Winemaker's Notes:
"Medium ruby. Cassis, violet and fresh herbs on the nose. Then fat and sweet in the mouth, with complex flavors of blackberry, espresso and graphite. Finishes with ripe tannins and lovely chocolatey persistence. Very promising."
-International Wine Cellar 90-92 Barrel Sample
"The finest regular Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon in many years, the beautiful 2002 Napa (a 44,000-case blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest small quantities of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot) exhibits a dark ruby/purple color as well as a sweet nose of red and black currants, earth, truffles, herbs, and tobacco. A silky texture, medium to full body, and excellent concentration result in a tasty Cabernet to drink now and over the next 10-12 years."
-Wine Advocate
Our Robert Mondavi Winery 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 château barrels 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.
|