This is based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2011 Robert Mondavi Winery Chardonnay

2012 Robert Mondavi Winery Pinot Noir

2011 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

 

 

 

The Robert Mondavi Winery history is full of triumphs and disappointments.  The winery that Robert Mondavi founded and poured his heart into, eventually caused him his biggest heart breaks.  The downfall for the family began when they took the company public.  This money making venture, years down the road, lead to the family being pushed out of the picture.

 

Robert Mondavi Winery (from the winery)

Robert Mondavi established his namesake winery in 1966 with a vision to create Napa Valley wines that would stand in the company of the world’s finest.  He chose To Kalon Vineyard in the heart of the Napa Valley as the home for Robert Mondavi Winery. This first-growth vineyard, located in Oakville, California, is renowned for producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines in the world, as well as for its Sauvignon Blanc grapes, from which Mr. Mondavi crafted his signature wine, Fumé Blanc.

 

Along with To Kalon Vineyard, Robert Mondavi Winery sources grapes from some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyards, including Stag’s Leap (Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc) and Carneros (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay).

 

Mr. Mondavi believed that wines should reflect their origins, that they are the product of the soil, the climate, and the careful stewardship of those precious resources. He also believed in combining the newest techniques and technology with time-honored winemaking traditions.

 

Our winemaking and vineyard teams are proud to carry on our founder’s mandate to always strive higher, to pursue Robert Mondavi’s goal of excellence with the same passion and innovative spirit, moving forward with programs that break barriers and open new frontiers.

 

Leading this initiative is Genevieve Janssens, Director of Winemaking. Genevieve, whose relationship with the winery began in 1978, was selected Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2010.

 

 

 

 

The wines

The wines for this tasting:

 

 

 

2011 Robert Mondavi Winery Chardonnay – SRP $19

This 100% Chardonnay is made from grapes sourced from:

56% Carneros (Napa Valley), 24% Napa Valley, 14% Stag’s Leap District and 6% Russian River Valley.  The grapes were whole cluster pressed.  75% of the juice was fermented in French oak with 15% being new.  The remaining 25% was cold fermented in stainless steel tanks.  Some of the wine went through malolactic fermentation.

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light yellow to straw color.  The fresh and fruity nose has apples, melon, pears, vanilla, baking spices, minerals, orange blossoms and lemon zest.  This has medium body, fairly creamy mouth feel with crisp acidity and just a slight trace of lingering sweetness.  On the palate the white orchard fruit and spices grab the palate initially before minerals and mouthwatering citrus kick in and take over.  The finish has decent length with minerals, citrus, and a bit of oak carrying the load.  A touch of residual sugar adds nice richness without making the wine off dry.  This is a food friendly Chardonnay that would also make for a nice glass with friends and conversation.  (88 pts)

 

 

2012 Robert Mondavi Winery Pinot Noir – SRP $26

This wine is made of 100% Napa Carneros Pinot Noir.  Select vineyard blocks were whole cluster fermented, most were destemmed and crushed prior to fermentation.  The wine was fermented in French oak and had 21 days of skin contact.  After fermentation, the wine was gently pressed into French oak (26% new) for malolactic fermentation and five months of aging before being bottled in April 2013.

 

The wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottles are sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright cherry red color.  The earthy nose has plums, earthy underbrush, baking spices, cherries and a touch of cola.  This has medium body, soft tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate plums, cherries and spice hit first then the earthy elements take over.  The finish has decent length with the earthy elements in control and the fruit providing some needed sweetness in the background.  A middle of the road style of Pinot Noir, some upfront fruit but not overly ripe and rich like some of the California Pinots.  (86 pts)

 

 

2011 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley – SRP $28

The 2011 vintage was a difficult one in the Napa Valley.  There was tenacious morning fog, unseasonably cool weather and rainfall at flowering time and during the October harvest.

 

This wine is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot.  The grapes were sourced from 100% Napa Valley vineyards including To Kalon Vineyard (35%) and Wappo Hill Vineyard (13%).

 

The grapes were gently destemmed into stainless steel tanks and oak tanks.  There was a 26 day maceration to maximize the extraction of color and flavor.  This also helped polish the tannins for a rich, supple mouthfeel.  The finished wine was transferred to 60 gallon French oak barrels (13% new) for malolactic fermentation.  The wine received 16 months of barrel aging before being bottled in May 2013.

 

The wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottles are sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color.  The expressive nose has cassis, tomato leaf, minerals, mocha, cedar, fresh sage and thyme, and violets.  The wine has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the wine shows the cool vintage with a fair amount of tomato leaf and fresh herbs to go with the fruit.  The finish has fair length again showing the herbal side of the Cabernet grape.  This is a wine that will go well with food but is not a wine to sip on its own.  This isn’t a Cabernet to lock away in the cellar, serve it with a burger or roast beef over the next couple of years.  This wine does have a distinct green streak that will not agree with a lot of wine enthusiasts.  (84 pts)

 

 

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.

 

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Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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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:

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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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!

 

 

 

 

This is based on a sample provided by the winery or an organization representing them.

 

 

I received a real nice Sampler set from Robert Mondavi Winery.  The set included two bottles of their Central Coast Private Selection wines, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2011 Chardonnay.  Also included were nicely prepared spec sheets, their “Guide to the Central Coast”, a recipe for “Penne alla Napoli with Prawns” from Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Little Napoli Restaurant, a couple of salumi from Paso Robles’ Allesina Fine Cured Meats, and a nice Moon Book on Santa Barbara and the Central Coast.

 

 

 

We didn’t try the recipe yet, but it looks tasty.  I’ll post the recipe and my “tasting note” when we make it in the next month or two.  The salumi was delicious.  We served one with some assorted cheeses and crackers during appetizers at a dinner party on Saturday and it disappeared VERY fast.  Highly recommended!

 

 

 

On to the reason you are reading this, the wines.

 

 

 

 

Winery history

I think most readers of my blog know the sometimes turbulent history of the Robert Mondavi Winery.  Since the scope of this piece is their “Private Selection” line of wines, I’ll showcase that part of the winery’s history.

 

The winery designated a few wines as “Private Selection” as far back as 1974.  There were a few offerings over the years until 1991.  With the 1993 vintage, the Private Selection label became an annual offering in Mondavi’s portfolio of wines.

 

 

(from the winery website)

Robert Mondavi developed a deep appreciation for the distinctive vineyards of California’s coast during the course of decades sourcing fruit from the region. In 1994, Robert Mondavi Private Selection wines was founded with this appreciation in mind, and a mission to exclusively draw from North and Central Coast appellations, showcasing the high quality and varied character of these grapes.

 

The allure of the California coast is simple: it is a region of tremendous varietal quality and versatility that can be used by a winemaker much as an artist uses a broad palette to blend color and create a remarkable finished piece. In this case, the result is a high quality, affordable fine wine born of the best of California’s diverse growing regions.

 

Robert Mondavi Private Selection produces Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Fume Blanc, Syrah, Zinfandel and Riesling. These wines – from light and lively to full-bodied and concentrated – have approachable bright fruit expression and exceptional balance, as well as great depth and texture. All are crafted to be enjoyed upon release.

 

 

 

My comments

I have to admit, I usually drink wines a step or two above this level.  There is a reason for this, I’ve had too many lower end wines that tasted manipulated, lacked any varietal character, and that were over ripe, syrupy, and off dry.  The third reason is the one that disagrees with my palate the most.  I don’t like a bit of residual sugar in my dry wine.

 

 

 

2010 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Private Selection Central Coast – Suggested Retail Price $11.00

 

This wine comes from cooler climate Central Coast vineyards.  Besides the Cabernet Sauvignon (88%), this contains small amounts of Syrah(5%), Merlot(3%), Petit Verdot(2%), Malbec(1%), and Cabernet Franc(1%).  The sources for the grapes used in this wine are Monterrey County (60%), Paso Robles (30%), Santa Barbara County (5%) and Valley South (5%).

 

The wine was aged in oak for 12 months.

 

The alcohol is a very respectable 13.5%.

 

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby color, lighter at the edge.  The fairly straight forward nose has cassis, baking spices, white pepper, dried herbs, cherry, toasty oak, and a slight herbal note in the background.  This has medium body, nice acidity, and a bit of a tannic edge.  The wine is a bit brighter on the palate with cherry and baking spices leading the way.  The finish is a touch short with the herbal note from the nose making an appearance.  All in all, much better than most of the $11 and under Cabernets I have had over the years.  This is dry and would work well at a party with appetizers or would go well with a nice weeknight dinner of beef stew, meat loaf, or even a meaty pizza.  There are much worse ways to spend your wine money.

 

 

 

 2011 Robert Mondavi Winery Chardonnay Private Selection – Suggested Retail Price $11.00

 

This wine comes from cooler climate Central Coast vineyards.  Besides the Chardonnay (96%), this contains small amounts of Thompson Seedless(2%), White Riesling(1%), and Gewürztraminer (1%).  The sources for the grapes used in this wine is Monterrey County(89%), San Benito County(7%), Santa Clara County (2%) and Valley South (2%).

 

30% of the wine was barrel fermented and aged 10 months in oak.  The remaining 70% was tank fermented.  The wine was 100% aged on the lees for 10 months.  Thirty percent of the blend went through malolactic fermentation to foster a creamy mouthfeel.

 

The alcohol is a very respectable 13.5%.

 

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice golden straw color.  On the fresh smelling nose there are crisp apples, lemon zest, white peaches, toasty oak, fresh Spring flowers, and a bit of baking spices.  This has medium body and is a touch creamy with some citrusy acidity kicking in on the back end.  On the palate there is a big shot of spicy, tart apples and lemon zest with just a touch of oak adding depth.  This finish has good length with nice balance between the apples and lemon zest with just enough spicy oak to keep the wine in check.  This would be a nice wine to serve with a creamy, rich dish or chicken.  This wine could also be served on its own as a nice cocktail wine.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!