Tasting Notes

There’s tremendous purity on the nose of this wine. At the same time, it’s also quite intense. Peach, apricot and kiwi drive an abundance of ripeness, which cascades
into fresh cut flowers, orange blossom and cantaloupe.

On the palate- the citrus really comes to life here as mandarin, Meyer lemon and finally lemon verbena. While green apple, which is typically quite pronounced in Montelena
wines, is somewhat overshadowed by the opulence of other flavors, I would expect
it to become more prominent over time. Moreover, the texture is still angular and somewhat tight, which isn’t surprising given the wine’s youth. However, there’s
certainly plenty to look forward to with notes of graham cracker, cinnamon and
toast lingering beneath the surface.

The finish initially leans into d’Anjou pear with some additional baking spice. It slowly transitions back to apple but more as cider than fresh cut. The citrus also persists as lemon zest and there’s a touch of peppery ginger as punctuation. While still predominantly linear, the finish should develop in breadth and gravity in coming years. 

Winemaker Notes

Precision in winemaking (and in life) requires intent and purpose. Removing notions of how things should be allows us to see things truly as they are. Moreover, the ability to be entirely honest with each vintage enables the creative freedom necessary for both development and true expression. Montelena Chardonnay does not have a style. What it has is the dual-purpose of vintage and vineyard expression and our meticulous intent to deliver on both.

Winery Notes

Chateau Montelena’s history is one of the deepest and most storied in the Napa Valley and California. Founded just north of Calistoga by a senator and San Francisco entrepreneur in 1882 at the turn of the century, it was one of the largest wineries in the state. Prohibition put an end to Montelena’s winemaking, and the next major era began in 1968, when Jim Barrett purchased the estate. Jim fell in love with this exceptional property, blessed with a complex mix of soils, slopes and biodiversity of wildlife and fauna. He had a dream of creating wine at the level of the great First Growths of Bordeaux, and set about replanting the vineyard, outfitting the winery with modern equipment, and studying the processes necessary for farming and winemaking at the highest quality level.

In 1976 Chateau Montelena put California at the forefront of the wine world. That year a who’s-who of the French wine and food establishment gathered for a grand tasting at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Paris. Four white Burgundies were tasted against six California Chardonnays. When the scores were tallied, the French Judges were convinced that the top-ranking white wine was one of their own. In fact, it was Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay, rated above all other wines. This seminal event has been memorialized in the book "The Judgment of Paris," by George Taber, as well as in the 2008 feature film Bottle Shock.

Today Chateau Montelena’s distinct 19th century stone structure stands as a quality icon in Napa Valley, consistently producing some of the finest wines in California. Master Winemaker Bo Barrett, Jim’s son, now runs the estate with the help of Winemaker Matt Crafton and Vineyard Manager Dave Vella.

Winemaker: Matt Crafton