Vintus

In his Hedonist’s Gazette, Robert Parker raves about Chef Cindy Wolf’s Charleston restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland.  In a dinner this past September and just written up on the Wine Advocate website a few days ago, Parker recounts the dinner and the wines, which included two older California Cabernets which he writes are “two of the best I’ve had”, from Mondavi and Chateau Montelena.

The top red wine of the evening?  Chateau Montelena’s Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1985, about which Parker comments: “The 1985 Chateau Montelena, which was dormant for so long, yet always seemed to have more promise than real sizzle, has finally arrived. Certainly at age 26 it should finally be showing something, and it is. Dense plum/garnet/purple to the rim and loaded with minerals, subtle smoke, earth, and crème de cassis, this wine is rich, full-bodied, and has at least another 10-15 years of potential evolution.”  He rates it 96 points.

Click the icon below to read the full article.

The Miami Herald featured an article written by Fred Tasker that mentions the famous “Judgment of Paris” in which Chateau Montelena’s Napa Chardonnay bested four French white Burgundies putting American wines on the world map in 1976.  Under the list of “Highly Recommened” Chadonnay’s, first on the list is Chateau Montelena’s 2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay.  Click the icon to read the full article.

The Wine Enthusiast features Chateau Montelena’s tasting room  in the luxury Westin St. Francis San Francisco hotel, just off the hotel’s grand lobby.   Although there are other tasting rooms throughout the city, Montelena is the first winery to have a standalone tasting center in a San Francisco hotel.   Montelena owner Jim Barrett says “The decision was a no-brainer. We need to have a presence in San Francisco.  Our customers down there are in this elegant tasting room, in this hotel, and we tell them next time they’re up in Napa, why don’t you drop by?”

Bo and Heidi Barrett are interviewed at Spec’s in Texas, and spend some time talking about the 2008 vintage for Cabernet in Napa.  Nicely done!

Matt Crafton, from the winemaking team at Montelena, was with our Mid-Atlantic Manager Jesse Lubell yesterday tasting with some accounts at lunch, and a most generous collector showed up and regaled everyone with a number of Montelena’s Estate Cabernets from the 1970s and 1980s and a Zinfandel from 1979!  According to Jesse the wines were “smokin’ good”!

This 1979 Zinfandel tasting coincides with our release of the 2009 vintage of the Estate Zinfandel.  For more information on the 2009 Estate Zin click here, and see the picture with these great old Montelena treasures below.

George Miliotes, Master Sommelier and buyer for Capital Grille and Seasons 52 is profiled in Forbes, and among other questions is asked about his wine choices by season.  Below is the excerpt of his response, in which he describes how he’s fallen back in love with California Chardonnay as it has become less oaky.  First winery mentioned: Chateau Montelena.

Full article here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/katiebell/2012/02/22/real-men-drink-sweet-wine/2/

What’s your everyday wine? Can you break this down by season for me?

Winter brings me squarely to California Cabernet and Chardonnay.  I think when enjoying American beef there is no other wine to pair than a Napa Cabernet, which I have way too many favorites to mention by name.  And as the wheel has turned to less oaky styles, I have fallen back in love with Chardonnay.  Makers like Chateau Montelena, Saddleback Cellars, Markham and Shafer all make great Chardonnay.

Chateau Montelena received major coverage in last week’s  March 2012 Wine Enthusiast’s issue, “Napa Valley Cabernet: California Historic Reds”.  The cover story, “Class of ’72″, Steve Heimoff writes “Fourty years ago, the foundation of California’s modern wine industry was forged. Who is still making great wine today?” Chateau Montelena is the first of five wineries profiled.  Heimoff says: “In 1972, no fewer than1 wineries, including some of the most famous in the state’s history, launched operations. It was the apex of the boutique winery movement” in California, and “the turning point in modern wine history.”  Also note the great quote from Jim Barrett, “With 550 wineries in Napa alone, you better make wine better than the other guy!” Chateau Montelena remains a vital winery, its historic Calistoga location atop tourist draw.

You can click on the pieces below to read the articles.

Today we release Chateau Montelena’s Napa Valley Cabernet 2009, the most highly lauded vintage ever for this superb value second Cabernet from Montelena.  We love the start of winemaker Cameron Parry’s tasting note on this wine:

“With apologies to Mr. McGuire in the movie The Graduate: ‘I just want to say one word to you.  Just one word – Cabernet.’  Heed the advice, this is a not-to-miss wine.”

For full info on the Montelena Napa Cab 2009, go here.