Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve 2000

Anyone opening this should do so 1 day in advance. The green streak is gone and the lushness arrives big time. Day 1: 88 Day 2: 91

February 2008

A firm, tight, tannic baseline forms the foundation for this intense, rich and concentrated wine, with a mix of currant, cedar, sage, and dusty berry. Well-balanced, with chewy tannins, it's an elegant, well-crafted wine.

September 2009

About my 6th time with this wine and its best showing yet. I learned a thing of two along the way. Decant is a must. I double-decanted right back into its bottle about 1pm, to actually drink at 6pm.Beautiful lively but surely mature color with lightly rust colored edges. The nose shows of an elegant Bordeaux. Subdued cassis and graphite/lead pencil is all upfront. The palate shows some soy, cedar, leather, earth, tar, and tobacco. The fruit has taken the back seat, but by no means missing. Some more of the red cherry variety this time. Some black cassis with some very slight cola. Mouth fell was elegant read more...and mid weighted. Finish was decent and tannins are fully evolved. Surely a Mondavi wine, but can easily trick me blind. This really showed beautifully tonight. Glad I have more. Oh yeah, I paid $30 and this was well worth it.    (hide)

February 2009

Soft and succulent blackberry and cassis fruit upfront, framed by squeaky clean tannins and solid oak elements. This is most notable for its voluptuous, velvety texture, which coats the palate with sweet flavors. It’s not a big wine but a balanced, harmonious one, and a success for the vintage.

Our Robert Mondavi Winery 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon has deep, expressive aromas and flavors of berry and black currant with nuances of mocha, violets and spice. The fruit envelops an elegant structure with firm, velvety tannins and excellent length. The wine's personality comes from the soils and climates of vineyards located in the geographic center of Napa Valley. Fermentation with both native and cultured yeast strains gives layers of nuance to the wine, and extended skin contact intensifies varietal complexity and softens tannins. We aged the wine in French oak chateau barrels read more...and bottled it without filtration to capture the full flavor profile and lush texture. We selected the majority of the grapes from the center of Napa Valley, a region well known for producing intensely flavored Cabernet family grape varieties. The balance of sunny days and cool, foggy nights here is perfect for developing rich, complex flavors and velvety tannins in Cabernet Sauvignon. A range of deep, alluvial soils to lean volcanic ones contributes to the diverse flavors in this wine,. We chose 40% of the grapes from the Oakville American Viticultural Area (AVA) including 24% from Robert Mondavi's historic To Kalon Vineyard. We sourced the balance of the grapes primarily from vineyards in Rutherford and Stags Leap District AVAs.    (hide)

The complexity of flavors and exceptional elegance of our 1998 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon reflects the diversity of outstanding terroirs of Napa Valley. Notes of cassis, ripe berry, plum, spices, violets and chocolate unfold in the intriguing aromas and velvety flavors. Napa Valleys 1998 vintage yielded a crop of intensely flavored grapes, giving this Cabernet Sauvignon remarkable richness, concentration and length on the palate.