2006 Chateau Montelena - Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (Etched Label)

Lot 12. Mid ruby. Supple, silky, perfumed wine. Fully evolved and fresher than most. Dry finish and very different from the Napa mainstream. Verging on wimpy! Lots of acidity. (JR)

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, a re-release from the winery, is just starting to enter an early plateau of maturity where the aromas show some signs of opening up. Sweet tobacco, cedar, mint, game and licorice give the 2006 a decidedly wild, almost feral feel, in both its flavors and structural profile.

Dark red with ruby tones; not as deep as the '05 or '04. Very dark aromas of cassis, licorice and cocoa powder are complicated by exotic dusty spices and Provençal herbs. Suave, pure and mouthfilling, with its fine-grained dark berry and spice flavors broadening on the back half. Boasts a lovely balance of sweet and savory qualities, with bright acidity and refined tannins giving the wine plenty of backbone for further leisurely evolution in bottle. Finishes with excellent building length. The late summer of 2006 was very hot but temperatures dropped sharply in mid-September, pushing the harvest mostly into October, according to Barrett. In my earliest note on this vintage, I found the wine a bit disjointed (Barrett described it shortly before bottling as "60% a superripe component from the rocks and hillside, while the other 40% was all pepper and no jam--very Bordeaux-like in style"), but it is harmonizing beautifully. (ST)