Chateau Montelena Owner Jim Barrett Dies at 86

James L. Barrett, owner of Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley, passed away March 14. He was 86. Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay helped put California on the wine map when it took top honors at the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, winning over a field of famous white Burgundies.

Barrett was one of California’s wine pioneers. “He was a tough and loving man who will be greatly missed at home, at the winery and throughout the Napa Valley,” said his son Bo Barrett in a statement. “My dad died of a life well-lived.” To read more about Jim Barrett’s life and career, go to Wine Spectator.

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