Mar

24

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Since we had the fortune of spending a decadent night at Calistoga Ranch (as we described two weeks ago), we decided to combine the trip with a visit to nearby Chateau Montelena.  We had recently finished reading Judgment of Paris by George M. Taber, the only reporter to have witnessed the 1976 blind tasting contest that transformed the industry world-wide, and we were eager to pay homage to the winery that produced the winning Chardonnay for this very contest. 

Mistakenly wandering past the winery’s entrance, we found ourselves facing a large gothic-like building, which we later realized was the back of the winery.  Just a little farther down the path we took a few minutes to stroll onto the colorful (but a little kitschy for our tastes) islands built into the Asian-inspired Jade Lake.

We finally managed to locate the tasting room — it’s actually not difficult to find — and squeezed ourselves in at the very end of the tasting bar.   

We enjoyed each of the wines we tasted, and most of all the grande finale $125 2004 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.   While we were not inspired to purchase any bottles on the spot, we decided to purchase a future case of the 2007 Estate Cab (the year that our son was born), which will be offered to the public this November.

One postscript: as we were leaving, we asked our pourer, somewhat sarcastically, whether he had ever tasted the 1973 Chardonnay that took first prize in the famous Paris tasting.  He answered, “Yes, in fact last year, and it was perfect.”  A Chardonnay aging for 34 years… wow!  That statement, coupled with the shrine in the back to the very same bottle, certainly made our pilgrimage to Montelena rewarding.

www.ChateauMontelena.com
1429 Tubbs Lane
Calistoga, California 94515
(707) 942-5105


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