95+

Stephen Tanzer

Vinous

Bright red-ruby. More reserved and medicinal on the nose than the flamboyantly expressive '04, with cassis and violet aromas complicated by graphite and bitter chocolate. Very pure and silky on the palate, conveying a sexy subtle sweetness and a wonderfully complex meld of dark fruits, minerals and soil tones. The element of Cabernet Franc here adds to the wine's mid-palate lift. This bottle was distinctly more pliant than an impressive but bound-up sample I tasted three years ago in my 2005 Napa Cab horizontal but is still extremely young. As broad and silky as this wine is, it stands out today for its energy. Goes on and on on the aftertaste, with the tannins utterly seamless and integrated. My best tasting of this vintage to date, as it is finally beginning to unwind. (14.1% alcohol; from fruit picked almost entirely in October) 03/2019

93

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon at age ten is still a young, vibrant, dense ruby/purple -colored wine with lots of classic cassis fruit and a touch of earth undertones. It offers relatively soft and silky tannins by the standards of Montelena, but they’re there. It is full-bodied, rich and impressive. Cabernet Sauvignon from the northern end of the Napa Valley in Calistoga tends to be the St.-Estèphe of Napa. This wine is certainly one of the great ones. Forget it for another 3-4 years and drink it over the following 20-25.Beautiful Montelena Winery was established in 1882, which says a lot. It has been owned by the Barrett family for a long time, becoming one of the iconic wines of Napa Valley. (There’s probably as much Château Montelena in my California collection as any Napa Cab.) However, the aging curve of Montelena is irrefutable, with the estate Cabernet easily going the distance of 20-30 years, even in lighter vintages. 06/2015

95

Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

Deep garnet in color, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate leaps from the glass with notes of crushed blackberries, black cherries and Bing cherries with hints of raspberry leaves, bay leaves and underbrush plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, nicely poised, very fresh and beautifully elegant, it has a solid frame of very fine-grained tannins and a very long, berry-laced finish. Still incredibly youthful. 02/2018

95

Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is still rich and powerful, with Bordeaux-like notes of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, damp earth, cedar, and dried herbs. Deep, rich, and beautifully textured, with balance and length, it has silky tannins, a layered, clean texture and a great finish. It's another balanced, oh, so classic wine. 01/2019