Chateau Montelena dates back to 1882 when Albert Tubbs bought 254 acres of property just north of Calistoga. Tubbs planted vines and by 1896 Montelena was the 7th largest winery in California. Winemaking came to an end with the onset of Prohibition.
The current iteration of Montelena can be traced to 1968, when Jim Barrett was brought on as a partner in the winery. Wine production began again in 1972, with Mike Grgich employed as winemaker. Four years later, the Chateau Montelena 1973 Alexander Valley Chardonnay won first place among the Chardonnays and White Burgundies entered in the “Judgment of Paris” wine competition. This was later chronicled in the popular wine movie Bottle Shock.
Crimson in color. 14.3% ABV. Sensational nose of black fruits, eucalyptus, cigar box and leather. Supreme structure, concentration and balance. Currants, cassis, plums and tobacco leaves on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish with ever so silky tannins. Aging beautifully at 25 years of age but rest assured this will drink well for another decade. Montelena is an outlier in the Napa Cabernet landscape and for that I am thankful. Glad to have more in the cellar.
My rating: 97 points.
Chateau Montelena is truly a throwback to a bygone era. These are wines meant to be cellared, providing less pleasure on release than they will after 10 or more years of aging.
Current vintages are available at retail and can also be purchased at the winery. Expect to pay around $175 per bottle. Back vintages are often available on WineBid for closer to $125.
Nice review, Tom! Chateau Montelena really hit a home run with their ’02 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. I’ve only tasted this wine once but what a WOW wine it is! I still have two bottles snoozing in the cellar. Certainly no rush to open those bottles as you point out. Saving those for special holidays. Cheers Tom!
We were celebrating a milestone yesterday and the 02 Monty was a worthy wine to mark the occasion!
I’ll bet it was. A great vintage of Chateau Montelena Estate is definitely a wine I’d open for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. I keep thinking about the 1997 Montelena Estate which was amazing but more elegant than the 2002. I remember trying the ’97 Estate twice and rated it 97+ both times. Ahh, memories.