Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2022
(Napa Valley, California)

Notes from the Winemaker:

Chance favors the prepared mind. Louis Pasteur realized that success flows not only from insight but also good fortune. That duality appropriately applies to the challenging but ultimately gratifying 2020 vintage.

During most growing seasons, the progression beginning with ripening in the vineyard and flowing through to harvest is methodical and calculated. With our optimal Napa Valley climate, ideal soils and a stellar track record of wines, it’s seductive to believe that every vintage will proceed as planned. But at Montelena, we know that history has proven otherwise and that the paradigm can shift at any moment, so we prepare.

Our team, equipment, and methodology are flexible and malleable precisely to account for the unforeseen. It’s manifested in shaping each individual wine to reflect the growing season. It’s also evident when the unpredictable occurs; in this case, the entire 2020 Chardonnay harvest was compressed into one week, a far cry from 15 to 30 days in most years. Luckily, we had the good fortune of a remarkable growing season and exceptional ripeness. Our success in creating this delicious wine was solidified by the unshakeable dedication and expertise of our team.

-Winemaker Matt Crafton

Tasting Notes:

NOSE: There’s tremendous purity on the nose of this wine. At the same time, it’s also quite intense. Peach, apricot and kiwi drive an abundance of ripeness, which cascades into fresh cut flowers, orange blossom and cantaloupe. 

PALATE: The citrus really comes to life here as mandarin, Meyer lemon and finally lemon verbena. While green apple, which is typically quite pronounced in Montelena wines, is somewhat overshadowed by the opulence of other flavors, I would expect it to become more prominent over time. Moreover, the texture is still angular and somewhat tight, which isn’t surprising given the wine’s youth. However, there’s certainly plenty to look forward to with notes of graham cracker, cinnamon and toast lingering beneath the surface.

FINISH: The finish initially leans into d’Anjou pear with some additional baking spice. It slowly transitions back to apple but more as cider than fresh cut. The citrus also persists as lemon zest and there’s a touch of peppery ginger as punctuation. While still predominantly linear, the finish should develop in breadth and gravity in coming years. 

Ratings & Reviews

93 Points - Decanter Magazine (2021):
"A warm, rich concentrated year, very much the opposite of 16. We wanted to express the characteristics of the vintage, looking at different picking windwos, lots of lemon curd, wet stone and brightness, tons of fresh white pepper and caramom, a consistent ripe stone fruit finish carries the wine out." - Clive Pursehouse (Feb 2024)