Team C&J
As we plan our latest trip to Napa and scope out which Napa Valley wineries we’re going to visit, we couldn’t help but think back to one of Napa’s most popular tasting rooms: Chateau Montelena. While our experience at the Montelena wine tasting was a bit odd, there’s no question that their Chardonnay holds a unique place in American wine history, and continues to be one of the most in-demand Chardonnays in the world.
Here are a few fun facts about Chateau Montelena and its world-famous 1973 Chardonnay that you may not know.
The history of Chateau Montelena goes back to California’s gold rush, one of the biggest economic booms in United States history. Alfred L. Tubbs, a rope entrepreneur and future California State Senator, purchased the land in Calistoga in 1882 and called his new winery and vineyard project Hillcrest Estate.
A tragic fire ultimately burned the original winery down, and a European-inspired French chateau was built in its place. The chateau wouldn’t get its current name until much later… more on that below.
Other interesting facts about Chateau Montelena’s founder, Alfred L. Tubbs:
Alfred Tubbs was a huge Francophile. After one particularly impactful visit to France, upon his return home, he wanted to recreate the joie de vivre that he saw in France’s vineyards and wineries. He purchased the land in Napa Valley shortly after that.
If you’ve ever wondered how Chateau Montelena got its name? You’re not alone. Tubbs was long gone when Chateau Montelena received its now iconic name in 1940. Credit goes to Chapin Tubbs for the whimsical name change. Montelena was just another way to say the ‘Helena’ part of the St. Helena Mountains, which the winery sits next to.
When Chateau Montelena’s Chardonnay beat its French competitors at the Judgment of Paris, it was considered such a historical moment in US winemaking that a bottle of the 1973 winning wine is now on display in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. To put this into further context, other items in the collection of significant pieces of American history include George Washington’s uniform, the Greensboro Lunch Counter, the Declaration of Independence Desk, and Abraham Lincoln’s top hat.
A lot of wine lovers don’t know this, but the grapes used in the bottle of 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay were not estate-grown grapes from the winery’s Napa Valley vineyard. Winemaker Mike Grigich heard about a vineyard in the Russian River, the Bacigalupi Vineyard, that was producing impressive Chardonnay grapes, and he purchased several tons from owners Helen and Charles Bacigalupi.
Speaking of winemaker Mike Grgrich, this legendary winemaker is totally erased from the movie about the award-winning wine. In Bottle Shock, the 1973 Chardonnay is crafted by owner Jim Barrett, played by Bill Pullman. This wasn’t an intentional move by the film’s writer. It’s just that Grgrich decided he had more pressing things to do (like make wine!) than be involved in a Hollywood production, so he told the film’s producers to remove his character.
Now, here is an interesting fact about Montelena’s most famous wine: Jim and Bo Barrett, the central characters in the Bottle Shock movie, didn’t even live in Napa Valley in the summer of 1976. They lived near Los Angeles. Jim and his son Bo would drive up periodically to oversee operations or fly into the small airport in Santa Rosa.
The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay was just the second vintage at the winery for masterful winemaker Mike Grgich. Once the world outside of Napa Valley learned of his talents, opportunities came flying his way. Grgich ultimately partnered with one of the heirs of the Hills Bros. Coffee Company on what would ultimately be called Grgich Hills Winery. Be sure to take a look at our full review of the Grgich Hills Winery tasting room.
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