Château Montelena

We became aware of Château Montelena when we watched a movie entitled “Bottle Shock.” The title is a double entendre referring not only to the accidental spoilage of a bottle of wine, but also to an event that occurred in 1976. An English wine merchant, whose shop was in Paris, was convinced that French wines were superior to all others. Nevertheless, needing to boost his business, he traveled to the United States on the outside chance that he might find an American wine that would sell in Paris. He wandered onto the lovely grounds of Château Montelena. That year the château produced a miraculous Chardonnay. He took back to France a bottle of that Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon from a neighboring winery called Stag’s Leap. In a blind taste test performed by France’s leading wine experts, both California wines won over several other French wines. The judges were shocked. In another similar competition held in France eleven years later, the California wines won again. Today we had the opportunity to see where it all started, Château Montelena—the vineyard that put Napa Valley on the winemaking map.Read more