Monticello

Ambassador Club | Spring Release 'Pickup Party'

The drought in California over the last few years was not just limited to water, we felt it socially as well. With the rains this winter, and our resuming of group events, it sure feels nice to be getting together again! We've had a wonderful Presidents' Day Weekend at MONTICELLO. A highlight was our Ambassador Club Spring Release Pickup Party on Sunday!

Our local Ambassadors joined us for the afternoon, to taste new and inaugural releases, and specially bottled club exclusive wines. Many of our club members have been loyal fans of MONTICELLO for years, and we were pleased to welcome them back to the winery!

We also enjoyed inviting potential new club members into the cellar for a taste of the new wines, and were pleased to have these new members join the club on Sunday as our newest MONTICELLO Ambassadors!

We enjoyed wonderful live music from Megan Schoenboem, whose beautiful singing and gentle guitar playing filled the winery cellar with cheer. We also enjoyed Brazilian-inspired chocolate truffles courtesy of Fabi Hayes and her Brigachero trailer. Both Megan and Fabi enhanced our afternoon, we we'll be sure to have them both back again!

Feb 20, 2023 at 10:10 PM Permalink

TEAM | Together Everyone Achieves More

Jan 29, 2023 at 2:34 PM Permalink

Winemaker on the Loose | Kansas City

Jan 28, 2023 at 10:00 PM Permalink

S54 E1 | Library Sessions

Jan 22, 2023 at 8:12 PM Permalink

In Memoriam : Jay Corley, 1931-2016

MONTICELLO Founder and our Dear Ol' Dad, Jay Corley, passed away peacefully on January 11, 2016. We miss him, and remember him with admiration and love. We choose to celebrate his life rather than remain sad. He loved the wines of Burgundy, and that passion led him to the southern end of Napa Valley, where he founded MONTICELLO with original plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In 2023, we'll be honoring our Founder and Dear Ol' Dad with very special limited-edition bottlings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The following piece is from Jay's memorial, and helps share a little about our Dear Ol' Dad.

Jay was born on July 30, 1931 in Chicago, to John and Helen Corley. After graduating from Cranbrook high school in Detroit, Jay moved west to attend Arizona State and Stanford University. He later attended Pepperdine, where he received his MBA. His thesis was based on how to start a vineyard and winery business in the Napa Valley. Jay's interest in culture and languages also led him to serve as an Italian linguist with the NSA.

An entrepreneur at his core, Jay founded and managed a number of successful business ventures in Southern California in the 1960s. His family's long history of farming was always on his mind, and he felt himself drawn towards the reemerging wine regions in Northern California. When the post-prohibition reincarnation of Napa Valley's winegrowing industry began to germinate in the 1960s, Jay was quick to recognize the region's potential for growing world-class wine, and he made the decision to move north and follow his dream.

He established his vineyard in 1969 in the cooler southern end of the Napa Valley, now known as the Oak Knoll District. When he first surveyed his land, he stood in a tired and gnarly prune orchard peppered with black walnut trees, but what he saw was a world-class vineyard with the potential to make classic wines. In 1981, after more than a decade of growing and selling his grapes to other wineries, he built the winery at Monticello Vineyards and began to produce his own estate-grown wines. Jay took great pride that the winery he founded has entered into its second generation, with its third generation showing early interest in the family wine business.

Jay with daughter Carolyn Corley on her wedding day.

Jay nurtured a strong sense of civic duty, and served on several boards and foundations, including Queen of the Valley Hospital and Napa Valley Planning Commission. He served twice as Chairman of the Napa Valley Wine Auction, served on the Napa Valley Grand Jury, and was longtime and active member of Napa Rotary. He enjoyed his affiliations with the Chevalier du Tastevin, and with his fellow GONADS (The Gastronomical Order for Nonsensical and Dissipatory Society), a group of fun-loving yet dedicated friends and fellow Napa Valley wine industry pioneers.

Jay was a life-long and devoted Chicago Cubs fan, rooting for his beloved Cubbies since he was a kid at Wrigley Field in the 1930s. Jay also cheered for the Stanford Cardinal, and loved to spend weekends tailgating at the eucalyptus grove at Stanford stadium, and cheering on his alma mater from the old wooden benches.

He had a wonderful sense of humor, and would light up a room with his smile and wit. His love of swing music lifted the spirits, and was frequently playing in the background. He was a well-traveled man, familiar with international cultures, yet was most comfortable at home with family.

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

- Calvin Coolidge

Jan 11, 2023 at 5:10 AM Permalink

MONTICELLO 'Corley Reserve' | Proprietary Red Wine

A great pleasure of estate winegrowing is to see how our wines develop over time, sometimes very long periods of time. We’ve been farming our estate vineyards for more than 50 years … in fact we’re one of the few fifty plus year old, family owned, estate grown wineries remaining in Napa Valley. We tend to develop personal relationships with our wines and vineyard blocks.

One of my favorite wines to blend is our MONTICELLO ‘Corley Reserve’ Proprietary Red Wine. I love the freedom this wine allows me during the creative flow of the blending process. Since this wine is labeled simply as red wine, I’m free to follow my palate through all of the barrels in our cellar when assembling this blend each year. Ever since the first vintage in 1999, this wine has typically been composed of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, although there have been a few vintages over the last 24 years, that I’ve unconventionally blended in some Syrah.

Most of the blends have been led by Cabernet Franc, which is such a magnificent grape when grown with love. We grow four different selections of Cabernet Franc on two estate ranches in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley Each selection has a different nuance of the varietal, and all of them represent it wonderfully.

In general, these bold red blends hit a wonderful sweet spot on the palate at 10-15 years. With about an hour of decanting, the tannins are as smooth as silk, the fruit is awakened from its bottled slumber, and the finish just keeps going and going. I’ve been enjoying our MONTICELLO 'Corley Reserve' Proprietary Red Wine 2006 and Proprietary Red Wine 2007 over the last couple of years, and as we enter 2023, I’m looking forward to enjoying and featuring our 2008 as a fifteen year library selection!

The 2008 growing season was a little bit of a roller coaster, but It ended up being an exceptional year for quality. Drought preceded a hard frost, which led to an uneven set and a small crop. Then heat spikes hit as harvest began. But after that it was smooth sailing, resulting in wines of very good to exceptional quality. Given all the climatic challenges, our only disappointed was the low tonnage in several vineyards.

Our MONTICELLO ‘Corley Reserve’ Proprietary Red Wine 2008 is a blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 38% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. I just enjoyed a bottle of this with Christmas Dinner and it was absolutely terrific. Smooth supple tannins, beautiful aromas of plum, black cherry and tertiary aromas of cinnamon, potpourri and chocolate. The transitions across the palate are seamless, and the finish just sails on and on. The light beam of acidity on the midpalate (a telltale from our cooler southern Oak Knoll District vineyards) has kept the wine vibrant and alive at fifteen years, especially with the softer tannins.

We’ll be celebrating this wine all through 2023 as a fifteen year library selection. As we close out 2022, I’m excited to offer it together in a three-bottle bundle with our 2006 & 2007, so you can experience and enjoy the same multi-vintage transitions that I have for the last few years. And we’ll send it to you in a sharp three-bottle gift box!

If you’re intrigued, please CLICK HERE … enter coupon code BOXDAY, and you’ll receive 20.22% savings and we’ll ship the order to you for a MONTICELLO Nickel ($0.05 flat rate special).

Dec 26, 2022 at 1:24 PM Permalink

Remembering Dear Ol' Dad | Jay Corley, 1931-2016

Jay was born on July 30, 1931 in Chicago, to John and Helen Corley. After graduating from Cranbrook high school in Detroit, Jay moved west to attend Arizona State and Stanford University. He later attended Pepperdine, where he received his MBA. His thesis was based on how to start a vineyard and winery business in the Napa Valley. Jay's interest in culture and languages also led him to serve as an Italian linguist with the NSA.

An entrepreneur at his core, Jay founded and managed a number of successful business ventures in Southern California in the 1960s. His family's long history of farming was always on his mind, and he felt himself drawn towards the reemerging wine regions in Northern California. When the post-prohibition reincarnation of Napa Valley's winegrowing industry began to germinate in the 1960s, Jay was quick to recognize the region's potential for growing world-class wine, and he made the decision to move north and follow his dream.

He established his vineyard in 1969 in the cooler southern end of the Napa Valley, now known as the Oak Knoll District. When he first surveyed his land, he stood in a tired and gnarly prune orchard peppered with black walnut trees, but what he saw was a world-class vineyard with the potential to make classic wines. In 1981, after more than a decade of growing and selling his grapes to other wineries, he built the winery at Monticello Vineyards and began to produce his own estate-grown wines. Jay took great pride that the winery he founded has entered into its second generation, with its third generation showing early interest in the family wine business.

Jay nurtured a strong sense of civic duty, and served on several boards and foundations, including Queen of the Valley Hospital and Napa Valley Planning Commission. He served twice as Chairman of the Napa Valley Wine Auction, served on the Napa Valley Grand Jury, and was longtime and active member of Napa Rotary. He enjoyed his affiliations with the Chevalier du Tastevin, and with his fellow GONADS (The Gastronomical Order for Nonsensical and Dissipatory Society), a group of fun-loving yet dedicated friends and fellow Napa Valley wine industry pioneers.

Jay was a life-long and devoted Chicago Cubs fan, rooting for his beloved Cubbies since he was a kid at Wrigley Field in the 1930s. Jay also cheered for the Stanford Cardinal, and loved to spend weekends tailgating at the eucalyptus grove at Stanford stadium, and cheering on his alma mater from the old wooden benches.

He had a wonderful sense of humor, and would light up a room with his smile and wit. His love of swing music lifted the spirits, and was frequently playing in the background. He was a well-traveled man, familiar with international cultures, yet was most comfortable at home with family.

PRESS ON!

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

- Calvin Coolidge

Jan 11, 2022 at 6:29 AM Permalink

Founders Month | Happy Birthday Pop!

We're winding up Founder's Month here at the winery, and there is no better way to celebrate it than on our dad's birthday. Jay Corley was born on July 30, 1931, and today is his 90th birthday!

Happy Birthday Pop!

Of all of his interests, Jay was most driven by his love of Burgundian wines, which is what originally enticed him to Napa Valley in the late 1960s to establish our family winery in the Oak Knoll District. He had many other interests as well, and had a particular penchant for combining his interests with business. In business, he was a deeply strategic thinker; although on a personal level, he was a pretty straightforward guy, generally valuing simplicity over complexity. He had some simple pleasures in life, one in particular was enjoying a bowl of fresh popcorn.

With a strong business gene in his DNA, it was inevitable that Jay's enjoyment of popcorn would eventually manifest itself into some sort of business, and in the 1980s, the Napa Valley Popcorn Company was born. He procured gourmet kernels, and packaged them very elegantly in a flint burgundy bottle (of course, a burgundy bottle!). Capped with a gold capsule, and an image of a fully 'ripened' cluster of popcorn, these bottles were great additions to family movie night! Napa Valley Popcorn Company was based out of his old office at Vintage 1870, and I remember the popcorn bottle sitting on his desk for years as a kid. We would go with him to work plenty of times, and I spent a lot of time roaming around there, visiting the Connecticut Yankee, the toy store, having lunch at the Chutney Kitchen (now Bottega is in that space).

Even as a kid, I always admired how our dad seemed to find enjoyment in the things that he did and pursued. When I got older, I started to realize that he wasn't finding enjoyment, he was making it happen. That made me admire him even more. 

Those bottles of popcorn always tasted better to me because I knew who stood behind them, and I believe the same can be said for our wines. Popcorn and wine might seem like an unusual pairing, but the further I make my way through life, the more firmly I believe that its the 'unusual pairings', and the people that identify them, that actually make life interesting!

Today is our Pop's birthday, and to celebrate, we bought a classic popcorn cart to keep at the winery. We'll start serving up some complimentary popcorn on special occasions for our guests in celebration and honor of our Founder and Dear Ol' Dad.

Happy Birthday Pop!

Jul 30, 2021 at 8:27 AM Permalink

Founder's Month | Library Selection | CORLEY Magnums 'Vintage 2014'

As we celebrate Founder's Month this July, we're pulling some wonderful wines from the library. Tasting back through these older wines truly reflects our long-thinking commitments to our stewardship of the land that our Founder Jay Corley started more than 50 years ago. These library selections were specifically made to improve over time, and to age gracefully for +20 years.
 
This week, we're focusing on the 2014 vintage, specifically our CORLEY selections bottled in magnums. Here is some additional information on this terrific vintage, including vintage commentary, general tasting notes, and some thoughts about aging wine in magnums. 

VINTAGE 2014 NOTES : The 2013/2014 winter was one of the driest on record in California and rainfall totals in the Napa Valley were approximately half of normal. However, the timing could not have been better : heavy rains in late February and early March gave a much-needed drink of water to the vines as they were emerging from dormancy and about to begin bud break. Furthermore, the spring was warm allowing vintners and growers to save water if needed for irrigation rather than using it for frost protection. And finally, while the vines used for high-quality wine production generally don’t need much water, a benefit of the drought is that berry sizes are typically smaller and have more concentrated flavors, which contributed to the overall quality of this year’s harvest. As it relates to Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-inspired blends, our wines from 2014 are some of the best of the last decade, deep in complexity, texture, flavor and aroma. In general, the wines have an appropriate balance of tannin which allows them to be approachable in their youth, but will enable them to age gracefully for 20+ years.

The Napa earthquake on August 24 was an exciting prelude for the vintage! While it created a lot of cleanup work for us leading into the harvest, it had no direct impact on the quality of the wines from 2014. This picture is the actual barrel room where we stored our barrels in 2014. Our barrels are not in this picture, we were fortunate to have had our barrels stored next to the wall on the north end of the building ... when the earthquake struck, most of our barrels were prevented from falling by the northern walls.

In upcoming posts, we're excited to share some more details about specific wines from the terrific 2014 vintage. In the meantime, for more information on availability of any of these special wines, please visit CORLEY Library Wines | Vintage 2014.

Jul 24, 2021 at 7:49 PM Permalink

Founder's Month | Library Selection : CORLEY Cabernet Sauvignon 'Reserve' 1999

Jul 16, 2021 at 10:08 AM Permalink