Chateau Montelena

Chateau Montelena

Company type	Private
Industry	Winery
Founded	1882
Founder	Alfred L. Tubbs
Headquarters	Napa Valley , United States
Products	Wine (notably Chardonnay)

Chateau Montelena is a distinguished winery located in the Napa Valley, celebrated for its triumph in the white wine division at the landmark "Judgment of Paris" event. Its Chardonnay was evaluated alongside nine French and Californian competitors in a blind tasting, where every one of the 11 judges awarded the highest marks exclusively to Chateau Montelena or Chalone Winery. This pivotal achievement was later portrayed in the 2008 motion picture Bottle Shock.

Tubbs

The estate was initially purchased in 1882 by Alfred L. Tubbs, an entrepreneur who gained fortune through the Gold Rush rope enterprise, situated near Calistoga at the foothills of Mount Saint Helena. By 1896, Chateau Montelena had grown to become the seventh-largest winery in Napa Valley.

Winemaking activities ceased during Prohibition, prompting the property to focus on selling grapes. In 1958, ownership transferred from the Tubbs family to Yort Wing Frank, a Chinese electrical engineer, and his wife Jeanie. They introduced a Chinese garden and created Jade Lake, which today serves as an exclusive amenity for members of Chateau Montelena’s wine club.

Paschich

In 1968, Lee and Helen Paschich took over the estate, collaborating with attorney James L. Barrett and developer Ernest Hahn. Barrett undertook replanting of the vineyards and installed modern winemaking facilities, restarting production in 1972 with winemaker Mike Grgich, who also contributed to designing the winery itself. The 1973 vintage of Chateau Montelena Chardonnay secured first place among white Burgundies and chardonnays at the "Judgment of Paris" contest, marking a significant moment that boosted the winery’s market stature. A bottle from this vintage is preserved at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

In 2004, allegations surfaced regarding TCA contamination reported by James Laube of Wine Spectator. Following confirmation through independent laboratory testing, Jim Barrett instituted corrective actions to eradicate 2,4,6-trichloroanisole contamination, thereby protecting both product integrity and brand reputation.

San Francisco Tasting Room

Since late 2011, Chateau Montelena has maintained a tasting room within The Westin St. Francis hotel at Union Square, San Francisco, enhancing its direct consumer outreach and strengthening its brand visibility in a prominent metropolitan area.

Terminated sale

In July 2008, Michel Reybier—owner of Bordeaux’s Château Cos d'Estournel—publicly announced plans to acquire Chateau Montelena from Jim and Bo Barrett for an undisclosed amount. This transaction was regarded by critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. as a major development for the wine sector. An executive committee comprising Bo Barrett alongside Cos d'Estournel executives intended to manage the 2008 vintage and advance brand growth through replanting approximately 75% of the vineyards.

Nevertheless, by November 2008, the proposed sale was called off due to Reybier Investments’ failure to fulfill contractual commitments. This outcome preserved Chateau Montelena’s independent corporate governance and strategic course amid complex financial discussions.

See also

• California wine