One of the historic California estates that put Napa on the map following the Paris Tasting of 1976. The Chardonnay comes from an estate-grown parcel in Oak Knoll under the lee of Mount Veeder, plus another grower in Oak Knoll and one in Coombsville. The style remains resolutely true to the historic model, with fermentation kicking off in tank before transfer into barrels (15 – 25% new French oak), and no malolactic fermentation. The wine stays in wood for 10 months, then receives a year of bottle age prior to release.

“Montelena’s 2017 Chardonnay is bright, focused and tightly wound, with tons of citrus peel, orchard fruit and floral character. Medium in body, with terrific energy underpinning the fruit, the 2017 is a winner. Picking early and blocking the malolactic fermentation yields a finely sculpted, nuanced Chardonnay long on class. I loved it.” Vinous 94