Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley includes 9% Merlot from a vineyard in Oak Knoll and spent 16 months in 28% new French oak, with a bit of Hungarian as well. It offers up textbook notes of cherries and redcurrants, plus a hint of vanilla, all in an easy-drinking, medium to full-bodied format. The tannins are silky, and the acids are tart in this moderately concentrated effort that should provide enjoyable drinking over the next 10 years or so. Drink date: 2023-2033. Score – 91. (Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com, March 31, 2023)