Chateau Montelena would be the last stop for me on my Tour de Napa and with the previous four wineries all having something really special and unique about them, they were going to have to pull out all the stops to impress me now. Pride showed me the passion that goes into making great wines, while Frog’s Leap taught me that relaxing and having fun with wine is what it is all about. Being a part of the Chiarello Family Vineyards release party and dinner was a magical moment in life and my time at Burgess was a wonderful experience with the most incredible view of the Napa Valley. Could Chateau Montelena live up to these experiences? Well, I must confess, I already knew the answer to that question. When I started planning my trip to Napa, Chateau Montelena was the first winery I had targeted for a visit, right from the get go!
I had stumbled upon this amazing website that listed most of the Napa Wineries and their information, including website info, tours and days and hours of operations. It is called www.napavintners.com and this is a link to the map I referenced when planning my visit: Napa Vintners Map . I was already keenly aware of the greatness that is the Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. It has received so many mid to high 90’s wine scores from the Wine Advocate, I was beginning to believe that Robert Parker himself lived there at the winery! I also happened to own a couple of these highly acclaimed wines from past vintages myself, so yes, I was definitely familiar with them. However, once I checked out Chateau Montelena’s website and saw the pictures of their winery, I knew that not visiting Chateau Montelena was not an option!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to visit one of the Grand Chateau Estates in Bordeaux, France and see the inside of those castles while you sip on some amazing wine that represents the fruitful bounty of their estate? Is an airfare ticket to France just a bit out of your price range at this point in time? Well don’t you fret, a trip to a Grand Chateau Estate is easier to pull off than you think. All that is required is an appointment with Chateau Montelena in Calistoga, (Napa Valley), California. It’s true, you won’t actually be in Bordeaux, France, but Chateau Montelena is the next closest thing. You don’t even need a passport or to brush up on your French language skills. Chateau Montelena is just that, a Chateau or Castle, built into the side of a mountain, complete with a moat, or in this case a lake, and completely flanked by vineyards.
I, being an astute traveler of the world over and hailing from the far south of the country, had an appointment with the royalty of the manner. That being Jim (King) and Bo (Prince) Barrett. Upon my entry to the Chateau, the first room you come to features a tasting bar for the local peasants and townsfolk not privileged enough to meet with the King and Prince. I was asked, “What is your business here today, sir?” by one of the servants working behind the bar. I stated rather proudly, “My friends and I have an appointment with the Barrett’s!” A sudden hush came over the mob crowding the bar as they stared in awe at the mere sight of us. I even caught one wench out of the corner of my eye, undressing me with her seductive glare. The servant rushed away to announce our presence through a back door as if Mercury himself lent him his wings for a hasty errand on some regal business affair for the King. Another servant popped up his head and upon recognizing our importance, immediately offered us the Chateau’s latest creation. That being a cool and refreshing glass of Riesling made at the Estate. I must admit, at first I was taken aback by this light golden refreshment with a lovely fragrant aroma. After all, in the land of Calistoga, red wine is king with the Cabernet grape being held in the highest esteem. This is certainly not a hospitable environment for such a frail, cool weather white wine grape like Riesling. I thought to myself, perhaps these grapes got lost here on their journey back to their German Motherland. But with each and every passing sip, I found myself more and more convinced that this precious white wine was indeed more than just amusing, in fact, it should be held within the highest regard.
Whilst we were waiting for the return of the messenger announcing our presence, we wandered around the halls of this newly renovated medieval castle. All along the walls were pictures of royalty and their family members as they did battle with the land around them. Generation after generation must of grappled with the invading vineyards in a confrontation that has gone on spanning three different centuries. All indeed impressive, however, the true masterpiece hung on the wall enclosed in a glass case to preserve its splendor and magnitude. It was the weapon created in 1973, called Chardonnay, and was used to bring down and defeat all of the greatest Chateau’s and Domaine’ s in the land of France, which was then considered to be the world powerhouse in all things wine. So important was this amazing victory, that it changed the world stage for California wines in the modern world forever. No longer would the Europeans be able to claim sole bragging rights on the finest examples of fermented grapes. Now California too had and army to be reckoned with.
Right next to the glass case housing this masterpiece, known simply as 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, are articles written documenting that historic battle in Paris, France. Why, even Time Magazine covered the scandalous affair. Many French expert judges were called in to lay ruling over the charges and allegations made by the angry and frustrated French Domaines. However, upon careful examination and by all means tasting of the evidence in question, these judges declared that indeed the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay of nineteen and seventy-three was the clear winner and that they found categorically and undeniably, no evidence of illegal doping and any unnecessary fining or filtration. The wine world was shocked and turned upside down.
Suddenly our messenger reappeared and ushered us in this great dinning room. This room, fully equipped with a private tasting bar, obviously used for foreign dignitaries and the ruling class, was magnificent with a large oak table and the finest linens (tasting sheets) and wine glasses of the day. Wow! I will be dining with the most important figureheads of in the land of Calistoga. No’ one back home will ever believe this. But wait! The servant turned and announced to us that alas, Jim and Bo had some last minute affair to attend to so we were to be lead on a tour of the castle by a lovely Lady in Waiting, named Denise Dummond. Okay, back to reality!
Denise spoke in a calm and soothing voice that when coupled with the refreshing Riesling wine totally and completely relaxed you. After hearing her tell us what we were in store for, I was ready and looking forward to the tour of Chateau Montelena. With a click of a button, a large video screen is lowered from the ceiling and the tour begins with a short video on the history and people of the estate.
This Chateau was built in 1882 by a US Senator and wealthy business man by the name of Alfred E. Tubbs and he bought the 240 acres for a mere $16,000.00. I guess that was probably a lot of money in those days, but he owned the Tubbs Cordage Company in San Francisco and certainly could afford it. He derived the name of the Chateau from the great mountain it sits at the foot of, Mount St. Helena. He planted 100 acres with grape producing vines and turned out a whopping 60,000.00 cases per year, making it the 7th largest winery in the State of California at the time. In addition to a winery, the Chateau was the premier Spa for the wealthy and well to do of San Francisco, providing the perfect get away from all of the city’s hustle and bustle. Perhaps it was this Spa business, which specialized in mud baths, etc…, that kept the Chateau afloat during Prohibition when the winery was forced to close down. Tubbs eventually sold the place in 1958, but he left 35 acres to his granddaughter who still lives there and owns a bed & breakfast on the property.
It was a Chinese American couple that purchased the estate in 1958. He had always wanted to live in a Castle, but had no interest in producing wine. He pulled up many vineyards in front of the Chateau and built a beautiful lake with two Chinese pavilions and a bird sanctuary. He named this lake “Jade” after his beloved wife. This lake, as you can see from the pictures, is teaming with wildlife. I saw a turtle basking on a tree branch, a proud mama and papa duck with their ducklings and a beautiful swan.
The Chateau was then acquired in the early 70’s by our present day hero and owner, Jim Barrett. Jim’s son Bo is the estate’s winemaker. The Chateau itself was perfect as a winery. After all, it was carved into the hill, forming a natural cave to keep the wines a constant cool temperature and the humidity levels high. The winery is alongside of the Napa River and they are situated at the furthest point north in Napa at the base of Mount St. Helena, which is the highest mountain in the Mayacaymus mountain range at 4,300 feet. Silly me, I kept looking over to the mountain to make sure it didn’t blow until someone pointed out to me that I was thinking of Mount St. Helen in Washington. Oops! Because of the vineyards location between the mountain ranges, the mornings are always cold, but it gets very hot during the day. This wide temperature swing helps build up PH and Acidity in the grapes. That is precisely what red wines need. The Riesling I had mentioned previously actually comes from vineyards even further to the north in Potter Valley.
Jim was very much infatuated by the great red wines of Bordeaux and thus began making wines at the estate using the 1st Growth Bordeaux as role models for his blends and wine styles. In just four years they had already received worldwide recognition by winning the Paris Tasting of 1976 with their 1973 Chardonnay. The fruit for this wine was sourced both from the Napa Valley & Sonoma’s Alexander Valley. Just how much of each, we may never know! Today, Chateau Montelena has a total of 118 acres planted to grapevines, producing between 35,000 to 40,000 cases of wine per year. Remember I said earlier that Tubbs was producing 60,000 cases a year here with eighteen fewer acres planted. Chateau Montelena is not concerned with quantity. Just quality.
Bo firmly believes that it is the soil and not man that makes the wine and at Chateau Montelena, they have three distinctly different soil types. The predominant soil type is Alluvial and most of their Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in it. The Estate Zinfandel was planted in 1972 on the side of the mountain, that contains volcanic soil. This volcanic soil imparts a cedar tone to the wines. And finally there is sedimentary or silky soil that translates into fresh fruit flavors.
Bo goes on to say that there can be over four hundred critical decisions made in any given harvest year. Some decisions are based on whether or not there is rain at the wrong time. Other decisions might include; how do they prune the vines this time, should they fertilize or not, how much of the crop should we thin out, how do you tie the vines and is the fruit ripe yet or not. Bo calls these choices decisions, but it sounds more like stress to me! One other decision that has to be made each year is with regards to which cover crops need to be cultivated based on the vineyard needs. For instance, if the vineyards are lacking nitrogen, Dave (the Vineyard Manager) and Bo will plant red clovers that feed nitrogen back into the soil. If they spot winghoppers, a type of insect that sucks moisture out of the ground and vines, etc… then they will release ladybugs to eat them. They also have a large bat population and a few owls on the property that eat pests as well.
The typical cycle in a vineyard starts with pruning and that usually occurs in December or January and even sometimes in February too. Depending on weather conditions, budbreak will occur in either March or April and this is a very crucial time in the vineyards. They have to be extremely careful to avoid frost during budbreak or else it will kill the entire crop. Giant fans can be seen throughout their vineyards and their purpose is very important. Should the temperature outside during this time drop below 36 degrees, an alarm goes off in the vineyard manager’s (Dave) house. Upon hearing the alarm he will start up the fans, which mix the cold and warmer air together, keeping the vines safe from frost.
The next stage in the vineyard cycle is pollination and it takes place in the months of April, May and June. It is during this time that the vineyards number one concern shifts from frost to rain. Rain during flowering could spell disaster during the vines fragile state. I’m not sure they have a fan that shoos away rain, so I guess they just hold their breath during this time. Come July and into August the grapes begin to change their color from green to red. This process is known as veraision. It is at this point that Dave and Bo will go through the vineyard and snip off some of the grape clusters on the vine. The grape clusters remaining on the vines becomes more concentrated, dense and complex. This will bring the tons per acre down to 1 ½ per ton. Wow! That is not very much. Bo and Dave also dry farm the vineyard, which means they don’t irrigate them. This is not because they are mean and they want to punish the vines. It is just that over-watered grapevines produce larger berries with more water, hence, diluted wine. And finally the cycle ends with harvest, which normally occurs in late September and October. In 2005 though, harvest didn’t even start until November 3rd. Look out for the wines from that vintage, they should be incredible! After the final grapes have been picked, the leaves change colors and fall off and the vines go to sleep for the winter.
Chateau Montelena only makes five wines that I am aware of. One of those five is the Riesling and I believe you can only buy it at the winery. They make a Cabernet Sauvignon, an Estate Zinfandel and their best 11 blocks of Cabernet Vineyards are used to make their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. The latter wine is the one that is cleaning up all the awards and causing wine collectors like myself to drool. They were experimenting with Sangiovese (that’s the Chianti grape from Tuscany for you wine idiots), but they soon came to the conclusion that it was not a good fit for their land. So now they have planted Syrah instead and will be producing wines from that grape in the near future. I can’t wait because something tells me that they will be stunning wines. Cabernet Franc is also planted onsite along with Merlot, but these are grown solely to blend with their Cabernet wines.
The Chardonnay, like the Riesling, is not grown on the estate. Instead it is planted in southern Napa where there are cooler daytime temperatures and it is warmer at nighttime. These conditions give the Chardonnay softness. If they planted Chardonnay at the estate, the temperature swings would produce a Chardonnay wine so strong it would grow legs and carry you off to drunkland. They also harvest the Chardonnay fruit at night for the cold juice flavors. Then it is cold pressed keeping it crisp and clean. It’s no wonder those poor judges in France mistook Chateau Montelena’s Chardonnay for one of their Burgundy Grand Cru’s. It is bristling with bright acidity like a Chablis, with subtle oak aromas akin to a Chassagne Montrachet. In other words, there are no obnoxious overly oaked flavors in their Chardonnay wine reminiscent of so many other California examples that taste as if you were drinking a 2x4 piece of lumber.
You know, if you are one of those California Chardonnay Haters, you should really try Chateau Montelena’s Chardonnay. I bet you will really like it. In fact, out of the five different wines I tasted at Chateau Montelena, every single one of them was stunning in their own right. I loved the Estate Zinfandel and the Chardonnay, but my wine senses flew off the chart when I sampled the 2002 Estate Cabernet for the first time. With just one sip I could literally feel all of the moisture being sucked out of my mouth. Tannic structure built to age for decades you ask? Yea, check back with me again in twenty-five years when I finally decide to open the bottle I took home. Man was it awesome! You’ll have to beat me dead with a stick to keep me from buying up the 2005 version of that monster!
Chateau Montelena has applied for a Calistoga AVA. That means that probably within the next year or two, they will be able to label the wines, Calistoga instead of Napa. It is the same concept as a wine from Stag’s Leap or Rutherford, Oakville, etc… I’m sure they’ll get it passed because any fool can tell that their wines are distinctly different from the rest. In fact they are all so good, it is kind of intimidating.
And so the tour ended where it started, back in that magnificent dinning room. It pains me to admit, but I do feel somewhat sorry for my actions at the end of it. Imagine if you will, seven other tour guest and one lovely tour guide trying to pry away that bottle of 2002 Estate Cabernet I had in a death grip in my hands. Okay, okay, I confess, I drank the lion’s share of that bottle, but cut me some slack here, I won’t get to drink it again for another twenty-five years!
If you get the chance to visit Chateau Montelena, don’t hesitate. Just do it!
