, and allspice that gradually increases in intensity as the wine breathes. Palate: The rich minerality is balanced by ripe raspberry and earth, all of which are tied together by silky, fine tannins that frame and enhance the soft texture, rather than overwhelm it. Finish: Almost Bordelaise in its subtlety and grace, with hints of cranberry, mint, and cocoa. Vintage Weather: 2011 was the most enigmatic in the string of three cool vintages beginning in 2009, as warm weather teased us for much of the season but never permanently settled in. By April, we had an inkling that a late harvest was on the horizon – everything from the flowers, insects, and trees here on the Estate were weeks behind in their life cycles. July arrived and a cautious sense of optimism materialized along with some sorely missed sunshine; however, the cold nights continued to persist, the fog lingered, and the heat from the Nevada desert stayed far, far away. ** Only 1 in Stock **