Chateau Montelena

[becky]

The other night I waited on a table that opened six vintages of estate bottled Chateau Montelena- 86, 87, 90, 91, 97, and 02. Fortunately for me and my coworkers, there was quite a bit of wine leftover. It was interesting to be able to taste and compare so many vintages. Overall, the years were either hit or miss. Some notes:

86- This one was rather flat. The fruit was weak and overpowered by a musty, oaky (french oak?) palatte.
87- My favorite of the night. The tanins were strong, the palette complex and much more balanced than that of the 86. The oak was formidable, but balanced by strong fruit. Cherry, toast, compost.
90- Not very memorable, but still tasty. The acid was rather strong, but the fruit was still there. I don't think this one will age as well as 87 did.
91-There was only a splash of this one left. Rightly so, because it was outstanding. I remember thinking that it seemed between the worlds of aged and young. It had a much more distinctively napa nose and palette- rich, dark fruits, and an almost fleshy or meaty quality. The oak only enhanced these qualities, and lingered nicely on the finish.
97- A lot of sediment, young fruit. I don't remember much else
2002-This was my friend's favorite. He likes big, bold, young napa cabs, which the 02 definitely is. Big fruit on the nose, and a creamy palette with hints of toast.

We were all a little surprised by how flat the 86 was. Again, 87 and 91 were awesome. I'd love to hear anybody else's thoughts!
~becky