Chateau Montelena

The complex soils in the estate vineyard - volcanic, alluvial, sedimentary - & the variety of microclimates in the calistoga district join together to produce unique & distinctive grapes every vintage.

Our​ goal to express true varietal character from world-class grapes grown in ideal locations, "the right grape in the right place," comes to fruition in this wine.

Our most limited production wine, the potter valley riesling is light, refreshing & food-friendly.

The complex soils in the estate vineyard - volcanic, alluvial, sedimentary - & the variety of microclimates in the calistoga district join together to produce unique & distinctive grapes every vintage.

Our goal to express true varietal character from world-class grapes grown in ideal locations, "the right grape in the right place," comes to fruition in this wine.

Our most limited production wine, the potter valley riesling is light, refreshing & food-friendly.

Notes from 2007 petite sirah napa valley... the flavors echo the nose & are dominated by rich blueberry & black currant. The entry is full & soft w/ the tannin building slowly to a full, mouth-coating grip, all-the-while maintaining that fine texture for which montelena is so famous. A very nice balance & good acid structure complete this powerful wine.

Pale golden color in the glass, w/ the faintest hint of green belying its youth, this chardonnay opens w/ rich & intense aromas of lemon, lime leaf, citrus flowers, & a touch of honey before moving into spicy pie crust & a hint of mascarpone creaminess – all topped w/ a nice flinty finish. The citrus trend continues on the palate w/ a firm acidity & tropical star fruit. This wine has excellent mouthfeel w/ big full texture & a mouthcoating creaminess that nicely complements the white stone fruit (nectarine & peach) & slight green apple fruit flavors. On the finish, look for a pleasantly subtle marzipan nuttiness.

The nose opens w/ big black cherry, currants, & plum spice cake notes. Underpinning all that fruit are layers of smoke, anise, & very subtle oak tones. The palate entry is soft & round, but builds quickly w/ loads of fine velvety tannin, huge black cherry, & red fruits that persist through to a rich finish layered w/ spice. A firm core of acid & barrel spice integrate beautifully across all layers, enhancing the structure & balance of this massive but approachable wine.

The 25th vintage of cabernet sauvignon from our celebrated montelena estate vineyard. This rich, concentrated cabernet is elegant, showy & polished, w/ plenty of body & plush ripeness. "Outstanding" (95 points) - robert parker (2 bottle limit)

Dense, rich ruby color in the glass, this estate cabernet sauvignon shows complex aromas of dark cherry, dried fruits, earth, cedar, & vanilla cream along w/ hints of licorice & leather. The palate opens w/ big, chewy tannin – firm but not coarse – & builds even bigger into a mid-palate loaded w/ ripe red fruits & dried black fruits. There is a good, strong acid backbone completing the balance & structure. The barrel flavors are well-integrated throughout but are best evident in the warm & spicy finish. Still quite young & powerful, this dense compact wine will open beautifully w/ time in bottle (or glass) .

The 2006 estate cabernet sauvignon has an enticing deep garnet red color in the glass. On the nose there are complex notes of blackberry tart, clove, cinnamon, & cocoa, along w/ dried black currants. The mouth has a soft supple entry, youthful crisp acidity, juicy plum & rich bright red fruit notes, all complemented by loads of fine grain tannin & an under-layer of dried black currant.

Pale golden color in the glass, w/ the faintest hint of green belying its youth, this chardonnay opens w/ rich & intense aromas of lemon, lime leaf, citrus flowers, & a touch of honey before moving into spicy pie crust & a hint of mascarpone creaminess – all topped w/ a nice flinty finish. The citrus trend continues on the palate w/ a firm acidity & tropical star fruit. This wine has excellent mouthfeel w/ big full texture & a mouthcoating creaminess that nicely complements the white stone fruit (nectarine & peach) & slight green apple fruit flavors. On the finish, look for a pleasantly subtle marzipan nuttiness.<

Pale golden color in the glass, w/ the faintest hint of green belying its youth, this chardonnay opens w/ rich & intense aromas of lemon, lime leaf, citrus flowers, & a touch of honey before moving into spicy pie crust & a hint of mascarpone creaminess – all topped w/ a nice flinty finish. The citrus trend continues on the palate w/ a firm acidity & tropical star fruit. This wine has excellent mouthfeel w/ big full texture & a mouthcoating creaminess that nicely complements the white stone fruit (nectarine & peach) & slight green apple fruit flavors. On the finish, look for a pleasantly subtle marzipan nuttiness.

Notes from 2007 petite sirah napa valley... the flavors echo the nose & are dominated by rich blueberry & black currant. The entry is full & soft w/ the tannin building slowly to a full, mouth-coating grip, all-the-while maintaining that fine texture for which montelena is so famous. A very nice balance & good acid structure complete this powerful wine.

The 25th vintage of cabernet sauvignon from our celebrated montelena estate vineyard. This rich, concentrated cabernet is elegant, showy & polished, w/ plenty of body & plush ripeness. "Outstanding" (95 points) - robert parker (2 bottle limit)

Dark & powerful in the glass w/ great density & saturation, this wine grabs your attention from the first glance. Luscious & rich on the nose w/ great depth, we find top notes of violets, cassis, & rich dark cherry, all riding over a base of warm leather, cocoa, wet stone & molasses.

The nose opens w/ big black cherry, currants, & plum spice cake notes. Underpinning all that fruit are layers of smoke, anise, & very subtle oak tones. The palate entry is soft & round, but builds quickly w/ loads of fine velvety tannin, huge black cherry, & red fruits that persist through to a rich finish layered w/ spice. A firm core of acid & barrel spice integrate beautifully across all layers, enhancing the structure & balance of this massive but approachable wine.

This wine shows deep dense plum color w/ great density. The nose opens w/ anise & spice before moving into rich layers of blackberry & cherry compote. All that great concentrated fruit is beautifully complemented w/ barrel tones of vanilla & clove. It is quite youthful & lively on the palate w/ a good firm acid core – great for food pairing – & abundant velvety tannin.

The nose is loaded w/ rich layers of spice, coconut, & brown sugar along w/ big fruit notes of plum, boysenberry, & hints of dried fruit as well. Beneath all that there is a rich but subtle earthliness reminiscent of hoisin. The palate opens smoothly w/ soft round tannins rolling across the tongue & a firm acid core, both working in harmony to establish the balance & structure of this wine. Ripe blackberry & bright strawberry flavors fill the mid-palate, all beautifully complemented by the nutty underlayer, & rounded out by the smoked meat notes on the finish. Limit 6 per order.

Pale golden color in the glass, w/ the faintest hint of green belying its youth, this chardonnay opens w/ rich & intense aromas of lemon, lime leaf, citrus flowers, & a touch of honey before moving into spicy pie crust & a hint of mascarpone creaminess – all topped w/ a nice flinty finish. The citrus trend continues on the palate w/ a firm acidity & tropical star fruit. This wine has excellent mouthfeel w/ big full texture & a mouthcoating creaminess that nicely complements the white stone fruit (nectarine & peach) & slight green apple fruit flavors. On the finish, look for a pleasantly subtle marzipan nuttiness.<

Enjoy the movie "bottle shock" or the book "judgment of paris" while sipping on the wine that inspired the movie.

The story straight from the source, the time reporter who was present for this momentous occasion. Sit back & enjoy this historic tale w/ a glass of our 2009 napa valley chardonnay.

This wine has a deep, dark color revealing its concentration & extract. Its room-filling fragrance is the pure essence of cabernet, w/ ripe cassis & black cherry fruit & the signature earthiness of the montelena estate’s complex soils. On the palate the wine is full & warm w/ ripe fruit flavors & layer upon layer of complexity. A velvety-soft texture is framed by a stylish tannic grip, ensuring drinking pleasure now & for many years to come.

The wine is a typically bright ruby red, w/ opaque density & color, which leads to a nice array of aromas: sweet black currant jam, w/ hints of black cherry & flowers. There is much fruit in the nose, not unexpected considering the excellent ripeness achieved in this vintage. It is a very structured cabernet from a great growing year, & it will greatly reward you after a few more years of cellaring.

This cabernet is deep ruby in color w/ massive extraction & great density. The nose opens w/ huge intensity, great depth, & lots of layers. Big fruit aromas of black cherry, bright red berries, & plums all lead into the barrel notes of toasty oak, vanilla, & smoky undertones. The palate entry opens smoothly & builds predictably w/ big, firm (but not coarse) tannin, good acid balance & lots of structure. There is a great progression from ripe, sweet cherry & plum fruit up-front to rich, dried black fruit & spice on the finish w/ the vanilla & spice from the barrel layering in seamlessly. For a young wine, it is already showing quite well & will continue to improve over the next 10 years. This wine is definitely trying to seduce you, enjoy!

The montelena earthy-berry aroma is very concentrated, showing lovely, classic cabernet, warm earth & sun baked cassis w/ licorice & spice. On the palate there is integration of strong, deep, concentrated fruit in a perfect balance. Super fine tannin grips the palate, w/ ripe, round flavors that dance right on the seam between classic bordeauxand californiastyles.

This wine has a deep, dark color revealing its concentration & extract. Its room-filling fragrance is the pure essence of cabernet, w/ ripe cassis & black cherry fruit & the signature earthiness of the montelena estate’s complex soils. On the palate the wine is full & warm w/ ripe fruit flavors & layer upon layer of complexity. A velvety-soft texture is framed by a stylish tannic grip, ensuring drinking pleasure now & for many years to come.