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Chateau Montelena's rich history began on a chilly
fall morning when Alfred L. Tubbs spaded over and
inspected the soil where he thought of planting estate
vineyards. He'd heard the Napa Valley was the best
place to grow grapes in California. A deal was struck
and in January of 1882 the San Francisco entrepreneur
owned 254 acres of rugged land just two miles north
of Calistoga at the base of Mount Saint Helena. The
soils are well drained, stony and loose – perfect
for the vine cuttings he would plant.
It
took less than a decade to turn his dream into reality.
First Tubbs planted his vineyards, then he built his
Chateau, and in 1886 he imported a French-born winemaker.
By 1896 his winery, christened Chateau Montelena (a
contracted form of Mount Saint Helena), was the seventh
largest in the Napa Valley.
Winemaking
at the Chateau came to an end with prohibition. After
prohibition was repealed, the Tubbs family continued
to harvest the vineyard, making some wines and selling
grapes to other wineries and home winemakers until
they sold the winery in 1958.
The
Chateau and its overgrown grounds passed into the
hands of Yort and Jeanie Frank who were looking for
a peaceful spot to retire. The Chateau inspired Frank
to excavate a lake with grounds landscaped to reflect
the Chinese gardens of his homeland. Today, Jade Lake
is considered one of Napa Valley's most beautiful
sanctuaries, home to a variety of fish and wildlife,
and surrounded by weeping willows and native fauna.
The
next chapter begins with the renaissance of Chateau
Montelena Winery and the Estate vineyard. Under the
leadership of James Barrett, the vineyard was cleared
and replanted, and the Chateau outfitted with modern
winemaking equipment. He assembled a team to oversee
the vineyard and winemaking, grew and contracted for
the highest-quality grapes in the Napa Valley. In 1972
wines were made for the first time.
In
1976 Chateau Montelena put California at the forefront
of the wine world. That year a who's-who of the French
wine and food establishment gathered for a grand tasting
at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Paris. Four white
Burgundies were tasted against six California Chardonnays.
When the scores were tallied, the French Judges were
convinced that the top-ranking white wine was one
of their own. In fact, it was Chateau Montelena's
1973 Chardonnay, rated above all other wines.
The
results proved that Chateau Montelena could produce
some of the world's finest wines, and that California's
wine industry had come of age.
The
Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Montelena Estate
Zinfandel are grown in one of the world’s most
unique winegrowing properties. The site’s diversity
of soils and slopes translates directly into the layers
of complex flavors in our wines.
The
Estate vineyard is comprised of varied terrain, from
flat to steep hillsides. The vineyard gently slopes
downward towards its base, where a small patch of
sedimentary soil was deposited by the settling of
an ancient ocean or lake. Extending out from the Napa
River is the alluvial soil, the most prevalent type
on the property. In the back and outside areas of
the vineyard are volcanic soils, formed by ancient
lava flows caused by tectonic uplifting.
This
diversified soil profile results in aromatic, rich
and full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, characterized
by the unique earthy-berry flavor that is the Montelena
Estate. Our decades old Zinfandel, planted in volcanic
soil, combined with our 10 year old vines in alluvial
soil, produces a wine with a spicy, ripe berry flavor.
The
source for our Chardonnay is located in the south-central
Napa Valley appellation near the base of Mt. Veeder
and the Dry Creek Valley Rd. on the western bench of
the Napa Valley. It has a good north-eastern exposure
with a slope of 4-7%. The soil profile is very similar
to that of the Carneros region called Haire-Loam, although
the climate is slightly warmer.
The
vineyard site, developed from old ocean terraces and
alluvial fans, contains a lot of sedimentary material
such as decomposed shale and blue/gray clay. This
soil mixture gives us moderate drainage and slight
acidity. Typically our Chardonnay has a concentrated
floral, green apple aroma and a refreshing and persistent
impression on the palate.
The
prime vineyards for our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
are located in the northern end of the Napa Valley,
in and around Calistoga. All of the sites are located
next to primary or secondary tributaries of the Napa
River and have been selected for their alluvium soil
profile. These characteristics result in earthy, complex
and concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon softened by the
judicious addition of Merlot. The cobbly, gravelly subsoil
makes for deep root penetration and good drainage, prominent
characteristics of our Montelena Estate Vineyard.
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