Given choice which would you drink tonight, no smartass answers of all three !! Pick one only
Without a doubt, I’d open all three.
2003 definitely, but maybe the 2004 or 2005. 15+ yrs put these in my wheelhouse, but ymmv. Life is full of difficult no lose situations.
2005 would be my choice. I sampled the 2004 a year ago and it was, and likely remains, in its prime drinking window. 2005 is as good as any vintage from the last decade.
I’d say pop the 2005 since you can still log onto the online site and buy a replacement bottle for only $175 which only amounts to a relatively small tariff for an additional 12 years or so of aging!
2003 would be my choice. 2004 has room to improve, and I wasn’t as big a fan of the 2005 when I had it a few years ago.
I have not had the '03 but have had good experiences with the '04 and '05. Give these at least an hour of air before planned drinking. If I had to chose I would pick the '05.
The 2004. Only because it is an even year and so is 2018. I only open odd number bottles in odd years and even number bottles in even years . On my issues I can’t seem/want to work through.
I’d go 03. Recent CT notes indicate this is in its prime, while 04s and 05s have much life left in them. You can backfill any of these fairly easily based on WineSearcher, so you’re safe there.
I would open the ‘03. There is plenty of time for the other 2.
It depends. Are you drinking it in the US or France??
Sorry…just can’t help myself.
My thought is the same as Matt’s: 03 as the other two have longer futures.
You were smart not to mention what food you’re having with it - otherwise, half the responses would be to drink beer, hard cider, sake, Lambrusco, Malvasia Bianca or Basque rose.
Champagne. It’s always champagne.
Whichever you choose, bring one of the others as back up. 2003 & 2004 (I don’t believe 2005 was?) are in the ‘Montelena Cellar Tca Taint’ years. So there’s a risk there unfortunately.
I thought that only affected the 2001 vintage, no? I know that was the one that Laube discovered the issue.
Chateau Montelena held a tasting at the Four Seasons in Scottsdale back in Nov 2017, included were the 2003, it is time to drink up 2003 IMO. Brian Baker brought to everyone’s attention that one of the bottles was corked…and quickly replaced…
2005, with 2003 being my last choice.
Good point Larry…sorry if I’m casting aspersions unfairly here. Overall, I love Montelena Cabs et al.
Laube brought up this issue, as I remember it, in the mid-late 2003 and 2004 timeframe…and it took sometime for Montelena to address it. Given that it’s a cellar based taint, being cautious with 2002, 2003 (and maybe 2004???) seems plausible (in terms of having backups).