January 31, 2024 - Downgrading a bit from my last review. Definitely new world in style with ripe tropical fruits and new french oak. The palate was medium bodied and the acid was much less than I remembered, some malo character on the palate as well. Good length and decent complexity at this stage. Not quite the departure from cali chardonnay I had thought it was, but not overdone. Still a bit overpriced.
January 26, 2024 - Enjoyed another bottle and this is a go-to Chardonnay. Nice acids make it food friendly while being balanced. Fresh tropical fruits with some mineral and vanilla on the finish. This will be the middle ground crowd pleaser for those who love oak and for those who don’t. Paired with Sea Bass and a lemon caper sauce, very good!
November 23, 2023 - I really liked this Chardonnay. Light, crisp, with only a slight hint of oaky/buttery notes. More on the lean side, which I prefer.
Since I was drinking this after Thanksgiving, I don't have critical tasting notes.
November 6, 2023 - Blind tasting! Chardonnay of the world. 4 Chards from 4 different countries. Argentina, USA, France and New Zealand. All tasted blind. The order that they were drank in was: Argentina White Bones, USA Montelena, France William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros and New Zealand Kumeu River Maté's Vineyard.
Here are the notes for the Montelena:
A tad more golden than the other wines here. Candied pineapple on the nose, vanilla, funky tropical notes. Probably has the best nose here. Palate was warm and again with a lot of tropical notes but the palate died down in the glass after an hour. I had pretty much made my mind that this was the lowest quality wine of the tasting but then I refilled my glass and wow, everything from the nose was also in the palate now and i pushed it up to second place behind #4. Really good Chardonnay with a rich history.
Winner of the evening was #4, then #2 and then a tie between 1 and 3.
October 24, 2023 - Ripe lemon and orchard fruit, a silky texture, but minerally and lively. Very good for this level.
October 8, 2023 - No notes taken. Had with family Thanksgiving 2023... (Canadian Thanksgiving). Everyone enjoyed
June 27, 2023 - Inviting tropical notes of pineapple, limes, lemon oil, and a wisp of vanilla. Shows tremendous energy and freshness, with pinpoint focus, and a sappy but crisp, palate cleansing acidity that gives the wine lift and crunchiness. Mouthwatering finish. Delicious.
May 24, 2023 - Judgement of Paris Tasting and Dinner (V. Mertz - Omaha, NE): I suppose there is no better place to start than with a fresh example of the wine that changed the game forever. This remains a very classic example of Napa Chardonnay in the most complimentary of ways. Ample fruit that lean on the more tropical (pineapple) side but falls short of being squishy. Lemon and lime citrus too. The oak is prominent for sure but it’s not a buttery mess. There’s good acid that gives plenty of lift and it finishes long. A very balanced wine that will probably benefit from 5+ years in the cellar.
April 19, 2023 - Was a bit discouraged reading the notes but was impressed nonetheless. Complex nose of lemon-lime tart, underripe banana, vanilla cream. Palate was appropriately concentrated, with great length and most importantly a laser beam of acidity that persists through the midpalate into the finish giving the palate life. A really classy new world chard and I do believe it lives up to its legend and can compete with a lot of white burg above its price range. Some of my favorite cali chard and would easily buy at 50-60 dollars. This will last 5 more years easy. Well done.
March 23, 2023 - Practice Blind Papers with MW Students - Paper 1: (tasted blind): A light yellow hue and lively bubbles. The nose carries notes of oak and crayon, toast, baked apple and pineapple creating a lovely complexity. It carries a little more oak than fruit pushing it to California as its place of origin. The palate is relatively ripe with good intensity and a lovely flow in the mid-palate. The finish is clear and crystal with gentle spices and a forceful, linear acidity that gives the wine a higher contrast/saturation and brightness. The overall impression is of an oakier style of wine with a baked apple and pineapple note and toasty edges. This is a smart, old-school wine with an oatmeal finish.