Chateau Montelena is one of the most prominent Napa Valley wineries. It was directly associated with bringing international recognition to the California wine industry through the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Where its 1973 Chardonnay was deemed the best of a lineup of top wines from California and France. The victory upset the French dominance of the wine industry, catapulting California producers onto the international stage, and opening the door for New World producers. For more than four decades, the Barrett family has made wine at Chateau Montelena, garnering accolades for wines that combine intensity and power with lush, rich texture wines that express the unique characteristics of the land they came from, rather than techniques used in the cellar.