Mondavi Cabernet Reserve 2014

Description

”Tasting Notes The complexity, power and sophistication of fruit from our To Kalon site, considered a grand cru among Napa Valley vineyards, is on full display in this vineyard-designated Reserve, with sweet dark cherry and richly concentrated blackberry fruits, a savory, earthy complexity, and toasty oak, vanilla and spice which lingers through the luxuriously long finish.Vineyard Notes This is the fourth vintage of our To Kalon Vineyard-designated Reserve. When Robert Mondavi chose the To Kalon Vineyard in west Oakville as the home for his new winery in 1966 he remarked that, It was a vineyard with a distinguished history and a magical nature. Ideal soils, sunlight, and rainto my eye, the vineyard was a treasure. Those sentiments were re-confirmed when the To Kalon Vineyard was named the Vineyard of the Year by the California State Farm Bureau in 2011. Our Reserve is blended from the finest blocks within To Kalon.Production Notes 2014 started with worrisome, drought-like conditions, and many feared a parched, dry spring as in 2013. Refreshingly, spring rains came in February and into March providing water for the soils and filling reservoirs. The wine growing season will most be remembered for the August 24th earthquake that occurred just as harvest was commencing in the Napa Valley. The vines were not affected and harvest finished early, bringing in beautiful, healthy fruit. Our specially selected grapes for the Reserve cabernet sauvignon were picked between September 6th and October 8th.Winemaker Notes The grapes were hand-harvested with three stages of strict sorting first, on the vine, then by individual clusters, and then again by single berry following de-stemming. The selected grapes went directly into traditional French oak tanks for cold soak, fermentation and extended macerationa total of 35 days of wine to skin contactmaximizing the extraction of varietal character and complexity while keeping the tannins round and supple. The new wine was drained and gently pressed into 100% new French-oak barrels for malolactic fermentation, assuring seamless integration of fruit and oak. The final blend was assembled through repeated tasting trials over nineteen months of barrel aging. The wine was bottled in August of 2016.95 Points Deep ruby/purple-colored, notes of sweet creme de cassis, blackberry, charcoal and toast are present in the subtle but intense aromatics. The wine is full-bodied and classically crafted, building incrementally on the palate and displaying full-bodied richness, sweet tannin, and a potential to age for 25-30+ years. This is a beauty.It goes without saying that probably no one did more for the image, the quality and the prestige of Napa Valley than Robert Mondavi. He was the ambassador for the region, and while he certainly lived to see its rise to glory and fame, I doubt that even he envisioned the remarkable wines that are now emanating in prolific quantities from this Shangri-La for growing grapes. Robert Parker – The Wine Advocate, December 30, 201695 Points This is made from a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon from the famous historic site, with 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It startles in beauty and grace, with plenty of power and concentration. It’s a charismatic wine, bright in red currant and black cherry and a soft, supple texture that holds an underlying grip and toasty oak spice.V.B. – Wine Enthusiast, February 2018 93 Points This shows some valley floor dusty texture with blueberry and currant character. Medium body, fine and silky tanning and a fresh finish. Shows the To Kalon magic.JamesSuckling.com, December 21, 2017 92 Points Supple and heady with the richness of Oakville cabernet, this is a plush, espresso-scented red. Associate Editor Geoff Millar described it as an oak rocket with dark fruit inside, the oak propelling the fresh raspberry and blackberry flavor. Winemaker Genevieve Janssens selects this wine from the vineyard that surrounds the winery, working with a range of blocks for this Reserve, including vines dating to 1974.Wine & Spirits, February 2018 90 Points Offers aromas of dusty berry, plum and currant, with crushed rock and graphite notes amid cedary oak and black licorice details and firm tannins. J.L. – Wine Spectator, March 2018 ”- Robert Mondavi Winery