"Odedi"

9.0

Pale lemon in color with a golden tint.

Light nose of green apples, lemons, spices and minerals.

Medium-bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with limes, lemons, green apples, light grapefruits, minerals, light wood and herbs.

Tangy finish with limes and grapefruits.

This is a tasty and easy drinking Chardonnay from Napa Valley. Elegant and fruit forward with nice complexity. Tangy and entertaining.

Feels more like a California Pinot Gris, and better when properly chilled.

Wine Spectator 90 points.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself as a sipping wine or with food. Paired nicely with my salad and fish and chips.

100% Chardonnay grapes were aged for 9 months in (10% new) oak barrels.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$25. — 8 days ago

Allison Frazier

9.4

Gift from Radek - delicious!! — 3 days ago

Ed Chin

9.3

Big polished and showing a hint of heat. Happily the oak isn’t too pronounced. For me this baby needs time. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90min. The 2024 “White Hill” pours a pale straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with bright notes of star fruit, passion fruit, stone fruits, lemons, a touch of freshly struck matchstick, some white flowers and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and slightly saline. I love the character of these wines. Really tasty stuff. Drink now through 2034+. — 2 months ago

mike cust

8.9

Good but nothing great only buy the small bottles for mid week wines — 3 months ago

Slestyan

9.0

Butter, oak, lime? — 4 months ago

Wulf Losee

9.4

This is the 2022 Block 296 version of this vintage. Truly excellent. Sour cherries and oregano on the nose. Spicy! Sour cherries on the front. Medium to heavy tannic structure. Tangy on the mid palate. Long finish. Not your typical overpowering Napa Cab. — 5 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have written a few times regarding my tale of Caymus & Caymus Classic. Their vintages post 2011 and their vintages pre 2011.

I have at event tastings that Caymus was pouring, encouraged their staff to talk with Chuck to make both Caymus & Caymus Classic. Recently, I emailed them to pass on my thoughts to Chuck asking him to make both. If you liked Caymus the way it was, I encourage you to do the same. There is a dwelling amount of older, well preserved Caymus Classic vintages. info@wagnerfamilyofwine.com should you be so inclined.

Their post 2011 Caymus Cabernets are picked at higher brix and syrupy sweet. I get why Chuck changed. Many like sweeter Cabernets that drink easy young. That is not my wheelhouse.

In my intermediate wine days, I aged and enjoyed many pre 2012 vintages. This perfect bottle bought on the secondary market at around $70 is extremely well stored. The cork when I cut the foil looked slightly depressed, when I pulled it with an Ah-so was next to new.

I enjoyed this with a Ribcap, not the best wine for that steak but, ok. This 07 is more filet or NY Strip.

The nose shows; a very dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush-blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, mellow dark spices, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry tobacco, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender.

This bottle now nearly 18 years in bottle has not faded. It is at its precipice and will hold a few yrs. 2007 a grand Napa vintage. Decanted a little over an hour and enjoyed over the next 90-120 minutes. With this experience, another hour in the decanter is even better.

M-M+ velvety, rounded, tannins. The palate is round, ripe, lush, ruby fruits of; dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush; blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, stewed plum, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries with notes of liqueur overtones, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, black licorice, dark berry cola, distinct dark, Caynus Classic spices w/ palate heat, herbaceous notes, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone/rock, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry river stone, charcoal, notes of menthol, dry tobacco, leather, dry oak barrel shavings, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender, perfect, round acidity with an incredibly; balanced, well knitted-toned-structured, elegantly/smartly polished finish that goes on and on and long sets on beautiful earth & spice.

94+ This experience is becoming rarer & rarer. — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

From magnum. Partially poured into a decanter and enjoyed over the course of a couple days. Best on Day 2. The 2015 Pritchard Hill pours a deep ruby/purple with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing and richly fruited with powerful, heady notes of cassis, blackberries, plum, purple flowers, tobacco, cocoa, some star anise and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the texture is luxurious. Classic Pritchard Hill character and surely a candidate for top vineyard status if the US were to ever adopt a classification status. There’s a long future here, especially in this larger format. Drink now with patience through 2055. — 17 hours ago

Willem Jan Withagen

9.0

Had it with lemongrass/ginger sea bass from the grill. Very good match. Nice acids, matching minerals. — 2 months ago

Bob Boyle

9.2

Drinking wonderfully! — 2 months ago

Doug Powers

9.3

Cherry cola, black tea, aged toasted oak, excellent acidity and balance, long, lingering finish, very fine aged Oregon Pinot to go with grilled Copper River (Alaskan) wild salmon!! — 3 months ago

with Jim

Joel Lara

9.3

Initially a bit closed, after two hours in the decanter this really opens up. Black cherry and sage come through on the nose and continue onto the palate with additional notes of cassis, bay leaf, and cloves. Has a persistent finish with herbs, spice, and black tea lingering on the palate. The herbal and spice flavors were really vibrant when paired with basil pesto pasta and mushrooms. Medium+ acidity, medium+ body, and medium tannins. This is the 2021 vintage. — 4 months ago

Jason Meneses

9.2

Wow, so big, so fruity, a bit sugary. It’s old school cool, like a true OG CA Zinfandel. — 6 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

2007 vintage. Nice fill. Used a Durand to open but good cork nonetheless. Decanted and tasted after 15 minutes. JFC...does the oak ever die on this nonsense? Tried to bushwhack through it without success. Even the Alexander Valley product has the good sense to have the oak minimized/integrated/drop off after a decade. Not the case here. There's a reason why I haven't even considered carrying this on a wine list since the late 90's. This go round didn't exactly convert my opinion. 8.16.26. — 13 days ago

Joe Flo

9.3

Great improvement from the last btl. Unfortunately my last & not on the top of my list to replace. — 6 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Chateau Montelena — Chardonnay 2023
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Released as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the historic 1976 Judgment of Paris, this vintage continues the legacy that forever changed the perception of California wine. Crafted in Montelena’s unmistakable style, it favors precision, freshness, and restraint over richness, proving Napa Chardonnay can be both powerful and elegant.

Aromas & Flavors
Lemon curd, baked pear, crisp apple, citrus blossom, and subtle white peach are beautifully intertwined with delicate hints of wet stone, light vanilla, and restrained oak.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and exceptional balance. Rich enough to satisfy yet remarkably focused, the palate delivers silky texture, impressive tension, and a long, refined finish that never feels heavy.

Food Pairings
Lobster, scallops, roasted chicken, creamy risotto, grilled halibut, or triple-cream Brie.

Verdict
A benchmark New World Chardonnay that continues to set the standard nearly five decades after its historic triumph. Complex, poised, and beautifully balanced, it is a wine that appeals equally to classic California Chardonnay lovers and those who typically favor more restrained Old World expressions.

Did You Know?
The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won the white wine category at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, defeating France’s finest Burgundies in a blind tasting and forever changing the reputation of California wine on the world stage. The 2023 vintage celebrates the 50th anniversary of that landmark event.

🍷 Personal Pick
I’m generally selective with Napa Chardonnay, often preferring leaner, mineral-driven styles. Chateau Montelena remains one of my rare exceptions. It captures the generosity of Napa’s sunshine while preserving freshness, finesse, and impeccable balance. This is a permanent fixture in my cellar and one of the few New World Chardonnays I’d confidently pour for someone who believes they don’t enjoy Napa Chardonnay. — a month ago

Tom Garland

9.2

Decant and pour. An amazing still dark garnet with bricking. On the nose: subtle notes of dark fruit, worn leather, herbaceous, pencil shavings, mint. Taste: savory, silky, elegant wine with some dried cherry/red plum, currants, tobacco, spice, earth, coffee grounds and a medium plus finish. YUM!!! Drinking beautifully for its age on this rain for an hour cool afternoon in Napa. — 3 months ago

with Brenda

Ed Chin

9.0

Refreshing and good mouthfeel, it was lacking in depth, length and on the simple side. — 4 months ago

DelectableWino

9.1

Great wine. Elegant dark fruits. Rich. — 5 months ago