1985 Chateau Montelena "Estate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

“The 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon from Château Montelena is a very fine example of the vintage that, almost unbelievably, at forty years of age, is still not quite into its plateau of peak maturity! The wine shows beautiful depth and purity in its aromatic constellation of cassis, black cherries, dark soil tones, cigar wrapper, currant leaf and a nice touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with lovely soil undertow, good acids, still a bit of chewy tannin and fine length and grip on the well balanced finish. 93+” (11/2025)

“Consistently a low to mid-ninety point Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau Montelena's 1985 remains frightfully backward at nearly ten years of age. The 1985, 1987, and 1991 have the potential to be three of the longest-lived Montelena Cabernets this fine winery has ever produced. In this tasting, the 1985 was unevolved and youthful, with an opaque ruby/purple color, and a closed but promising nose of cassis fruit, earth, minerals, and oak. Full-bodied, marvelously concentrated and pure, this highly extracted, muscular, blockbuster effort requires a minimum of 5-6 more years of cellaring. A candidate for 20-30 years of longevity, it should prove to be one of the great Montelena Cabernet Sauvignons, but patience is required. (RP)” (04/1995)

“Some very ripe notes as well as a black tea coolness to the rather claret-like aromas of dark berries, licorice, menthol, tobacco and balsamic cedar. Perhaps the silkiest vintage to this point of the tasting and distinctly Bordeaux-like in its texture and complexity, delivering complex flavors of red and darker fruits, mocha, spices and flowers. (ST)” (05/2019)

“Not as dense and concentrated as the 1994, but still a tremendous wine. Elegant and rich, with currant, cherry, cookie dough and vanilla-scented oak.” (11/2019)