NOSE
There’s tremendous purity
on the nose of this wine.
At the same time, it’s also
quite intense. Peach, apricot
and kiwi drive an abundance
of ripeness, which cascades
into fresh cut flowers, orange
blossom and cantaloupe.
PALATE
The citrus really comes to life here as
mandarin, Meyer lemon and finally lemon
verbena. While green apple, which is
typically quite pronounced in Montelena
wines, is somewhat overshadowed by the
opulence of other flavors, I would expect
it to become more prominent over time.
Moreover, the texture is still angular and
somewhat tight, which isn’t surprising
given the wine’s youth. However, there’s
certainly plenty to look forward to with
notes of graham cracker, cinnamon and
toast lingering beneath the surface.
FINISH
The finish initially leans
into d’Anjou pear with some
additional baking spice.
It slowly transitions back
to apple but more as cider
than fresh cut. The citrus also
persists as lemon zest and
there’s a touch of peppery
ginger as punctuation. While
still predominantly linear,
the finish should develop
in breadth and gravity in
coming years.