History As one of the preeminent Napa Valley wineries, Robert Mondavi Winery has a long and illustrious history of developing and growing the highest quality grapes and crafting outstanding Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Mr. Mondavi pioneered winemaking in the Napa Valley and this rich heritage of crafting beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon wines continues today. The prestigious Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has received over 300 90+ scores and numerous accolades from wine critics the world over throughout its 50+-year history. As one of the most ageable red wines, Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon wines will be a solid addition to your wine cellar.

Tasting Notes Flavors of rich black berries and black plum, dried herb complexity, sweet oak spices, vanilla bean, and toasted almonds unfold in mesmerizing layers, sending a wave of deliciously intense complexity across the palate in a tasty expression of power and elegance.

Vineyard Notes 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 rain—to 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 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 maceration – a total of 35 days of wine to skin contact – maximizing 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 twenty (20) months of barrel aging. The wine was bottled in August of 2017.

Winemaker Notes Generous winter rains helped alleviate the drought conditions of the past four years, and the 2016 growing season started early. Throughout the summer months, we enjoyed cooler than average daytime highs and cool evenings, providing balancing acidity to our sun-ripened grapes. The near-perfect growing season continued through harvest and our grapes were safely in the cellar as the valley’s first significant rainstorm arrived late October. We are grateful for a fifth consecutive vintage of stellar quality Napa Valley wines. Our specially selected grapes for The Reserve cabernet sauvignon were picked between September 9th and October 11th.