Featured Winery: Chateau Montelena
The facade of Napa Valley’s famed Chateau Montelena...
The tasting room...
Today, Chateau Montelena continues to produce wines of low yield and high quality. Although a long standing falling out with Wine Spectator Magazine has led to some critical reviews from that source, Robert Parker remains a huge fan of the Montelena line. Parker has given the premier wine produced by the estate, the Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, very high scores, including 95 points for the 2001 vintage, 95+ for the 2002, 93-95 for the 2003, and 93-93 for the 2004. Current releases by Montelena include a Napa Valley Chardonnay, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Potter Valley Riesling, Montelena Estate Zinfandel and the Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
One should stop by the winery if in the Napa Valley area, to sample some great wine, enjoy the park-like setting of the estate, and experience a little piece of California winemaking history. The estate has a tasting room open to the public without reservation from 9:30 a.m until 4:00 p.m. daily. Tastings of current releases cost $15.00. Reservations are required for the library tasting, which costs $25.00. Located at 1429 Tubbs Lane, the winery sits next to the old faithful geyser in the town of Calistoga at the far north end of the Napa Valley. Contact the winery for more information at (707)942-5105.
Recently, the owners of the renowned Bordeaux estate of Cos d’Estournel purchased Chateau Montelena. One can only hope that they continue with the proud history of excellence in producing fine wines.
And then in 1976 the estate, and Napa wines in general, assumed a distinguished place in winemaking history. It came as a result of a 1976 Paris wine tasting. The event went as follows: Ten red wines and ten white wines were subjected to a blind tasting for quality by a team of French wine critics. Four California wines competed against six French wine in both the red and white categories. In the white wine competition, the 1973 Chateau Montelena won the award as outstanding white, beating out six renown white Burgundies. In the red competition, another California vintner, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars took first place over such notable French reds as Chateau Mouton-Rothschild and Chateau Haut Brion. This contest gave California, and in particular the Napa Valley, instant credibility as a producer of world class wines.
Every historical rendition about Napa Valley winemaking should include mention of Chateau Montelena. This venerable estate’s vineyards have grown grapes since 1882, when Alfred Tubbs first planted on his 254 acres at the base of Mount Saint Helena just north of the town of Calistoga. After planting the vineyards, he built the famous chateau that still stands today, and hired a French winemaker to assist in production. Tubbs chose the name Chateau Montelena as a contracted form of the Mount Saint Helena. By 1896, Chateau Montelena had become one of the largest wine producers in the Napa Valley.
Prohibition put an end to all that. After that dark period, the Tubbs family continued to develop their vineyards, producing some wines and selling grapes to other winemakers in the area. Eventually, the family sold the property in 1958.
The new owners excavated a lake near the chateau, and added a lovely Chinese garden, complete with bamboo and Pagoda. Now, Jade Lake has become a Napa landmark, and remains a sanctuary for local fauna and visitors alike.
When James Barrett acquired an ownership interest in the property, he focused on improving the wines. Vineyards were cleared and replanted, modern techniques and equipment applied, and a team of high quality winemakers assembled. Barrett turned out his first vintage under this new format in 1972.
The Japanese garden on the estate’s property...
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