Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, Château Montelena 1987

1987 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, which was one of my favorite 1987s and at nearly 30 years of age is still a young, quasi-adolescent wine with stunning upside and potential. It is a magnificent Cabernet Sauvignon and very much in Montelena’s restrained and classic Bordeaux style.

Chateau Montelena has made so many sensational Cabernets that it seems almost impossible to believe that their 1987 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate could be even more profound than any of the exceptional wines made previously at this property. The black/purple color, the extraordinary bouquet of rich cassis, violets, and licorice, the massive extraction of flavors, sensational depth, super ripeness, and a length that must last over a minute, suggest to me that this is easily the most concentrated and potentially longest-lived Cabernet Sauvignon that Chateau Montelena has ever made. The extract level is incredible, yet the balance is there. Anticipated maturity: 1997-2025.