96 points Elin McCoy (Decanter): "A long, cool growing season, with harvest from the end of September to the end of October, delivered fantastic flavour development. More Bordeaux-like than most in the tasting, it was highly aromatic, with a lush cassis, violet and graphite nose, and intense flavours of dark plum cherry fruit, cocoa, and notes of espresso. It’s expressive right now, yet the powerful tannins say it’s got years to go. One for collectors. Drinking Window: 2018-2035. (Jun 2018)"
95+ points Stephen Tanzer (Vinous): "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) Drink: 2019-2042. (May 2019)"
95 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "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. Drink: 2018-2040. (Feb 2018)"
95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "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. (1/31/19)"
93+ points Robert Parker: "[$165 list] The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon at age ten is still a young, vibrant, dense ruby/purple -colored wine with lots of classic cassis fruit and a touch of earth undertones. It offers relatively soft and silky tannins by the standards of Montelena, but they’re there. It is full-bodied, rich and impressive. Cabernet Sauvignon from the northern end of the Napa Valley in Calistoga tends to be the St.-Estèphe of Napa. This wine is certainly one of the great ones. Forget it for another 3-4 years and drink it over the following 20-25. Drink: 2019-2044. (Jun 2015)"
Stephen Brook (The Finest Wines of California): "Sweet, pure black-currant nose, very stylish. Powerful, spicy, and concentrated, with some vigor and good length. Still needs time to open up on the palate. (2011)"
95+ points Stephen Tanzer (Vinous): "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) Drink: 2019-2042. (May 2019)"
95 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "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. Drink: 2018-2040. (Feb 2018)"
95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "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. (1/31/19)"
93+ points Robert Parker: "[$165 list] The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon at age ten is still a young, vibrant, dense ruby/purple -colored wine with lots of classic cassis fruit and a touch of earth undertones. It offers relatively soft and silky tannins by the standards of Montelena, but they’re there. It is full-bodied, rich and impressive. Cabernet Sauvignon from the northern end of the Napa Valley in Calistoga tends to be the St.-Estèphe of Napa. This wine is certainly one of the great ones. Forget it for another 3-4 years and drink it over the following 20-25. Drink: 2019-2044. (Jun 2015)"
Stephen Brook (The Finest Wines of California): "Sweet, pure black-currant nose, very stylish. Powerful, spicy, and concentrated, with some vigor and good length. Still needs time to open up on the palate. (2011)"
| Product SKU | 305207 |
| Producer | Montelena |
| Country | United States |
| Region | California |
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Vintage | 2005 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Color | Red |
| ABV | 14.1% |
| Ships To |
