Chateau Montelena, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California, 2023

Vault Wine: This wine is stored in our vault.

Overview of the Wine
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.

A Napa Green Certified Winery

Winemaker
Matt Crafton

Grape / Blend
Chardonnay

Origin 
Napa Valley, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The 2023 vintage will be remembered as one of the best in the last decade. Overall, it was an outstanding growing season where the mild conditions prevailed, capping an exceptional vintage.

While there’s certainly California luster and opulence in the margins, both are tucked away right now, overshadowed by lush pear, lime leaf and orange blossom. The minerality and tension on the palate are simply awesome and the acidity is bright and racy. Wines from cool-vintages tend to mature slightly more slowly than their warm-vintage cousins, so expect the parade of citrus, green apple and flinty minerals to dominate for the next few years. That said, the mouthfeel is just gorgeous with more gravitas and weight than I would have expected at this time; a very pleasant surprise.

95 Points - Decanter
Vivid, pure citrus expression with a mineral character, like the squeeze of a just-picked Meyer lemon over an oyster-shell, lace.

Product size: 750ml