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Chateau Montelena Chateau Montelena The winery that made Napa wines famous Alfred came to California during the gold rush, and as most people who actually got rich during the rush, he did not dig for gold he became a supplier, he created a chandlery (a rope company). While soaking in the Calistoga Mineral Springs he decided to diversify into the wine business. Just one mile away he found the perfect property on a hill next to the Napa River and next to the Old Faithful Geyser of California. Tubbs Mansion In 1882, entrepreneur Alfred L. Tubbs bought 254 acres of land just north of Calistoga at the foot of Mount Saint Helena. He planted vines, and by 1896 his Hillcrest Winery was the seventh largest winery in the Napa Valley. After Tubbs died in 1896, his family continued to operate the winery. With the onset of Prohibition in the United States, winemaking ceased at the Chateau. In 1958 the Tubbs family sold the Chateau to Yort Wing Frank, a Chinese electrical engineer, and his wife Jeanie, who were looking for a retirement home. The Franks created a garden in the style of their homeland, and excavated Jade Lake. The Chinese garden is now a popular spot for picnics. Remember the Tubbs fire? In 2017 the second Tubbs fire started on Tubbs Lane in Calistoga and burned over 5,000 structures. As you can see Alfred spent most of his stone money on the winery, he used too much wood on his mansion next door, so in 1964 the magnificent structure disappeared from the property. Luckily the winery has only been scorched in the fires. But, it did give the cabernet an extra smoky overtone. James Barrett had a dream of owning a winery, so he convinced some fellow lawyers and developers to invest in a castle and the pathetic vineyards. Barrett replanted the vineyard and installed new winemaking equipment in the historic buildings and it began producing wines again in 1972, with Mike Grgich employed as winemaker. For the next six years he and his son kept perfecting their process (a thousand decisions from grape to bottle). Farmers out in the Sticks Back in the 1970’s Napa Valley was a mixed farming community. Wine making was more of a hobby than a science. French wines dominated the world market with centuries of reputation and mystique. When an English wine broker visited Napa, he dreamed up a promotional event for his business. He planned to have a blind taste test of French wines in Paris. But, the twist was he secretly invited a few Napa wineries to participate with their labels hidden from the French judges in the blind tasting. Chateau Montelena was chosen to go, but Barrett did not have the money for the trip. All the local growers got together and pooled money in a hat for the trip. As famously stated by one of the local growers, “Jim, if you win, we all win”. Truer words were never spoken. The ‘Judgement of Paris’ Wine Competition Forty five years ago, the crème de la crème of the French wine establishment sat in judgment for a blind tasting that pitted some of the finest wines in France against unknown (and un-labeled) California bottles. The outcome was considered a foregone conclusion. "Obviously, the French wines were going to win," stated a French reporter. She would later demand her ballot back so there would be no proof of the way she voted. The Blind Taste Test that Shocked the World 1976 - When Napa Dethroned the French When the scores were tallied, the top honors went not to France's best vintners but to a California white and red — the 1973 chardonnay from Chateau Montelena and the 1973 cabernet sauvignon from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. It turned out to be the most important event, because it broke the myth that only in France could you make great wine. It opened the door for this phenomenon today… the globalization of wine. This bottle from the Chateau now resides in The Paris tasting was another Castle… the Smithsonian's National pivotal for Napa Valley. Museum of American History. As Chateau Montelena’s Jim Barrett told reporters back in 1976, the results were… "not bad for kids from the sticks." Chateau Montelena is the Napa Valley winery most famous for winning the white wine section of the historic "Judgment of Paris" wine competition. A fictionalized version of Chateau Montelena's historic victory was featured in the 2008 film Bottle Shock. 40 year anniversary of the ‘Judgement’ Bo and Jim Barrett the real ‘shockers’ of the wine industry actors Chris Pine and Bill Pullman Alan Rickman played Steven Spurrier, the British wine snob in the movie. Spurrier in real life was convinced that french wines were invincible. In 2006, thirty years after the first competition, Steven Spurrier hosted another contest, this time with full confidence that French wine would win. California won again. Next time you are in Napa stop by the Chateau and maybe you will meet Bo Barrett in the Tasting Room.
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