Vintus

The Cleveland Plain Dealer just published an article on touring wineries in Napa Valley.  Journalist Donald Rosenberg profiles the most exciting stops on his tour, which include Chateau Montelena. See his comments on the winery below:

“Our tour began in Calistoga, in northern Napa, at Chateau Montelena, which former San Francisco business executive Jim Barrett bought in the early 1970s. The winery is now run by his son, Bo, who was the jovial host for our tasting of reds and whites.

The winery catapulted to international renown in 1976, when its 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay took first place among the white wines in the Judgment of Paris, as the tasting came to be known. At the same tasting, another Napa wine, 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, was rated first among the reds. The French were shocked.

The story is detailed in “Judgment of Paris,” a book by George M. Taber, the only journalist who attended the tasting, and largely fictionalized in the entertaining 2008 movie “Bottle Shock,” which stars Alan Rickman as Steven Spurrier, the British wine merchant who devised the Paris tasting, and Chris Pine as a young, wild Bo Barrett.
As the real Barrett — still adventurous (he rides a motorcycle around the Montelena property) — sat with us before an array of glasses, he talked about the Bordeaux and white-Burgundy styles the winery has embraced. His father believed in three disciplines — farming, art and science — that remain Montelena mantra to this day.

At its low elevation, Chateau Montelena benefits from the valley’s hot days and cool nights, which are optimum for cabernet sauvignon. Barrett isn’t shy when discussing his wines — or, generously, those of local peers: “Napa cabernet is superior in quality to anywhere.”

To maintain that quality, production will never exceed 50,000 cases per year, as determined by Barrett’s father. Along with cabernet sauvignon, Montelena produces other noteworthy reds and excellent whites, including the acclaimed chardonnay. Of the whites, Barrett said, “It’s something to be enjoyed with your dinner. It should be damn tasty.” Bottles range from $25 to $63 at the winery, with the celebrated Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (priced at $135) the only product Barrett said is geared for the elite customer.”

Read the full article here

We think this piece by Ed McCarthy really captures the heart and spirit of Chateau Montelena.  No need to add anything to what he says, you can just click on the piece to read it.