Chateau Montelena is a winery located in the Napa Valley region of California. It is known for producing high-quality wines and for its role in the “Judgment of Paris,” a tasting event in which California wines competed against French wines and shocked the wine world by outperforming their French counterparts.
Chateau Montelena was founded in 1882 by Alfred L. Tubbs, a San Francisco businessman who purchased the property and built a Victorian-style winery on it. In the late 1960s, the winery was purchased by James L. Barrett, a lawyer who was passionate about wine. Barrett invested heavily in the winery, replanting the vineyards and upgrading the winemaking facilities.
One of the key figures at Chateau Montelena during this time was winemaker Mike Grgich, who was hired by Barrett in 1972. Grgich, who had previously worked at several wineries in California and Croatia, was a skilled winemaker with a particular talent for crafting Chardonnay.
In 1976, Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay was selected to participate in the “Judgment of Paris,” a tasting event in which California wines were pitted against French wines in a blind tasting. The event was organized by wine critic Steven Spurrier and was intended to determine whether California wines were capable of competing with the best wines of France.
To the surprise of many, the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay outperformed several highly regarded French Chardonnays and was declared the best white wine at the event. This result was seen as a major victory for California wines and helped to establish the Napa Valley as a premier wine-producing region.
Chateau Montelena’s vineyards are located in the Calistoga and St. Helena areas of the Napa Valley. The winery grows a variety of grape varieties, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel.
Chateau Montelena’s winemaking process begins with careful selection of the grapes, which are hand-picked and sorted to ensure only the best fruit is used. The grapes are then crushed and fermented in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels, depending on the type of wine being produced.
After fermentation, the wines are aged in oak barrels for varying periods of time, depending on the specific wine. Chateau Montelena’s wines are known for their complex flavors and balance, which are achieved through careful attention to detail during the winemaking process.
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Anita Maharaj
a month agoChateau Montelena is such a gorgeous winery! My husband and I decided to check it out after hearing about and watching the movie, Bottle Shock. As someone who is obsessed with wine and wine history, I thought it was a cool place to visit- basically historic. Chateau Montelena was a major player in putting Napa Valley on the map with its 1973 Chardonnay that won the 1976 "Judgement of Paris" blind wine tasting for white wines against top French wines. The grounds are stunning, especially with the gardens. We did a standard tasting and were joined only by one other couple in the general tasting group. Our host, Tash, was very amicable and did a wonderful job at engaging with both couples. So much so, that we really did feel like a cohesive group. Tash was great at describing the notes of the wines and what makes them special. Despite it obviously not being the 1973 Chardonnay, the one we tried was still superb! The riesling pleasantly surprised me, especially because I'm not a fan of that grape typically. But the biggest regret of the trip was not buying a bottle to bring home! I would love to get a glass of wine and walk around the garden the next time I'm back in Napa! Definitely recommend you do the same!
Joshua Oswalt
5 months agoWine Country 🍷 • Chateau Montelena Winery you were amazing! Scheduled a tasting with Lin and learned a lot about the history of your life. She was very informative and catered to our tasting needs. From the castle you see when walking up to the Asian style gazebos on the lake, the views surely do impress. If you are in the Napa Valley and specifically Calistoga, I urge you to go have some chats, some sips and don’t blame me if you leave with 3 or more bottles of wine as we did 🤭 HIGHLY recommend the #Chardonnay. I’m not a fan of a Chardonnay but this French style changed my tune on what to expect when going to a tasting. Very impressed.
Rodd Riesenberger
5 months agoVery accommodating, even without a reservation. We were able to get in early and had a private tasting in the “club room”. It was very nice and the service was excellent. The grounds and mansion are beautiful.
Ellen K
a month agoA must see for anyone visiting Napa! Located at an authentic French-style 19th century chateau, this beautiful winery makes award winning old world style wines. (Truly, check out the movie "Bottle Shock" to learn how they put Napa Valley on the wine making map.) The grounds are gorgeous any time of the year and we enjoy my club member perks of free tastings and being able to rent a gazebo on the lake for a picnic. The staff is uniformly knowledgeable, friendly, and welcoming. I might be slightly biased because we've been club members for over a decade and also we got engaged at this place - but really that's a testament to how fabulous it is!
Katie Logan
4 months agoBeautiful grounds and lovely employees. Highly recommend a tasting experience at this estate. Jay was very friendly and informative.