Saturday, June 3rd, 2005 was a night to remember for the Napa Valley and for Chateau Montelena: the first-ever 25-year Vertical Collection of Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was auctioned off to a worthy home, helping Auction Napa Valley 2005 raise a stunning $10.5 million dollars in support of Napa Valley charities.

Since 2005 marked the Auction’s 25th anniversary, the Napa Valley Vintners went all-out to make the event count. And they succeeded, raising double the proceeds from the 2004 Auction. Having recently bottled the 25th vintage of Montelena Estate Cabernet and with our own Silver Anniversary to celebrate, the winery also went all-out for the event, hosting an elegant dinner here at the Chateau for a group of select guests and by contributing to several lots for the Live Auction.

With the first vintage of Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon produced in 1978, the recently bottled 2002 vintage marks the 25th anniversary of our flagship wine. In honor of this milestone, the winery donated a 25-year Vertical Lot of Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon to the Live Auction, containing one 3 Liter and one 750 ml bottle of each vintage from 1978 to 2002, together with a specially designed art print featuring photos of each of the 25 Double Magnums. This is the only known vertical collection of its kind to exist outside of the winery. The lot, titled “A Vintner’s Vision”, sold for a stunning bid of $110,000 to long-time Auction Napa Valley supporter and Montelena enthusiast, Burt “Red” Adams.

In addition to this vertical lot, Chateau Montelena partnered with Cakebread Cellars, Schramsberg Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars, and Joseph Phelps Vineyards on a fun and creative joint lot. Newcomer to the Auction, Joy Craft, made a name for herself as the Auction’s biggest bidder, in no small part by winning this lot, the second-highest of the Auction, for $550,000! Joy and her guests now have the enviable task of visiting each winery’s Library to hand-select bottles for their own collections, and to pick wines to enjoy at an exclusive dinner with the owners from each of the wineries, including the Barrett family.

Incredible dining experiences were a significant part of the weekend as well as part of many lots, and on the Friday evening preceding the Live Auction, Chateau Montelena hosted a group of Auction guests for an amazing evening of dining and fine wines. Guests enjoyed wines from each of the four decades of the winery’s modern era, from the ‘70s through the New Millennium, and an exquisite meal prepared by a team of Chefs led by Culinary Institute of America Chef Instructor Lars Kronmark, who was joined by two of his former CIA students.

If you are interested in joining us for a night to remember, please check the Events Calendar on the back page to see where we’ll be in the coming months. From extravaganzas like Auction Napa Valley to weekends at exclusive resort destinations and winery dinners at exquisite restaurants across the country, opportunities for unforgettable experiences abound. New events are added regularly, so for the most up-to-date listings, visit our Events page.