2005 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Bright red-ruby. More reserved and medicinal on the nose than the flamboyantly expressive '04, with cassis and violet aromas complicated by graphite and bitter chocolate. Very pure and silky on the palate, conveying a sexy subtle sweetness and a wonderfully complex meld of dark fruits, minerals and soil tones. The element of Cabernet Franc here adds to the wine's mid-palate lift. This bottle was distinctly more pliant than an impressive but bound-up sample I tasted three years ago in my 2005 Napa Cab horizontal but is still extremely young. As broad and silky as this wine is, it stands out today for its energy. Goes on and on on the aftertaste, with the tannins utterly seamless and integrated. My best tasting of this vintage to date, as it is finally beginning to unwind. (14.1% alcohol; from fruit picked almost entirely in October)

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is still rich and powerful, with Bordeaux-like notes of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, damp earth, cedar, and dried herbs. Deep, rich, and beautifully textured, with balance and length, it has silky tannins, a layered, clean texture and a great finish. It's another balanced, oh, so classic wine.

Deep garnet in color, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate leaps from the glass with notes of crushed blackberries, black cherries and Bing cherries with hints of raspberry leaves, bay leaves and underbrush plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, nicely poised, very fresh and beautifully elegant, it has a solid frame of very fine-grained tannins and a very long, berry-laced finish. Still incredibly youthful.