Chateau Montelena Zin

I had the pleasure of tasting this wine at a small event hosted by Chateau Montelena winemaker, Bo Barrett earlier this year and thought it was a solid wine for a winery mostly focused on Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine is beautiful in the glass with the darkest purple hue.  On the nose, it’s oaky with tons of black fruit: blackberries, ripe raspberries and currant.  On the palate, it’s what makes Zinfandel fans so loyal to the grape, spiciness, dried cherry with a big meaty mouthfeel and just the right amount of tannins.  Well balanced with a long spiced finish.

Affordable for most and an ideal wine for those late afternoon BBQs where grilled red meat’s the star.

Around $30.