These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2013 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Sauvignon Blanc Limited Release Charles Krug Vineyard Estate

2011 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Merlot

2011 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Family Reserve Generations

2011 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve Howell Mountain

 

 

 

Overview

I had the extreme honor of being selected to participate in an online tasting to celebrate Charles Krug’s 150^th vintage.  This tasting featured three red wines from this monumental vintage.  The tasting also included one white wine, a Sauvignon Blanc from the 2013 vintage.

 

The wines produced still carry the historical Charles Krug name, but also carry the moniker of Peter Mondavi Family.

 

If you would like to view the recorded webcast of the event, please click here.

 

 

 

 

The Winery

The Charles Krug Winery, Napa Valley’s oldest winery, was established by Prussian immigrant Charles Krug in 1861.  In 1943, Italian immigrants Cesare and Rosa Mondavi purchased the historic property, which remains a family-owned winery producing estate-driven Napa Valley wines.  Built on a foundation of family values, hard work and European winemaking tradition, the winery offers a portfolio of Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-styled wines.  The winery is under the direction of Peter Mondavi Jr., who along with his brother Marc Mondavi, stewards the family business passed to them by their father, legendary Napa Valley wine icon Peter Mondavi Sr., who continues to serve as President and CEO.  The family is now proudly welcoming members of the fourth generation to the business, continuing a legacy started almost 70 years ago and setting a foundation for generations to come.

 

Above all else, Charles Krug Winery is a family winery.  Peter Sr. and his sons Marc and Peter Jr. continue their dedication to producing the finest Bordeaux style wines in the Napa Valley.  To achieve this, they initiated a nine-year, $22 million investment program completed in 2010.  Over 400 of the winery’s 850 prime acres in Napa Valley have been re-planted and state-of-the-art winemaking equipment is now in use.

 

Much more information on the winery, its history and wines is available by clicking here.

 

 

 

The wines for this event were provided to me by Charles Communications.

 

About Charles Communications Associates

CCA is an independent creative marketing firm that employs traditional public relations and new media strategies to assist companies, organizations and non-profits in the creation, development and marketing of interesting and compelling brands.  Recognized as one of the most effective PR firms in the wine industry, we have an exceptional track record of promoting products in the gourmet, natural and organic food and beverage categories, from wine and tea to top shelf spirits and luxury goods.  We consider ourselves fortunate to work with clients who share our philosophy of social responsibility in work and everyday life.

 

For more information, visit the CCA website.

 

 

 

 

The  Wines

Here was the line up for this tasting.

 

 

 

2013 Limited Release Estate Sauvignon Blanc – SRP $35

This wine is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the winery’s Estate Vineyard.  This was the third release of this “Limited Release” wine.  The total production was only 340 cases.

 

This wine was fermented in stainless steel and aged Sur lie for seven months.

 

The wine has 13.6% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright yellow with a slight green tint.  The lively nose has grapefruit, mint, minerals, spice and a touch of smoke.  This has a medium body with crisp citrusy acidity and just a touch of creaminess.  On the palate tart grapefruit, mint and minerals hit up front with a touch of spice coming in later.  The finish has good length with the mouthwatering grapefruit leading the way.  This is a very nice and serious Sauvignon Blanc.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Napa Valley Merlot – SRP $25

This wine is a blend of 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Sirah, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot.

 

Due to below average temperatures and late Spring rains the yield was down about 30% from usual and the grapes were harvested in early September instead of the usual mid-August.  The area received a few heat spikes to help ripening.  There was also some rain while the grapes were still on the vines.  The winery performed hand thinning of the leaves and adjusted shoot positioning to provide better sun exposure and to maximize air flow to deter the development of mold.

 

The wine was aged for 18 months in a mix of French and American oak.  The wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The enticing nose has crushed berries, plums, minerals, cocoa powder, vanilla, red currants and a touch of white pepper.  This has a medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate berries, plums, mocha and vanilla hit first with some spicy cedar coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with a nice kick of spice. One of the best Merlot wines I have tasted in a few years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Family Reserve ‘Generations’ – SRP $50

This wine is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec and 3% Merlot.

 

The first vintage of Generations in 1991 was a blend crafted by Marc Mondavi and was suspect by Peter Mondavi Sr. who was partial to single varietal wines.  Marc demonstrated to his father that a wine of this nature could hold its own against the growing popularity of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley.

 

The wine was aged for 20 months in a new French oak.  The wine has 13.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color.  The nose has cassis, blackberries, baking spices, dark chocolate, minerals and jalapeno pepper.  This has medium body and moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  Spicy berries, mocha and cedar coat the palate with minerals and jalapeno coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length but I wish the jalapeno wasn’t so prominent.  After a couple of hours the jalapeno notes were still present but pushed into the background.  This could use a couple of years in the cellar.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Family Reserve ‘Howell Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon – SRP $75

This wine is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec.

 

This is the inaugural release of the Family Reserve Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The wine was aged for 19 months in a new French oak.  The wine has 13.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark ruby red to purple color.  The outstanding nose has cassis, cherries, cedar, mint, dried herbs, baking spices, dark chocolate, black pepper and vanilla.  This has medium body moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  This is nicely layered on the palate with the fruit, spice, dried herbs and oak taking turns strutting their stuff.  The finish has very good length with “chewy” tannins kicking in.  This is a very serious wine that deserves a few years in the cellar.  Ignore this one until the end of the decade if possible.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

Closing comments

If I had to choose one word to describe this line up of wines, it would be “serious”.  These are not easy-drinking wines to open and sip, these are made to accompany a good meal.  Bravo to the Peter Mondavi Family for putting out such an outstanding group of wines.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!