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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Andrea Pumfrey
2 months agoWe had such an amazing time with Lin at our wine tasting. She was so lovely and did an amazing job educating us about the wine and the history of the winery. The wine was the best we tried all day! Would recommend to anyone to go for a tasting here. The experience was very personal and allowed us to enjoy the full experience. Lin- thank you from the Pirates of the Penzance ♥️
Robert Baker
5 months agoFirst visit to this winery. We took the tour and tasting. Tasted 6 wines including one desert wine. Bought a 200 dollar Cab. I have to say one of the best Cabs I personally have had. Beautiful grounds and alot of history to be had there. Staff was nice and informative.
Garth
7 months agoWe didn’t have a reservation for a tasting but we did come right at opening and they did accommodate us which I was very grateful for. Our tasting host was very friendly and jovial, made some great recommendations! We were so grateful for the opportunity to taste the wines even without a reservation. The wines were good and I do recommend coming to this iconic winery if just to experience the space and history.
Julie M
2 months agoBeautiful old winery. Delicious wine. Had a wonderful time wine tasting and hearing the story of this winery. Worth the drive.
Terra Scott
6 months agoThis is a must when you come to Napa! It’s one of the furthest north in the region on the map, but it is so worth it. I didn’t make a reservation in advance. However, if you go early in the morning when they first open, you will probably get in. They also do military discounts which is amazing! Their wines in the wine tasting were really good, The building, and the grounds that you are in our picturesque! Definitely walk the grounds. They have a beautiful lake and bridges, and in the front the building looks sort of like a castle. So definitely get a picture there! The inside seems castle like and cavelike as well. Me and my friends and family had a really good experience and they were great at being informative and making it fun! I would definitely go again!