Decanting a 375 ml 1996 Montrose now

Purchased this in 2002 at the old La Cantina store at University Village (no longer there). Popped the bottle at 5:18 PM Pacific Coast Time. Dinner (lamb rib chops) slated for 7 PM.

Capsule turned smoothly. Cork pristine and stained maybe 1/3 of the way up. Beautiful ruby-brick red. Decanted slowly. Nice potent smells of peat, black currant, cedar, and forest floor wafting out of the decanter.

We’ll see how things go.

Cheers,
Doug

I opened a 750ml when my sister in law had her first child recently. Not spectacular, jaw-dropping, but worthy of the occasion.

6:10 PM. Oh, foul funky smell. Vigorous swirling, now more peat and soil. Hopeful but yikes what a nose.

Thanks, Cary. I’ll be happy with a “worthy” showing.

7:04 PM. Well, what do you know. No longer smells like pesticide. More blue fruits at this point. Just about to pan-fry the chops. Oh well, more decanting time.

Doug:

Jorge,

That we did. Dinner finally happened at 7:40 PM and by that time the nose was ample and full of cedar and deeply-pitched red currant. The palate had a soft attack with low acidity but lots of tobacco, red currant, and smoky blackberry notes which deepened as time went on. More grippy at the end of each sip, with a feathery finish of forest floor, sweet plum, and tobacco. Tannins were quite burnished. Lovely wine, beautiful in its balance of elegance and persistence. 92 points.

Cheers,
Doug

Atta guy! [cheers.gif]