Brand's Heritage
Chateau Montelena Winery, originally called A.L. Tubbs winery after its founder Alfred Tubbs, was established in 1882, and was originally intended as a barrel-aging facility. The renaissance of the winery, under the leadership of James Barrett, began in 1972 with the replanting of the Estate vineyard. In 1976, Chateau Montelena put California at the forefront of the wine world. Pitted against four White Burgandies and six California Chardonnays, Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay was rated the best by a team of who’s-who of the French wine and food establishment at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Paris. This actualized the Chateau Montelena philosophy: “Make the best, period”.
World-class Wine
Today the tradition continues. with Jim Barrett’s son, Bo, winemaker at Chateau Montelena beginning in 1982, is now its Master Winemaker. After more than three decades of experience with the same vineyards and varieties, the Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Napa Valley Chardonnay are recognized as world-class.
With its continued effort to integrate tradition with modern day winemaking methods, Chateau Montelena has maintained and established new practices that not only improve the quality of their celebrated wines, but also uphold and support sustainability. Chateau Montelena is both a Napa Green Certified Winery and a Napa Green Certified Land. They utilize organic farming methods to promote the health of the soil and ultimately preserve the land's productivity. In addition, they also make use of Solar panels to help sustain energy needs.
