Vintus

Napa Valley Chardonnay, Napa Valley

The source for Chateau Montelena's Chardonnay is located in the south-central Napa Valley appellation near the base of Mt. Veeder and Dry Creek Valley Road on the western bench of the Napa Valley. It has a good north-eastern exposure with a slope of 4-7%. The Haire-Loam soil has a profile very similar to that of the Carneros region, although the climate is slightly warmer.

The vineyard site, developed from old ocean terraces and alluvial fans, contains a lot of sedimentary material such as decomposed shale and blue/gray clay. This soil mixture gives moderate drainage and slight acidity. Typically the Chardonnay has a concentrated floral, green apple aroma and a refreshing and persistent impression on the palate.

• 2010 Vintage

  • "The 2010 Chardonnay is quite a bit fresher and more linear than the 2009, partly because of the length of the growing season, partly because it is a year younger. Slate, minerals, crushed rocks and grapefruit linger on the precise, crystalline finish. This is a very Chablis-like Napa Valley Chardonnay. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022."  92 Points Wine Advocate

• 2009 Vintage

  Coming off of the low yielding 2008 vintage, the Chardonnay vines in 2009 were just itching to put out a big crop, and boy howdy did they ever. With over 300 tons of grapes harvested, Montelena was well over target levels, allowing them to cherry pick only the very best lots for this year’s bottling. The mild growing season and warm (but not too hot) ripening period provided optimal conditions, giving an abundance of excellent lots for the 2009 Chardonnay. 

  Montelena has included a new component to the program this year; they're now using limited quantities of several Dijon clones of Chardonnay. These new clones enhance the floral tones and add yet another layer of complexity. 

  In the glass, this wine has a classic Chardonnay hue of pale golden straw. The bouquet draws you in with delicate nuances of wet stones, lychee, white peach, orange blossoms, and a slight hint of toasted almonds. The palate is soft and fleshy and loaded with bright citrus tones of sweet mandarin and Meyer lemon, white nectarine and rich tropical notes of guava, pineapple, and lychee – all complemented by subtle sweet oak. There is a delicate smoothness to this Chardonnay and fantastic weight throughout. This is the wine you’ll want to bring to the next big dinner party or business lunch– get ready to accept the kudos.

  Harvest Dates:   September 8 to October 6

  Alcohol:           13.6%

  Barrel Aging: 10 months (100% French, 9% New)

  • "Bright yellow.  Lively aromas of apple, citrus fruit, mint and licorice.  Juicy and vibrant, with almost painful mid-palate cut.  Still youthfully tight, but this no-malo chardonnay displays good underlying density.  The persistent finish shows good cut.  Clearly the product of a moderately cool growing season.  Montelena's chardonnay is vinified to dryness in tank, then ages for several months in 10% new oak, on the fine lees but without stirring.  I suspect this will evolve slowly." 90(+?) Points International Wine Cellar

  • "Pure, clean and elegant, true to the Montelena style, this is fruit-forward, with little discernible oak presence. Wildflower, peach and nectarine flavors turn smooth and delicate. Drink now through 2016."  89 Points Wine Spectator

• 2008 Vintage

  The spring of 2008 was unpredicatable, with many cold nights bringing damaging frosts to much of the north coast growing region. Fortunately, the majority of the Chardonnay vineyards escaped damage, leaving only a slightly below average crop size this year. The balance of the growing season was mostly typical, with the normal July heat-spike and then another round of heat in late-August, just in time to push the Chardonnay to full ripeness before the September harvest.

   

  Brilliantly clear with a beautiful golden-straw color, this Chardonnay invites you in with tempting aromas of pear tart, tropical passion fruit and lychee, along with wet gravel and a subtle oak spiciness. The palate opens round and fleshy with flavors of juicy peach and mouthwatering, big, citrus notes of pink grapefruit and honey tangerine. The mid-palate is layered with green apple and an understated, nutty, oak tone which segues into an interesting long and spicy finish. Big structure and great weight throughout complement the numerous layers of flavors to complete the package on this classic, Montelena Chardonnay.
  • "Captivating aromas of apple, pear, fresh herbs, dried spices and flowers. Quite dry and fresh-in fact, almost austere-with a lightly mineral, steely character to the flavors of apple, pear, citrus peel and dried herbs. Boasts very good density of texture and flavor intensity. Hold this for at least a few years before pulling the cork.” 90 Points International Wine Cellar
     

• 2007 Vintage

  In the glass this wine is reminiscent of California hillsides in summertime, showing a beautiful pale golden straw color. Aromas of orange blossom, citrus rind, and stone fruits of white peach and apricot open the bouquet. Layers of tropical pineapple and starfruit then give way to toasted hazelnuts and a touch of smoke, while the depths of the nose reveal a pleasant minerality. On the palate the clean, soft, full entry builds with layers of tropical fruit, white melon, green apple, and citrus. Excellent weight and acid balance throughout refresh the palate, while subtle notes of oak spice and vanilla linger at the end of the exceptionally long finish.

  • "Bright yellow. Musky peach, pear and apple fruit aromas and flavors are complicated by flowers and herbs. Concentration and precise, with a dusty impression of extract and very good length. Quite strong for this no-malo chardonnay. Bo Barrett is now vinifying with a higher percentage of whole clusters and getting less bitterness as a result. "So now we don't need as much new oak to compensate," he noted, adding that 2007 was an outstanding vintage for chardonnay as there was no heat stress." 91 Points International Wine Cellar

  • “The 2007 Chardonnay offers up aromas of white peaches, apple skins, and crushed rocks presented in a fresh, medium-bodied, dry, zesty format.” 90 Points Wine Advocate

• 2006 Vintage

  "All's well that ends well" should be the motto for the 2006 Chardonnay vintage. Cold and wet weather dominated in the early months, slightly delaying the onset of our growing season and slowing spring vine development. Warmer and drier conditions prevailed from May onward but Montelena anticipated harvest to start about three weeks later than average. This enabled the fruit to mature slowly, with excellent ripeness and great chemistry. As a result, the grapes developed precisely the flavors we seek to create the classic, finely balanced, Montelena style of Chardonnay.

   

  Montelena night harvested nearly the entire crop. This technique allows them to bring in cool fruit, a condition in which grapes can best retain their flavor and acid balance. Next, they gently whole cluster pressed a little more than half of the crop to coax out juice with bright, delicate fruit flavors. The remaining grapes were conventionally de-stemmed and pressed, providing a little more extraction of both flavor and aroma compounds from the skins. Traditional Montelena style Chardonnay calls for 100% French oak, but carefully applied. So they used a little less than 15% new barrels to retain the brilliant fruit aromas and flavors, while avoiding malolactic fermentation to keep the wine crisp and refreshing.

   

  In the glass the wine is exactly what you would expect from a young Montelena Chardonnay, showing bright yellow gold, with good color density. It smells great, like a green apple pie, bright and a little citrus-y, a bowlful of fresh fruit. The palate is very nice, very smooth, with classic Chardonnay flavors of apple and kiwi, and a lovely finish that leaves the palate refreshed and wanting more. Typically a little tight in its youth, a textbook characteristic of a Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, this wine will reward you with pleasing structure and complexity after some time in the cellar.

   

  HARVEST DATE               September 12 to September 27

  SUGAR AT HARVEST       24.1° brix

  BARREL AGING               9 months

  BOTTLING DATE         July 2007

  RELEASE DATE               March 2008

  • "The 2006 Chardonnay has slightly more honeyed apple notes and hints of freshly squeezed orange juice and lemon zest. The wine is incredibly consistent from year to year, seemingly regardless of vintage conditions, and the 2006 seems to be just slightly more evolved and forward than the 2005. I’m sure it will still be humming along 10 or more years from now." 91 Points Robert Parker