92 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2011

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a gorgeous, mid-weight wine laced with mint, cassis, sweet herbs and tobacco. It is an understated, gracious wine from start to finish. This is a relatively approachable vintage for the Estate. It shows tons of finesse and mid-palate generosity while maintaining a medium-bodied personality. Today it is quite young, although it is drinking well. Readers who prefer more tertiary notes will want to cellar the wine for at least a few years. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2028.

91 -94 points,

Stephen Tanzer's IWC, May 2010

Good deep ruby. Lovely lift and purity to the aromas of cassis, violet and bitter chocolate. Juicy, vibrant and intense; less dense than the 2007 but more perfumed in the mid-palate. Very fine-grained wine, finishing long and aromatic, with firm tannic bite and a late note of bitter chocolate. "Two thousand eight was an impossible year to make 15% wines with a 4.0 pH in Napa Valley," said Bo Barrett, adding that "it's more fun to be working in the classical world. In 2008, there's less jam to block the terroir and minerality of the vineyard. The estate purchased some small tanks for this vintage and thus the team was able to pick with more precision.

92 points,

Wine Spectator, May 2012

Old-school, but well-done, this is tight and firm, showing a dense, balanced mix of dried currant, mineral, cedar, cigar box and tobacco flavors. Ends with good depth, range of flavor and tannins. Best from 2013 through 2023.-J.L.

About Winery

Chateau Montelena was established in 1882, but it was almost 100 years later that Jim Barrett took control and began a renaissance. The first wines were made in 1972 and in 1976 Chateau Montelena helped put California at the forefront of the wine world. That year a who's-who of the French wine and food establishment gathered for a grand tasting in Paris.

Four white Burgundies were tasted against six California Chardonnays and Chateau Montelena's 1973 Chardonnay rated above all other wines. The results proved that Chateau Montelena could produce some of the world's finest wines and that California's wine industry had come of age. Decades later, this celebrated family-owned winery continues to thrive with Jim Barrett at the helm.

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