Chateau Montelena

Chateau Montelena's story begins in January 1882, when San Francisco entrepreneur and California State Senator Alfred L. Tubbs purchased 254 acres of rugged land just north of Calistoga at the base of Mount Saint Helena. Tubbs had made his fortune from the rope business during the Gold Rush, and he set about planting vineyards before constructing the estate's iconic stone chateau, completed in 1886 and built in an English Gothic style with thick walls for natural insulation. In 1886 he hired a French winemaker to helm operations. By 1896, the winery had grown into one of California's seventh-largest producers. Prohibition forced a halt to winemaking in 1920, though the Tubbs family continued farming the land. After Prohibition ended, Alfred's grandson Chapin Tubbs renamed the property Chateau Montelena in 1934, a contraction of 'Mount Saint Helena.' The estate passed through several owners, including Yort and Jeanie Frank, who purchased it in 1958 and famously excavated the ornamental Jade Lake, landscaped to evoke Chinese gardens. In 1968, Lee and Helen Paschich bought the property and brought in lawyer James L. Barrett as a partner. Barrett took the lead in replanting the vineyard and installing winemaking equipment, and the winery began producing wines again in 1972.

• Alfred L. Tubbs purchased 254 acres in 1882; the stone chateau was completed by 1886 in the English Gothic style
• The name 'Montelena' is a contraction of 'Mount Saint Helena,' the volcanic peak at whose foot the estate sits
• Prohibition shut down commercial winemaking in 1920; Chapin Tubbs, Alfred's grandson, officially renamed it Chateau Montelena in 1934 after repeal
• Yort Frank's excavation of the Jade Lake in the 1950s created one of Napa Valley's most distinctive estate landscapes

On May 24, 1976, British wine merchant Steven Spurrier organized a blind tasting in Paris that would permanently alter the international wine landscape. The competition pitted four white Burgundies against six California Chardonnays, and four red Bordeaux against six California Cabernet Sauvignons. A panel of nine experienced French judges scored all wines blind. When the results were tallied, the judges were stunned to find they had awarded first place among the whites to the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, produced by Croatian-American winemaker Mike Grgich. The winning Chardonnay was notably not a single-terroir wine; its fruit came from multiple sources including the Bacigalupi Vineyard in Russian River Valley, Belle Terre Vineyards in Alexander Valley, the Muir Hanna Vineyard near Napa, and a small parcel in Calistoga. Three American wines landed in the top five for the white category. The 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon simultaneously took top honors in the red category. The story was reported by Time magazine on June 7, 1976, and instantly catapulted California to the center of the global wine conversation. A bottle of the winning 1973 Chardonnay now resides permanently at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The event was fictionalized in the 2008 feature film 'Bottle Shock' and documented in George Taber's book 'The Judgment of Paris.'

• The May 24, 1976 tasting was organized by Steven Spurrier and featured nine French judges who scored all wines blind
• The winning 1973 Chardonnay was made by Mike Grgich and sourced from multiple vineyards across Sonoma and Napa counties, not purely from the Montelena estate
• Three American Chardonnays placed in the top five of the white wine category, confirming the strength of the California showing
• A bottle of the 1973 Montelena Chardonnay is permanently on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

The modern identity of Chateau Montelena is inseparable from the Barrett family. James L. Barrett, a Los Angeles real estate attorney, partnered in the property in 1968 and led its revival, hiring Mike Grgich as the first winemaker when production resumed in 1972. Grgich departed in 1977 to co-found Grgich Hills, and Bo Barrett, James's son who had been involved in every vintage since the winery's modern founding in 1972, was named head winemaker in 1982. Jim Barrett passed away in 2013, and Bo Barrett assumed leadership as CEO. Under Bo's stewardship, the estate has remained resolutely family-owned and independent. Notably, a proposed acquisition by Michel Reybier, owner of Bordeaux's Cos d'Estournel, was announced in July 2008 but was cancelled by November of that year. Today, Bo Barrett serves as CEO alongside president and winemaker Matt Crafton and vineyard manager Dave Vella. The team has overseen the largest replanting of the Montelena Estate Vineyard in the property's history, converted the entire estate to solar power, and pioneered sustainable and conscious farming practices. In 2026, Chateau Montelena joined the national portfolio of Wilson Daniels, a major fine wine importer.

• Mike Grgich served as founding winemaker from 1972 until 1977, when he left to co-found Grgich Hills
• Bo Barrett has been involved in every Montelena vintage since 1972 and became head winemaker in 1982; he is now CEO
• A proposed sale to Cos d'Estournel owner Michel Reybier was announced in July 2008 but cancelled by November 2008, keeping the estate in Barrett family hands
• Current leadership: Bo Barrett (CEO), Matt Crafton (President and Winemaker), Dave Vella (Vineyard Manager)

Chateau Montelena sits at the northernmost tip of the Napa Valley, at the foot of Mount Saint Helena, in the Calistoga AVA. The estate played a direct role in the creation of this sub-appellation, as Bo Barrett led the official petition that resulted in the Calistoga AVA receiving federal designation in 2010. The appellation is notable for being simultaneously a valley appellation and a mountain appellation, with the estate's vineyards stretching from alluvial valley floor soils up to steep volcanic hillsides. The estate vineyard's soils include Bale, Cole, and Kid series formed from alluvial and sedimentary material at lower elevations, and Cortina and Pleasanton soils formed from volcanic material in the hillside blocks. Calistoga's volcanic soils are heavy in minerals, low in organic matter, and drain well, concentrating flavor in the berries. Summer days are very hot, but ocean breezes channel over the Mayacamas Mountains and from Knights Valley to cool nights significantly, preserving acidity and extending the growing season. The Estate Vineyard, Montelena's largest property, spans approximately 115 acres, with 83 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 acres to Zinfandel and Primitivo, and the remainder to Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The winery also farms several other Calistoga vineyard blocks, including the 28-acre Barberis and two smaller blocks, Blossom Creek and Garnet Creek.

• Calistoga AVA received federal designation in 2010, with Bo Barrett leading the petition effort on behalf of the region's growers
• The estate vineyard spans approximately 115 acres, with 83 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 acres to Zinfandel and Primitivo
• Soils range from alluvial and sedimentary at lower elevations to volcanic Cortina and Pleasanton soils on the hillside blocks, creating a diverse flavor profile
• Calistoga's hot days and cool nights, moderated by Pacific-influenced airflow from the Mayacamas and Knights Valley, produce wines with ripeness and retained acidity

Despite its fame being built on Chardonnay, the true flagship of Chateau Montelena is its Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which first came into focus in the early 1980s once the replanted estate vines reached maturity. The Estate Cabernet is fermented in stainless steel and then barrel-aged for up to 22 months in caves and tunnels drilled beneath the winery. The Chardonnay program sources fruit from cooler Napa Valley sites; the Montelena Chardonnay is aged in 15 to 25 percent new French oak and receives no malolactic fermentation, preserving its characteristic freshness and acidity. Winemaker Matt Crafton describes the philosophy as making the winemaking 'disappear' in order to let vintage character and place speak for themselves. Other wines in the portfolio include a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a Potter Valley Riesling sourced from Mendocino County, an Estate Zinfandel, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a Petite Sirah. The estate also recently purchased a 29.5-hectare vineyard in the Carneros AVA to expand and elevate its Chardonnay production. Montelena wines are celebrated for their classical structure, age-worthiness, and restraint relative to many of their Napa counterparts. The Estate Cabernet is regularly cited by collectors as a wine capable of evolving for four decades or more.

• The Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is considered the flagship wine; it is fermented in stainless steel and aged up to 22 months in caves beneath the winery
• The Napa Valley Chardonnay is aged in 15 to 25 percent new French oak with no malolactic fermentation, preserving freshness and natural acidity
• The Potter Valley Riesling, sourced from Mendocino County, is the only non-Napa wine in the portfolio
• In 2025, Chateau Montelena purchased a 29.5-hectare vineyard in the Carneros AVA to expand its Chardonnay program

Chateau Montelena occupies a singular place in the cultural and historical record of American wine. The estate's stone chateau is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing both its architectural significance as a rare English Gothic stone structure in Napa Valley and its role in wine history. The 1973 Chardonnay is the only American wine to be enshrined at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The 2008 film 'Bottle Shock,' with portions filmed on location at Chateau Montelena, introduced the Judgment of Paris story to a mainstream audience. The winery's wines have consistently attracted critical acclaim, with the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon receiving scores in the 94-plus range from leading critics. In 2026, marking the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris, Bo Barrett and winemaker Matt Crafton hosted an exclusive masterclass in Decanter's London tasting suite, pouring current and library vintages of both the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the Chardonnay. Remaining bottles of the historic 1973 Chardonnay have sold at auction for prices exceeding $11,000. The winery's enduring family ownership, its role in the creation of the Calistoga AVA, and its commitment to classically-styled, age-worthy wines have cemented its reputation as one of Napa Valley's most important estates.

• The stone chateau and estate are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for architectural and historical significance
• The 1973 Chardonnay is displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History; surviving bottles have sold at auction for over $11,000
• The 2008 feature film 'Bottle Shock' dramatized the Judgment of Paris, with filming conducted on location at the estate
• In 2026, on the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris, Chateau Montelena hosted an exclusive Decanter masterclass in London featuring estate library vintages