SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:

Today’s wine is, in a word, gorgeous! Today’s wine is another stellar example of how wonderful Napa Cabernet Sauvignon can be.

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Mission Codename: Over the Moon

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Infiltrate Oberon and ascertain Rob Mondavi’s winemaking prowess. If he passes the Wine Spies vetting process, retrieve Oberon’s best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Oberon

Wine Subject: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley – Oso Vineyard

Winemakers: Rob Mondavi and Tony Coltrin

Backgrounder: The name Mondavi is instantly known to nearly all who enjoy finer wines. The Mondavi family, and Robert Mondavi winery, have been Napa Valley legend since 1966. When we were offered the opportunity to taste today’s wine – made by Robert Mondavi, Jr., – we were honored. Today’s wine is a delicious and rich Napa Cab that lives up to the Mondavi quest for fine wine perfection. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report below for a complete profile of today’s wine

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet with perfect clarity, concentrated color to the rim of the glass, and a speedy yet weighty-looking surface that settles quickly after swirling, leaving behind skinny, widely-spaced legs that move slowly down the glass

Smell – Lush layers of dark and smoky fruits, with a rush of soft spice with blueberry, blackberry, mocha and heavy minerals with soft cigar box and dark mushroom

Feel – Soft, light and plush on entry, then lush tannins take hold with a rich texture that coats your mouth as flavors expand and become even larger in your mouth

Taste – Deeply delicious with tender layers of lush fruit with dark mixed berries, smoky plum, chalky mineral, black cherry, tobacco, chocolate toffee, toasted vanilla (soft oak) and cassis

Finish – Extra long finish with richly layered medium tannins that dry slightly – but then leave behind big flavors that quickly increase in intensity and proportion before they gradually taper off

Conclusion – I was deeply impressed by this wine! To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I have deep respect for the talents and accomplishments of the Mondavi family and I approached this wine with an open mind. I was so blown away on first sip, and the wine became even better as it was allowed to breath. I do recommend at least 30 minutes of decanting on this elegant yet robust wine. I found greater depth and more dimensionality to the wine after jst 15 minues, but the wine really settles in and becomes even better with more time. Not your typical Napa Cab, this wine has enough restraint to make it very complimentary to most meals. I paired mine with a rather difficult black bean nachos with chees and medium salsa. The wine held up beautifully against the big flavors and spices present in the nachos and, in fact, offered a somewhat cleansing effect – all while maintaining its own flavor profile on my palate. If you are looking for a very balanced Napa Cab, look no further!

Mission Report:

Certainly you know that the Mondavi family is the stuff of legend in the wine industry. For purposes of this mission report, I won’t delve into the history of the family that has been called “America’s First Family of wine”.

Rather, I will tell you that today’s wine, this Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from Oberon, is a superb representation of generations of fine winemaking experience.

Robert Mondavi, Jr., the grandson of family patriarch Robert Mondavi, is certainly influenced by his family’s roots, but he is also very much his own man when it comes to making fine wines.

As President of Winemaking and Partner at Folio Fine Wine Partners, a company he founded in 2004 with his father Michael, and sister Dina, Rob oversees all wine production for the company. His Oberon wines, made in collaboration with winemaking partner, Tony Coltrin, himself a wine lifer, are made from Napa Valley grapes from vineyards in the Oakville, Rutherford and Stags Leap appellations – and from Napa’s emerging sub-appellations.

The team’s combined experience, when brought to bare on the finest fruit in the Napa Valley, produces wines of great refinement, style and even fun. Oberon’s wines are made to be enjoyed. They are also made to convey a real sense of place, by giving you a taste of the very best that the Napa Valley has to offer.

Oberon’s wines are also exceptionally food friendly, with the perfect balance of dark flavors against bright acidity and fun fruit that shines through in every sip. Even lighter meals will not be muscled by this wine. Instead, meals of all sorts will be complimented.

Today’s wine is delicious and robust, with great balance and a great feel.

Our spy hats are off to you, Rob Mondavi, you and Tony have crafted a really great wine with this 2005 Oberon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

We can’t wait to taste through your other creations!

Wine Spies Winery Check:

The location of the Folio Winemaker’s Studio, where Agent Red first tasted today’s Cabernet Sauvignon, can be seen in this satellite photo.