CALISTOGA, Calif. (February 25, 2004) – On March 19th, Bo Barrett, winemaker and partner at Chateau Montelena Winery, will join Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin and Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits to host a unique and exclusive “Chardonnay Only” wine dinner celebrating the winery’s 30th vintage of Chardonnay. Six vintages hand-picked from the winery’s library and spanning more than a decade will be served alongside the recently debuted 30th vintage, the 2001. Tickets for the 6:30 pm dinner are $295 a person, tax and gratuity included, and are available by calling (212) 554-1515. Le Bernardin is located at 155 West 51st Street in New York City.

Chef Eric Ripert will apply his expertise to the challenge of creating dishes to complement the diverse range of textures and flavors that only aged Chardonnays can provide. The five-course tasting menu will include such exquisite pairings as seared-rare yellowtail marinated in Tandoori spices with pickled cucumber and mango salad matched to Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay from 1988, and warm ragout of scallop, lobster, shrimp and clam nested in sea urchin and topped with Iranian Osetra caviar matched to Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay from 1991.

This exclusive “Chardonnay Only” wine dinner is one in a series that Chateau Montelena will host across the country this year. This new and ambitious wine dinner format offers a window into the greatness of this grape variety when handled by a world-class winery and when allowed to age. Experiencing the lineup of these Chardonnays side by side with Ripert’s dishes will be a pure testament not only to the wines’ consistent quality and style, but also to their dynamic versatility, to their ability to express the unique character of every vintage and to the profound transformations that occur through aging.

“Although a Chateau Montelena Chardonnay is always recognizable for its purity and balance, we allow the wine to express vintage character, so we never make exactly the same wine each year,” explains Bo Barrett. “And the wines continue to evolve as they mature, so they offer something new and different each time you go back to them.”

Established in 1882, Chateau Montelena fell into disuse with Prohibition until the Barrett family purchased the property in 1972. That same year they produced the first vintage of Chardonnay under their ownership and direction. Their second vintage, the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, defeated a lineup of prestigious French wines to win the famous 1976 Paris Tasting, the results of which stunned the wine world and proved a turning point in elevating California wines to world-class status. 

Chateau Montelena is located in the Napa Valley at 1429 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga, CA, 94515. The winery is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for wine tasting. Tours can be reserved by phone at (707) 942-5105, by fax at (707) 942-4221, or by visiting our website at www.montelena.com.

For more information call Greg Ralston or Amy DePasquale at (707) 942-5105.