2009 Chateau Montelena Zinfandel Estate
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
(essentially a 50/50 blend of primitivo and zinfandel, with splashes of petit sirah, syrah and viognier): Good medium bright red. Plum, flowers, herbs and pine oil on the high-toned nose. Dense, pungent and edgy, with red fruit and caraway seed flavors joined by pepper and flowers as the wine opened in the glass. This rich, smooth but lightly herbal zinfandel finishes with a slight bitter edge that should really bite into food. A step up in complexity from the estate's recent vintages of zinfandel.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2009 Zinfandel is a pretty, fleshy wine laced with dried cherries, crushed flowers, plums, worn-in leather and spices. Layers of fruit build gracefully to the round, caressing finish. This is an attractive wine, even if it isn't totally varietal expressive.
The 2009 Zinfandel is a pretty, fleshy wine laced with dried cherries, crushed flowers, plums, worn-in leather and spices. Layers of fruit build gracefully to the round, caressing finish. This is an attractive wine, even if it isn’t totally varietally expressive. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. I was very impressed with the wines I tasted at Chateau Montelena. Bo Barrett and his team are going for a food-friendly style. They certainly appear to be succeeding in the endeavor. The signature wines are the Chardonnay and the two Cabernet Sauvignons. The Chardonnay is fermented in steel and aged in oak with no malolactic fermentation or less stirring. There is no question the Chardonnay can age, but personally, I am not sure the wines improve beyond age ten or so, at least not markedly. The Cabernet Sauvignon Estate typically includes 2% or so of Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Sauvignon is made from purchased fruit and incorporates small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Barrett describes 2008 as a tough vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon. Frost and shatter were an issue earlier in the year, while temperatures rose dramatically later in the summer. Barrett is much higher on 2009 because it presented virtually no problems. Tel. (707) 942-5105
About the producer
Chateau Montelena is a historic Napa Valley estate that rose to global fame after its 1973 Chardonnay won the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Renowned for both its Chardonnay and Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, the winery continues to produce elegant, age-worthy wines with a legacy of excellence.