Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1990 750ml

Château Montelena, the historic Calistoga estate whose Chardonnay triumphed at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, has long made one of Napa's most age-worthy Cabernets from its vineyards at the foot of Mount St. Helena. The 1990 came from a small crop in an outstanding Napa vintage and now shows a mature, amber-tinged color. Vinous described it as "concentrated, tactile and smooth," with plum, earth, hazelnut, cherry, dark berry and licorice framed by surprisingly bright acidity and gently coating tannins. It was Bo Barrett's first vintage with a gentler destemmer, and it saw just 20% new oak. Drink now through the end of the decade, decanting gently off any sediment.