| 2006 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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 | | Outstanding
"More honeyed apple notes and hints of freshly squeezed orange juice and lemon zest. The wine is incredibly consistent from year to year." 91 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate - December 2007
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| 2005 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | Outstanding
"One of the few California Chardonnays that behaves like a grand cru Chablis. Exhibits a nervous edge as well as loads of lemon butter, green apple, and white currant-like characteristics, laser-like precision, superb acidity, and surprising intensity as well as richness." 92 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate - December 2006
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| 2004 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | Outstanding
"More tropical fruit and lemon butter characteristics...it is a tasty, steely Chardonnay displaying little oak influence." 90 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate - December 2005
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| 2003 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | "Outstanding. One of the finest made to date. Offers abundant quantities of lemon/lime-like fruit, hints of white pears, white currants, and green apples, a steely backbone, and noteworthy concentration." 91 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate
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 | | "Very Good to Excellent. Sweet and full but bright and youthful, with good citrus and spice intensity." 89 Stephen Tanzer - International Wine Cellar
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| 2002 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | Outstanding.
"Reveals fresh apple blossom, white pear, and white peach notes in a medium-bodied crisp style with good depth as well as refreshing acidity." 90 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate - February 2005
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| | "Outstanding. Bright aromas of spiced apple, pear, lime and mint. Then juicy, firm-edged and penetrating, with a strongly mineral quality. Finishes with a juicy apple quality and very good length and cut." 90 Stephen Tanzer - International Wine Cellar
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 | | The Dow Jones Expensive Chardonnay Index
"Very Good. Classy and special, with rich, round flavors and then a zing of acidity to add complexity and balance." Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher - Wall Street Journal
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| 2001 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | "Outstanding. The 2001 Chardonnay offers up gorgeously fresh citrus oil notes intermixed with a striking steely minerality, medium to full body, and a long, layered, backward finish displaying vibrant acidity yet loads of subtle, crisp flavors." 90-92 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate
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| | "Outstanding. Full but firm, with pineapple and more exotic tropical fruit flavors supported by underlying stoniness. Nicely fresh Chardonnay, with firm backbone." 90 Stephen Tanzer - International Wine Cellar
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 | | "Outstanding. Very fresh, floral and fragrant, with apples, pears and fresh figs. This is very big and very full-bodied, honeyed yet citrusy, with a spicy, peppery edge to the finish." 92 Joe Czerwinski - Wine Enthusiast - September 2003
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 | | Wine of the Week
"Twenty-seven years after the Paris tasting in which Chateau Montelena Chardonnay bested France's top Burgundies, Montelena still makes one of the best Chardonnays of all. The wine embodies a classic concept of quality. It's also food friendly rather than powerful and possesses excellent balance and concentration." Nation's Restaurant News - October 6, 2003
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 | | Top 100 Wines
"Distinctive for its Granny Smith apple and citrus aromas and flavors that are unencumbered by heavy oak and buttery notes. Steely, with a crisp-apple finish." Linda Murphy - San Francisco Chronicle - December 7, 2003
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 | | A Wine Lover's Dozen
"For an important client or business associate. Rich but refined with uncommon gracefulness for a Chardonnay." Karen MacNeil - Cooking Light - December 2003
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 | | The Best California Chardonnays.
"This is what Chardonnay should be! A lean, understated Chardonnay in the Burgundian style. Yes, it's still Californian, but more restrained and steely, far more edgy on the palate than its fleshy siblings. It will continue to improve for many years yet, acquiring a greater complexity as it does so." Nick Passmore - Forbes.com
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| 2000 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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 | | ***** 5 Stars
"No malolactic yields a soft, delicate, yet crisp wine of great finesse with a light oak nuance on the finish." Jeff Cox - Decanter
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| | "Outstanding. There is no greater practitioner of the non-malolactic style of Chardonnay than Jim and Bo Barrett. They produce 10,000-11,000 cases of a non-malolactic, realistically priced Chardonnay. Long in the mouth, lively, and vibrant, this impressive effort will drink well for 5-7 years." 90 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate
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| | "Outstanding. Aromas of pear, hay, white flowers and herbs. Supple and fruit-driven, with fresh flavors of peach and pear. Lively acidity gives the wine shape and grip." 90 Stephen Tanzer - International Wine Cellar
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 | | Napa Valley - 10 Top Bottles
"This winery is most famous for Cabernet, but its rich, balanced Chardonnay is also a crowd pleaser." Food & Wine
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 | | 10 Collectible Chardonnays
"Elegant, cool, assertive, almost French in its understated vibrancy and piney finish; ready for dinner or a decade in the cellar." Thom Elkjer - Wine Country Living - December 2003
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| 1999 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | "Outstanding. One of the finest Montelena has made over recent years. The 1999 possesses abundant quantities of lemon, pear, and apple notes, zesty, full-bodied flavors as well as crisp, nicely-integrated acidity." 90 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate
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| | "Outstanding. This is still young, lean and minerally on the nose, then shows rich apple and pear on the palate. It’s just beginning to develop lush, aged character." 90 Joe Czerwinski - Wine Enthusiast
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| 1998 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | "Very Good. A virgin expression of Chardonnay, with abundant quantities of crisp, green apple, tangerine, and pear fruit, this wine reveals good acidity, an elegant yet full-bodied personality, surprising depth, and a reserved, austere palate." 89 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate
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| | "Very Good. Complex yet mellow aromas of acacia flower and honey… Then strong but tight in the mouth, with penetrating lemon, apple and pear flavors given shape by strong acids." 89+ Stephen Tanzer - International Wine Cellar
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| 1997 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | "Outstanding. Chateau Montelena Chardonnays are dominated by this varietal’s apple/citrus elements. The 1997 Chardonnay possesses all the same characteristics with slightly more honeyed pear and apple notes. These wines have uncanny aging potential." 90 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate
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| | "Very Good. Creamy-sweet but brisk in the mouth, with a strong apple flavor. Boasts a nicely layered texture and noteworthy intensity. Finishes quite firm, with a flavor of baked apple… Chateau Montelena Chardonnay is consistently interesting – and ageworthy." 89 Stephen Tanzer - International Wine Cellar
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| | "Outstanding. Seems almost a bit Muscat-like, with spicy pear and lime aromas plus pineapple. The flavors broaden out on the palate, offering juicy, fresh fruit and hints of the honeyed richness that should develop in time." 91 Joe Czerwinski - Wine Enthusiast
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| 1996 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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 | | "Highly Recommended. Attractive, floral, earthy, appley, distinct varietal fruit aroma; medium-full body; rich, toasty, buttery, appley flavors with a touch of citrus; good depth and structure; well balanced; lingering aftertaste." 89 California Grapevine
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| 1995 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | "Very Good. Apple, pear and resiny oak on the nose. Good hay, acacia and pear flavor intensity; bright and sweet, with good middle-palate texture. " 89 Stephen Tanzer - International Wine Cellar
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| 1994 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | "Outstanding. This wine is stunning in its balance and complexity, layering honey and mineral notes atop pear and white peaches." 92 Joe Czerwinski - Wine Enthusiast
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| | "Outstanding. Once again an outstanding example of a Chardonnay where the fruit is emphasized. The wine offers up fresh smells of honeyed apples and citrusy fruit. It is full-bodied, with impressive flavor extraction, good, crisp, underlying acidity, and a long finish." 90 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate
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| 1993 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | "Outstanding. Exhibits loads of ripe apple fruit, a citrusy, tight but promising nose, rich, full-bodied, brilliantly well-delineated flavors, and a crisp finish." 90 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate
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| | "Very Good. Medium body, acid, fruit and oak. Fig, citrus, flowers, butter. Nicely integrated oak balances fruit with floral touches. Acidity lingers into finish. " 89 Wine Enthusiast
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| 1992 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | "Outstanding. Floral, apple and pear aromatics and a soft, creamy mouthfeel, all held in amazing balance." 92 Joe Czerwinski - Wine Enthusiast
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| | "Outstanding.“Montelena’s Chardonnay remains the finest of the non-malolactic, crisp, Chablis-like Chardonnays made in California. Abundant quantities of wonderful lemony/apple-like fruit, no noticeable oak, beautiful balance, superb concentration, and a mineral character, all of which are delineated by the wine’s acidity." 91 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate
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| | Wine of the Week
"A fabulous wine! Absolutely à point! Still fresh and tangy, but packed with the essence of ripe, succulent summer fruits like peaches and melons. It was deep and rich, with great acid balance, all the elements working together in perfect harmony." Nick Passmore - Forbes.com - August 13, 2003
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| | Top of the Tasting
"Delicious from the very first moment – and the only trace of age is a touch of caramel in the apples and honey." Thom Elkjer - Wine Country Living - December 2003
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| 1991 Napa Valley Chardonnay | .pdf version |
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| | "Outstanding. A textbook Montelena lemony/apple bouquet, a vague scent of buttery popcorn, crisp acidity, and rich, multi-dimensional layered flavors. Typical of many Montelena Chardonnays, it offers wonderful purity and richness, presented in an understated, subtle manner." 90 Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate
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