Category Archives: Winemakers Updates
Life of a Vine
If you read George’s recent post on the subject of vintage, you might be interested to see the entire vintage of 2007 – the current release of Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – through the “eyes” (as it were) of one particular vine. Life of a Vine presents a monthly summary, in three installments, of what actually transpired that year. Take a look.
Vintage Watching
A lot of us religiously read and watch what critics are saying about vintage quality. We already know that 2007 is a vintage of the decade, but if you look back 30 years, and if you have an opportunity to try wines of vintages that were not as highly touted, you should come to the conclusion that, as with all critics, their statements are broad based, and not addressing individual regions and wineries that may indeed have made some wonderful wines. “Shoulder” vintages, or years that precede or follow the superstar years are often overshadowed (how do you follow up an almost perfect vintage?!)
All I’m sayin’ is before you dismiss some of these vintages, do a little research, go taste some, and be your own judge. Yes, I am talking about 2010.
Happy Birthday, KC!
*This post was written by our own Anne Banfield in honor of her friend Harry Casey’s recent birthday…
“Once in a while we have encounters with special people and the memories of such encounters stay with us forever. A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of hosting Harry Casey, or ‘KC’, of KC and the Sunshine Band, and a couple of his closest friends. The tasting was so much fun that it lasted much longer than planned, but none of us noticed.
Our Chardonnay became an instant favorite of KC’s that day, so it was no surprise, when some weeks back there was a call from one of his band members wanting to order a special bottle to commemorate his special birthday. We took it a step further…. Our very own Bo Barrett hosted a short video to wish Harry a very happy birthday, and we are sharing it with you.
So once again Harry, a Very Happy Birthday to you from all of us at Chateau Montelena. And remember, to keep yourself feeling young, one has to ‘shake, shake, shake’ on a regular basis!”
Bo Barrett on Talk Radio Radio Europe
Tuesday Winemaker Tastings
Sit down with Winemaker Cameron Parry to sample a few of his favorite wines, hand-selected for this special tasting, and perhaps even a barrel sample or two. While these tastings are offered seasonally (Cameron is pre-occupied with harvest activities during the autumn months), this time of year tends to be ideal for visiting as it’s a bit quieter in the tasting room and you’ll have plenty of time to ask those burning questions about the winemaking process. These unique opportunities to sit down and taste wine with our Winemaker are available on on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. Click here for more information or to book your tasting.
Keep in mind that Napa Valley tends to be less crowded during the winter months of January, February and March, so you’ll have no trouble getting that restaurant reservation. We hope that’s all the motivation you need to come and see us soon.
Farewell 2010
Winter at Chateau Montelena Winery
Wishing you all a wonderful end to 2010.
May your New Year be filled with happiness, laughter and extraordinary wine.
Cheers!
The Montelena Family
Harvest 2010 Update: Part II
Part II of the Harvest 2010 series: Bo discusses how the weather during Harvest 2010 was perfect for crafting Montelena’s style of wines.
The Wine You Didn’t Know We Had…
Many people may not realize we make a few very special wines, in very special years, that are not regularly included in our lineup of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Riesling. The year 2007 was one of those special years. We harvested some amazing Petite Sirah grapes and recently released the 2007 Petite Sirah for your enjoyment. It just maybe the perfect gift for that hard-to-please wine lover or for the Montelena fan who has everything. It’s delicious now, but this wine will reward you after years of patience.
Harvest 2010 Update
We’ve heard a lot of speculation about this year’s harvest in the past few weeks and now that things are finally slowing down in our cellar, we’d like to share Chateau Montelena’s perspective on Harvest 2010.
Part I
Stay tuned for more installments of our Harvest 2010 series.
Words From Our Winemaker
March 7, 2011 — comment
With the recent release of our two new Estate wines, we caught up with Winemaker Cameron Parry to get his take on each of the wines. Take a look at the videos below for a little insider information on our 2007 Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and our 2008 Montelena Estate Zinfandel.
Have you tasted these wines yet? Share your thoughts with us. If not, which wine do you hope to get your hands on first?