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Chateau Montelena's real success came in the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, where its 1973 Chardonnay was deemed the best of a lineup of top wines from California and France. The top red wine, the Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, was also from California.
The victory upset the French dominance of the wine industry, catapulting California producers onto the international stage, and opening the door for New World producers. The tasting was covered in Time magazine by George Taber, who went on to write a book about it titled Judgment of Paris, which in turn inspired the 2008 movie "Bottle Shock."
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1985 |
| Rating | 92 RP |
| Bottle Size | 1500 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Montelena Chateau |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Robert Parker | 92 RP - Consistently a low to mid-ninety point Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau Montelena's 1985 remains frightfully backward at nearly ten years of age. The 1985, 1987, and 1991 have the potential to be three of the longest-lived Montelena Cabernets this fine winery has ever produced. In this tasting, the 1985 was unevolved and youthful, with an opaque ruby/purple color, and a closed but promising nose of cassis fruit, earth, minerals, and oak. Full-bodied, marvelously concentrated and pure, this highly extracted, muscular, blockbuster effort requires a minimum of 5-6 more years of cellaring. A candidate for 20-30 years of longevity, it should prove to be one of the great Montelena Cabernet Sauvignons, but patience is required. |
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| Wine Spectator |
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| Burghound |
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| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1985 |
| Rating | 92 RP |
| Bottle Size | 1500 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Montelena Chateau |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1985 |
| Rating | 92 RP |
| Bottle Size | 1500 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Montelena Chateau |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1985 |
| Rating | 92 RP |
| Barrels |
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| Style |
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| Owners |
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| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Montelena Chateau |
| Winemaker |
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| Production |
| Robert Parker Rating | 92 RP - Consistently a low to mid-ninety point Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau Montelena's 1985 remains frightfully backward at nearly ten years of age. The 1985, 1987, and 1991 have the potential to be three of the longest-lived Montelena Cabernets this fine winery has ever produced. In this tasting, the 1985 was unevolved and youthful, with an opaque ruby/purple color, and a closed but promising nose of cassis fruit, earth, minerals, and oak. Full-bodied, marvelously concentrated and pure, this highly extracted, muscular, blockbuster effort requires a minimum of 5-6 more years of cellaring. A candidate for 20-30 years of longevity, it should prove to be one of the great Montelena Cabernet Sauvignons, but patience is required. |
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| Burghound Rating |
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