We grilled lamb chops last night so I opened a bottle of 2002 Chateau
Montelena that I found in my orphan bin. I stopped buying Montelena
when the winery was alledgedly hit with TCA issues. The cost and risk
just didn't work for me. I suspect the bottle was a gift from a
dinner guest. The wine was still quite dark and dense in the glass.
Effusive nose of cassis, black plum and Napa dusty notes. Still quite
youthful on the palate with very ripe blackberry, cassis and plum a
fair amount of anise a slight smokey note and plush smooth tannins.
There is a nice balance to this wine and like most Montelena wines I
suspect it can last up to 25 years. Quite nice 'A-"

On Oct 12, 9:00*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
> We grilled lamb chops last night so I opened a bottle of 2002 Chateau
> Montelena that I found in my orphan bin. *I stopped buying Montelena
> when the winery was alledgedly hit with TCA issues. *The cost and risk
> just didn't work for me. *I suspect the bottle was a gift from a
> dinner guest. *The wine was still quite dark and dense in the glass.
> Effusive nose of cassis, black plum and Napa dusty notes. *Still quite
> youthful on the palate with very ripe blackberry, cassis and plum a
> fair amount of anise a slight smokey note and plush smooth tannins.
> There is a nice balance to this wine and like most Montelena wines I
> suspect it can last up to 25 years. *Quite nice 'A-"

Never had problems with Montelena and still buy it.

On Oct 12, 9:31*pm, Lawrence Leichtman > wrote:
> On Oct 12, 9:00*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > We grilled lamb chops last night so I opened a bottle of 2002 Chateau
> > Montelena that I found in my orphan bin. *I stopped buying Montelena
> > when the winery was alledgedly hit with TCA issues. *The cost and risk
> > just didn't work for me. *I suspect the bottle was a gift from a
> > dinner guest. *The wine was still quite dark and dense in the glass.
> > Effusive nose of cassis, black plum and Napa dusty notes. *Still quite
> > youthful on the palate with very ripe blackberry, cassis and plum a
> > fair amount of anise a slight smokey note and plush smooth tannins.
> > There is a nice balance to this wine and like most Montelena wines I
> > suspect it can last up to 25 years. *Quite nice 'A-"
>
> Never had problems with Montelena and still buy it.

Maybe you remember but back in 2001 there were significant reports of
TCA contamination at Montelena. Jim Laube of WS gave them incredibly
low marks in the 2001 vintage claiming TCA taint. There was a lot of
back and forth and Laube wrote a column defending his position.
Subsequently Montelena started an ad campaign and direct mail program
to counter the claims. Eventually they brought in an outside company
to decontaminate their cellars to put the critism to rest. You can
get the particulars if you google "montelena TCA"

On Oct 13, 9:22*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
> On Oct 12, 9:31*pm, Lawrence Leichtman > wrote:
>
> > On Oct 12, 9:00*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > > We grilled lamb chops last night so I opened a bottle of 2002 Chateau
> > > Montelena that I found in my orphan bin. *I stopped buying Montelena
> > > when the winery was alledgedly hit with TCA issues. *The cost and risk
> > > just didn't work for me. *I suspect the bottle was a gift from a
> > > dinner guest. *The wine was still quite dark and dense in the glass..
> > > Effusive nose of cassis, black plum and Napa dusty notes. *Still quite
> > > youthful on the palate with very ripe blackberry, cassis and plum a
> > > fair amount of anise a slight smokey note and plush smooth tannins.
> > > There is a nice balance to this wine and like most Montelena wines I
> > > suspect it can last up to 25 years. *Quite nice 'A-"
>
> > Never had problems with Montelena and still buy it.
>
> Maybe you remember but back in 2001 there were significant reports of
> TCA contamination at Montelena. *Jim Laube of WS gave them incredibly
> low marks in the 2001 vintage claiming TCA taint. *There was a lot of
> back and forth and Laube wrote a column defending his position.
> Subsequently Montelena started an ad campaign and direct mail program
> to counter the claims. *Eventually they brought in an outside company
> to decontaminate their cellars to put the critism to rest. *You can
> get the particulars if you google "montelena TCA"

I still have 2001 Chateau Montelena and have not had TCA problems to
date.

On Oct 13, 11:22*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
> On Oct 12, 9:31*pm, Lawrence Leichtman > wrote:
>
> > On Oct 12, 9:00*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > > We grilled lamb chops last night so I opened a bottle of 2002 Chateau
> > > Montelena that I found in my orphan bin. *I stopped buying Montelena
> > > when the winery was alledgedly hit with TCA issues. *The cost and risk
> > > just didn't work for me. *I suspect the bottle was a gift from a
> > > dinner guest. *The wine was still quite dark and dense in the glass..
> > > Effusive nose of cassis, black plum and Napa dusty notes. *Still quite
> > > youthful on the palate with very ripe blackberry, cassis and plum a
> > > fair amount of anise a slight smokey note and plush smooth tannins.
> > > There is a nice balance to this wine and like most Montelena wines I
> > > suspect it can last up to 25 years. *Quite nice 'A-"
>
> > Never had problems with Montelena and still buy it.
>
> Maybe you remember but back in 2001 there were significant reports of
> TCA contamination at Montelena. *Jim Laube of WS gave them incredibly
> low marks in the 2001 vintage claiming TCA taint. *There was a lot of
> back and forth and Laube wrote a column defending his position.
> Subsequently Montelena started an ad campaign and direct mail program
> to counter the claims. *Eventually they brought in an outside company
> to decontaminate their cellars to put the critism to rest. *You can
> get the particulars if you google "montelena TCA"

Bill, I've been buying the Montelena Estate Cab for years. NO issues
EVER including the 2001.

Don't get me started on Laube of WS as In my opinion he is an
egomaniac. That same article he said he trained his pallatte to
detect cork taint to less than 1 part per million....it's simply NOT
detectable at those levels.

I heard a rumor years back that may NOT be true. The rumor was passed
to me from a winemaker who knew JL wife. Supposedly he was playing
base coach and got hit in the head with a baseball. Result, he could
NOT taste anymore. That he lost sense of taste, smell etc. Then,
this article came out on his training his pallatte. Imalways wondered
if there was any truth to the rumor after I saw him overcompensating.
Well, you never can trust a rumor...I bought the 2001 anyway...it was
nice.

On Oct 17, 8:13*am, Dick N > wrote:
> On Oct 13, 11:22*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Oct 12, 9:31*pm, Lawrence Leichtman > wrote:
>
> > > On Oct 12, 9:00*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > > > We grilled lamb chops last night so I opened a bottle of 2002 Chateau
> > > > Montelena that I found in my orphan bin. *I stopped buying Montelena
> > > > when the winery was alledgedly hit with TCA issues. *The cost and risk
> > > > just didn't work for me. *I suspect the bottle was a gift from a
> > > > dinner guest. *The wine was still quite dark and dense in the glass.
> > > > Effusive nose of cassis, black plum and Napa dusty notes. *Still quite
> > > > youthful on the palate with very ripe blackberry, cassis and plum a
> > > > fair amount of anise a slight smokey note and plush smooth tannins.
> > > > There is a nice balance to this wine and like most Montelena wines I
> > > > suspect it can last up to 25 years. *Quite nice 'A-"
>
> > > Never had problems with Montelena and still buy it.
>
> > Maybe you remember but back in 2001 there were significant reports of
> > TCA contamination at Montelena. *Jim Laube of WS gave them incredibly
> > low marks in the 2001 vintage claiming TCA taint. *There was a lot of
> > back and forth and Laube wrote a column defending his position.
> > Subsequently Montelena started an ad campaign and direct mail program
> > to counter the claims. *Eventually they brought in an outside company
> > to decontaminate their cellars to put the critism to rest. *You can
> > get the particulars if you google "montelena TCA"
>
> Bill, I've been buying the Montelena Estate Cab for years. *NO issues
> EVER including the 2001.
>
> Don't get me started on Laube of WS as In my opinion he is an
> egomaniac. *That same article he said he trained his pallatte to
> detect cork taint to less than 1 part per million....it's simply NOT
> detectable at those levels.
>
> I heard a rumor years back that may NOT be true. *The rumor was passed
> to me from a winemaker who knew JL wife. *Supposedly he was playing
> base coach and got hit in the head with a baseball. *Result, he could
> NOT taste anymore. *That he lost sense of taste, smell etc. *Then,
> this article came out on his training his pallatte. *Imalways wondered
> if there was any truth to the rumor after I saw him overcompensating.
> Well, you never can trust a rumor...I bought the 2001 anyway...it was
> nice.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

To be honest..I didn't know anything about the TCA issue until I saw a
mailer from Bo Barrett about the controversy that he sent out to
retailers, etc. Then they followed it up a year or so later with a
complete cleaning of the cellars. I always loved the wine but I
became leery of buying case lots that I was going to cellar if they
had a TCA taint problem.. I've had planty of Montelena since then
without significant problems...I did open a 1997 Montelena this
weekend that was....CORKED!!!!

On Oct 17, 1:51*pm, "Bi!!" > wrote:
> On Oct 17, 8:13*am, Dick N > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Oct 13, 11:22*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > > On Oct 12, 9:31*pm, Lawrence Leichtman > wrote:
>
> > > > On Oct 12, 9:00*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > > > > We grilled lamb chops last night so I opened a bottle of 2002 Chateau
> > > > > Montelena that I found in my orphan bin. *I stopped buying Montelena
> > > > > when the winery was alledgedly hit with TCA issues. *The cost and risk
> > > > > just didn't work for me. *I suspect the bottle was a gift from a
> > > > > dinner guest. *The wine was still quite dark and dense in the glass.
> > > > > Effusive nose of cassis, black plum and Napa dusty notes. *Still quite
> > > > > youthful on the palate with very ripe blackberry, cassis and plum a
> > > > > fair amount of anise a slight smokey note and plush smooth tannins.
> > > > > There is a nice balance to this wine and like most Montelena wines I
> > > > > suspect it can last up to 25 years. *Quite nice 'A-"
>
> > > > Never had problems with Montelena and still buy it.
>
> > > Maybe you remember but back in 2001 there were significant reports of
> > > TCA contamination at Montelena. *Jim Laube of WS gave them incredibly
> > > low marks in the 2001 vintage claiming TCA taint. *There was a lot of
> > > back and forth and Laube wrote a column defending his position.
> > > Subsequently Montelena started an ad campaign and direct mail program
> > > to counter the claims. *Eventually they brought in an outside company
> > > to decontaminate their cellars to put the critism to rest. *You can
> > > get the particulars if you google "montelena TCA"
>
> > Bill, I've been buying the Montelena Estate Cab for years. *NO issues
> > EVER including the 2001.
>
> > Don't get me started on Laube of WS as In my opinion he is an
> > egomaniac. *That same article he said he trained his pallatte to
> > detect cork taint to less than 1 part per million....it's simply NOT
> > detectable at those levels.
>
> > I heard a rumor years back that may NOT be true. *The rumor was passed
> > to me from a winemaker who knew JL wife. *Supposedly he was playing
> > base coach and got hit in the head with a baseball. *Result, he could
> > NOT taste anymore. *That he lost sense of taste, smell etc. *Then,
> > this article came out on his training his pallatte. *Imalways wondered
> > if there was any truth to the rumor after I saw him overcompensating.
> > Well, you never can trust a rumor...I bought the 2001 anyway...it was
> > nice.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> To be honest..I didn't know anything about the TCA issue until I saw a
> mailer from Bo Barrett about the controversy that he sent out to
> retailers, etc. *Then they followed it up a year or so later with a
> complete cleaning of the cellars. *I always loved the wine but I
> became leery of buying case lots that I was going to cellar if they
> had a TCA taint problem.. I've had planty of Montelena since then
> without significant problems...I did open a 1997 Montelena this
> weekend that was....CORKED!!!!

I still have 7 bottles of 1997.... So far all good

The measured TCA amounts averaged a bit over 1 ppt I think, under most people's threshold. But that was an average, and way higher than most wineries. One would guess that a much higher percentage of bottles than normal would show corked to even those of us with average perception (not to mention fruit scalping issues). So good they did the cellar rehab- guess they owe Laube, as I think systemic TCA infection in cellar wood just gets worse. Look at Ducru- lots of 85/86s show as corked, but the 89s are almost uniformly noticably tainted.

Was the cellar room with the problem red only? I don't think I've had any corked Montelena chards.

As an aside, we did a Studs and Dubs tasting (10 pt or more difference between WS and WA) a few years ago. I'm not very TCA sensitive, but called the 2001 Montelena (blind) as corked.

I disagree strongly with Laube's palate in general, but I think there's no way he could hide anosmia.

On Oct 18, 8:36*pm, DaleW > wrote:
> The measured TCA amounts averaged a bit over 1 ppt I think, under most people's threshold. But that was an average, and way higher than most wineries. One would guess that a much higher percentage of bottles than normal would show corked to even those of us with average perception (not to mention fruit scalping issues). So good they did the cellar rehab- guess they owe Laube, as I think systemic TCA infection in cellar wood just gets worse. Look at Ducru- lots of 85/86s show as corked, but the 89s are almost uniformly noticably tainted.
>
> Was the cellar room with the problem red only? I don't think I've had any corked Montelena chards.
>
> As an aside, we did a Studs and Dubs tasting (10 pt or more difference between WS and WA) a few years ago. I'm not very TCA sensitive, but called the 2001 Montelena (blind) as corked.
>
> I disagree strongly with Laube's palate in general, but I think there's no way he could hide anosmia.

I often wondered if the TCA issue at Montelena had anything to do with
Cos d' Estournel owner Michel Reybier backing out of his potential
aquisition of Montelena.