Chateau Montelena's rich history began on a chilly fall morn- ing when Alfred L. Tubbs spaded over and inspected the soil where he thought of planting estate vineyards. He'd heard the Napa Valley was the best place to grow grapes in California. A deal was struck and in January of 1882 the San Francisco entrepreneur owned 254 acres of rugged land just two miles north of Calistoga at the base of Mount Saint Helena. The soils are well drained, stony and loose – perfect for the vine cuttings he would plant.
In 1976 Chateau Montelena put California at the forefront of the wine world. That year a who's-who of the French wine and food establishment gathered for a grand tasting at the Inter- Continental Hotel in Paris. Four white Burgundies were tasted against six California Chardonnays. When the scores were tal- lied, the French Judges were convinced that the top-ranking white wine was one of their own. In fact, it was Chateau Mon- telena's 1973 Chardonnay, rated above all other wines. This seminal event has been memorialized recently in the book "The Judgment of Paris," by George Taber, as well as in the 2008 feature film Bottle Shock.