Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2008

Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is unique and distinctive with an unrivaled heritage of producing an outstanding wine each and every vintage. This diversified soil profile results in aromatic, rich and full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, characterized by the unique earthy-berry flavor that is the Montelena Estate. The wine displays rich, natural, varietal fruit character, first and foremost, with finely balanced acid and tannin. Delicious and enjoyable now, and very age-worthy.
The wine matured for 22 months in French oak (34% new) and offers complex and invitingaromas of dark cherries, dark dried fruits, earth, cedar and vanilla cream along with hints of licorice and leather. Well integratedacids and tannins provide balance and structure for the impressively long and expansive finish.
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 at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Paris. Four white Burgundies were tasted against six California Chardonnays. When the scores were tallied, the French Judges were convinced that the top-ranking white wine was one of their own. In fact, it was 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.
(98% Cabernet Sauvignon/2% Cabernet Franc). The terroir of this vineyard ranges from a flat and steep sedimentary rocksubstrata to alluvial or volcanic soils.