Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay is an excellent wine with a deep, golden color and a rich aroma that is enhanced by notes of toasty oak and vanilla. On the palate, it is creamy and smooth with layers of flavors that include green apple, lemon zest, and ripe peach. A well-balanced acidity and a slight minerality add complexity and vibrancy to the wine, culminating in an irresistible finish that lingers pleasantly. This wine is an ideal accompaniment to seafood, poultry, and creamy sauces, or it can be enjoyed on its own as a light and refreshing wine to savor any time.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Bright gold in the glass, the wine opens with green apple, honeysuckle and orange blossom. The citrus in particular seems to be most evident, as lime leaf and lemon zest at this stage. This vintage was more classic rather than overly ripe, so it’s not surprising. There’s a hint of fresh wood and vanilla as well, adding some nuance without overshadowing the beautiful floral character. Palate: The parade of citrus marches on, although the midpalate turns more tropical with starfruit and pineapple. And while there’s still plenty of green apple, the texture and juiciness of Asian pear adds complexity and depth. The acid is consistent and winds its way through the profile, lifting the texture and balancing the suppleness from barrel. This will be a long-lived wine. Finish: The transition to the finish is still somewhat abrupt due to the wine’s youth and dynamism. This will change over time. But here, the character is dominated by lemon curd and pie crust, along with chalk and fresh apricot. The acid is still mouthwatering, although it has mellowed somewhat. Despite its young age, the overall length of this Chardonnay is impressive.

About the Winery

Chateau Montelena, the Napa Valley Winery, was established by Alfred Tubbs in the year 1882. He started planting vines in the empty plots nearby his locality and within a decade, the Chateau Montelena Wines became the 7th biggest winery in the entire area of Napa Valley. This winery came into prominence when the Chardonnay white wines crafted here went on to win the very reputed “Judgement of Paris” wine competition.

In the year 1958, Tubbs sold his winery to the Chines couple, Yort Wing Frank and Jeanie, because of wine production was prohibited in the USA. This couple went on to make the vineyards an excellent garden resort, where you could go on a picnic if you were a member of the exclusive Chateau wine club.

In the year 1968, Lee and Helen Paschich bought this property from the Chinese couple with the sole objective to resume winemaking here. They then completed the legal formalities and set up the winery formally with all the winemaking equipment in place. In the year 1972, they appointed chief winemaker, Mike Grgich as the first step towards crafting popular wines here. The winery started making wines again in a full-fledged manner in 1972.

The results were visible very soon as four years later, its Chardonnay wine won this reputed prize, making the world sit up and take notice of this brand. It was adjusted the best out of a list of whites and burgundies that participated in the competition. The vintage bottle that was adjudged winner in the “Judgement Of Paris” competition, can still be found in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the special varietals grown in the vineyards here, because the soil used for cultivating it is one of the most unique in the world. In the same vineyard, you will get to notice sedimentary, alluvial and volcanic soils.

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