Meet the Winemakers: Bo & Heidi Barrett

Chris Pine portrayed Bo in Bottle Shock

Earlier this week I was fortunate to attend a wine tasting at Astor Center with famed winemakers Bo & Heidi Barrett. You may have heard of them from their involvement in "The Judgment at Paris" when French wine critics in a blind tasting picked a California Chardonnay over a Burgundy Chardonnay. That was from Chateau Montelena! (It's pretty cool Bo was played on film by Chris Pine a.k.a. Captain Kirk.)

At the tasting, the Barretts showcased wines from Montelena as well as La Sirena, Heidi's side project in winemaking. It was a very fun event if only because Bo is probably the least pretentious wine afficianado you will ever meet. 

The first wine we tried was La Sirena Moscat Azul 2009 that tasted faintly Austrian and Germanic. There is a huge bouquet of florals and vanilla working here. The perfect picnic wine. In fact, Heidi informed us famed Napa Valley chef Michael Chiarello pairs this with a chilled asparagus salad. The perfect start to the tasting. 

Next up we have the Chateau Montelena Estate Zinfandel 2007. When you think Zinfandel you immediately picture big alcohol and booziness. Not so much with this wine. It's not as "ponderous" as the typical Zinfandel. You still get those same hints of black fruit and chocolate, but it's much more muted. An elegant table wine. 

What's not a table wine? The Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet 2002. Holy wam bam this is a great wine. Seriously Bordeaux style with that perfect blend of elegance and balance. The secondary texture of the cherry and floral bouquet comes in perfectly. THIS is a California Cabernet. 

And so there you go. After all these years, Chateau Montelena is still representing the marvel from California!