Open 9:30 to 4:00
Appt required? No
Last barlinwine.com visit: 2008
Directions:
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Tasting:
The best reason to stop here at Cheteau Montelena are the grounds. The Chateau is an old stone castle carved into a hillside overlooking a Chinese garden and lake, with vineyards reaching out to the base of Mt. St. Helena. The gardens are beautiful; red and blue carved wooden bridges allow you to walk out into the pond, where two pagodas sit on islands (available for picnics, but only if you're a wine club member).
The tasting room is on the top floor of the Chateau at the top of the hill, and it is spacious and offers plenty of room to taste. I didn’t have a great tasting experience here. The winery wasn’t busy, but the guy pouring wasn’t too attentive or friendly. He'd stop by to refill our glass, tell us what wine it was (and that's it), and then head elsewhere. Most of the wine was just okay…the Zinfandel was the best of the group.
The best reason to stop here at Cheteau Montelena are the grounds. The Chateau is an old stone castle carved into a hillside overlooking a Chinese garden and lake, with vineyards reaching out to the base of Mt. St. Helena. The gardens are beautiful; red and blue carved wooden bridges allow you to walk out into the pond, where two pagodas sit on islands (available for picnics, but only if you're a wine club member).
The tasting room is on the top floor of the Chateau at the top of the hill, and it is spacious and offers plenty of room to taste. I didn’t have a great tasting experience here. The winery wasn’t busy, but the guy pouring wasn’t too attentive or friendly. He'd stop by to refill our glass, tell us what wine it was (and that's it), and then head elsewhere. Most of the wine was just okay…the Zinfandel was the best of the group.
Recommended wine: The Zinfandel was the only thing I thought was decent, especially factoring in price.
Ratings (out of 5):
 WINE | 3.50 |  TASTING ROOM | 4.50 |
 ATMOSPHERE | 3.00 |  VALUE | 2.75 |
 OVERALL | 3.44 | ||
This was the worst stop (along with V Sattui) in our several years in Napa. Kids serving wines with very little knowledge. The wines are average at best at their price points.
ReplyDeleteEcho the comments of David. Went up there on a whim since we had lunch in Calistoga. Tiresome pourers and a listless experience. If not for the grounds of the property it would have been a waste of our time.
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