2021 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate Calistoga Napa Valley 750 ml

Robb Report called Chateau Montelena “the winery that put Napa on the map.” 

They were referring to Montelena’s first-place finish at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, but that event took place nearly a century into the storied winery’s life: Montelena was founded in 1882, and prior to Prohibition, it was one of Napa’s most important producers. 

The winery remains at the top of the Napa hierarchy today because the Barrett family has never gotten complacent. They and their winemaker Matt Crafton strive to improve in every single vintage, whether that means undertaking a major replanting project—they’ve done three in just 50 years—or obsessing about what they could have done differently in the winery every year. 

The other key to Montelena’s greatness is their terroir, and they’ve had decades to learn how to farm these rocky hillsides and alluvial flatlands in the heart of Calistoga. Along with Eisele Vineyard, Montelena’s Estate vineyard is regarded as one of the best in Calistoga AVA, making it truly one of Napa Valley’s greatest terroirs—one whose potential is maximized by the Barrett family’s meticulous nature. 

Their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine that Montelena stakes their reputation on,, and the 2021 is a model of power and grace. It opens with brooding aromas of blackcurrant, graphite, and crushed violet, with cedar, cigar box, and bay. The palate is structured yet refined, with well-knit tannins and vibrant acidity. It’s classic Montelena, a wine that will drink even better in 10+ years’ time.

We can’t think of a better bet in ageworthy, blue-chip Napa Cabernet for the money.