Robert Mondavi Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Oakville

Amazing freshness and fruit. The wine was excellent. We paired it with four entrees. Pork chop, NY Steak, ribs, and lamb tenderloin. All guests enjoyed it. I wish I had more.

1999 vintage

still too good tanins are smooth fruit is still there, though through a veil

1999 vintage

Cork was slightly depressed and then disintegrated. I double decanted and then left in my cellar for 4 hours. This was all juice. Fantastic with steak. Lots of nice fruit. Very slight bricking. May have a nice bottle. Has plenty of time left.

1998 vintage

During a tasting with friends in Davos. Tertiary aromas of forest floor, dark fruit. Generous palate, eough freshness, fully mature, drink up.

1997 vintage

One-hour decant through a screened and aerating funnel. Plenty of sediment in both the screen and the bottle. Strong blackberry aromas during decant. Wine was clear; dark ruby bowl to a very thin amber rim and a moderate clear halo. After resting, a black fruit melange and some game on the nose. In the mouth: boysenberries, Fanta grape pop and some gravelly minerality. Long finish of the Fanta pop. This wine exceeded expectations given some warnings I received from friends. …

1999 vintage

One-hour decant through a screened and aerating funnel. Plenty of sediment in both the screen and the bottle. Strong blackberry aromas during decant. Wine was clear; dark ruby bowl to a very thin amber rim and a moderate clear halo. After resting, a black fruit melange and some game on the nose. In the mouth: boysenberries, Fanta grape pop and some gravelly minerality. Long finish of the Fanta pop. This wine exceeded expectations given some warnings I had received from …

1999 vintage

Beautiful bottle of this classic Napa Cabernet.

1999 vintage

The 1991 Mondavi Reserve Cabernet is from a time when summers were not as scorching hot as today, and grapes weren't left on the vine to push alc. levels past 15%. Thus it is an elegant example of lovely ripe Cab winemaking that stills delivers almost 35 years later. Rich nose of cherry, spice and sweet oak, a terrific "pure" Cab flavor; the palate is silky smooth, rich with ripe cherry with some raspberry, cedar and a tiny hint of …

1991 vintage

Slow ox for around four hours and then decanted for another hour before drinking with beef tenderloin. This was a very enjoyable wine. I haven’t had a Mondavi Reserve in a long time but drinking this brought back memories of having these years ago at the winery. I’ve always found these Mondavi Reserves very balanced, and this was no exception. Clearly new world and powerful, but not over the top or overly fruity. Good acidity too. These are great food …

2010 vintage

Still fantastic, one bottle left which I will open in a few years!

1997 vintage

Seemed a bit advanced to start with, but it came through in the glass, warmer than the Latour 91 served alongside, but equally fine.

1991 vintage

Outstanding. Near-perfect aged Napa Cab. The fruit was fresh, opulent, with a pop on the back palate and a remarkably long finish. My previous bottle seemed past prime, but this was a stunner.

1997 vintage

Dark garnet with some lightening at the rim. Deep, brooding nose of dark fruits, cassis and pencil lead. Ripely tannic, with a long, mouthcoating finish. Bags of life. Always enjoy the old Mondavi reserve cabs.

1992 vintage

I bought this wine from the winery directly at the end of a “vine to wine” tour. I even got to have lunch alongside the Mondavi family and got to meet Robert Mondavi. It was and remains a highlight of my winery visitation/ wine tasting life. I gave this particular bottle about one hour of air before evaluating. Extremely dark ruby color; noae of roasted meat and plum. It still has plenty of fruit up front: boysenberry, raspberry and grape …

1999 vintage

This is a bottle that my dad hand carried back from Napa in 1999 or so, but then never drank. I still can’t understand how much that happened. Anyway, this has perfect balance, still a modicum of fruit, and a finishing vapor trail of kirsch, tobacco, leather, and turned earth. Just wonderful, and I really wish I was drinking it with my dad.

1996 vintage

Quick decant. Aromas of leather, forest floor, matchstick and hint of cherry. Flavors of cherry, blackberry, and currant. Still lot of fruit on this but not a lot of flavors outside of that. Ends with long finish of 35+ seconds with cherry and currant notes. Note quite as good as the previous bottle but still holding on and quite tasty. Update: within 20 minutes the fruit and complexity really kicked it up a notch. Upgrading the score.

1996 vintage

Incredible purity of fruit, wonderful balance and a lasting finish. With roast beef sandwiches and cheese cubes at annual party here in Cincinnati. Exceptional. While magician was performing. Dad, Tim,, Katie and I. Lush, fine resolved tannins, wonderful, lasting finish.

2010 vintage

An absolute tour de force in TCA. So much so that it'll probably take days for me to stop smelling it.

1998 vintage

Aerated through a strainer and decanted for about an hour. Was delicious! Still full of fruit, but I think the window is coming to an end. LOTS of sediment.

1996 vintage

Beautiful dark garnet color, full-bodied and youthful while presenting a weightlessness that intrigues on the lasting finish. Red and dark fruit abound, drink or hold. From a 1/2 bottle, with Tim and Katie.

2010 vintage

Gorgeous even immediately after opening, but dramatically, memorably better after 30 or 40 minutes in the glass. Rich tobacco, cassis, red plums, mint (eucalyptus?), smoke, spices (mace?), and a touch of cedar, along with the faintest hint of licorice, expanding into a breathtakingly vivid and almost endless aftertaste and ending on a note of cherries. This is just a magnificent wine! Dramatically better than it was 5 years ago (2/2/2020)--perhaps because of the additional time, or perhaps because this time …

1991 vintage

Double MG and sadly oxidized. I was nearly crying. Noteworthy, I bought it at auction and the capsule was re-sealed with wax, and it had some signs of past seepage.

1991 vintage

Nem de longe entrega a idade que tem. Ainda pungente, alta acidez, frutas escuras e madeira bem inserida. CS, merlot e CF

1991 vintage

the 1990-1997 vintages of this wine are arguably some of the finest and for me this bottle keeps cementing the legacy. It's been over a decade since my last bottle of the 92 and this one more mature and bricking but still delivered the goods. Is it as good as a decade ago, maybe a touch less fresh and more tertiary but if you enjoy well aged Bordeaux of a similar age, how can you not appreciate this reference point? …

1992 vintage

Way too young

2010 vintage

Opened from a jero. Opened the bottle 7 hours ahead of dinner, but it was not enough air. Initially (after the 7 hour slowox) the fruit was incredibly shy and plummy and stewed in nature. Lots of tertiary notes. Throughout dinner, it significantly improved and kept getting better and better, delivering spades of dark berries as well as red fruits. Oh man, it drank so young but so delicious. There's still a bit of grippiness and the tannins were not …

1991 vintage

My Last Bottle opened last night for Dinner with Pork Tenderloin and Red Cabbage Apple Salad. Stunning Wine. Beautiful Red Color and loads of Fruit. Amazing Napa Wine of 34 years.

1991 vintage

This was a gorgeous wine that has aged beautifully. We didn't know what to expect before we opened this as the CT reviews are pretty varied as to opinions and scores and, the top half of the cork fell apart as we opened it. I was fortunate in pulling the lower half out tediously without any cork crumbs falling into the bottle. But boy what a surprise this turned out to be. A healthy color into the glass with no …

1997 vintage

Enjoyed this very much but just a little less than the 95 we had in December. This is still delicious and restrained at 13.5abv—hooray for this Napa era/style.

1996 vintage

Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep garnet-blood red color with lightening at the rim. Classic Napa cab profile of dried blackberries, black cherries, black currants and their liqueurs; mocha, hoisin sauce, mincemeat, bay leaf, forest floor. Full body, velvet mouth feel, seamless, balanced. Improved with air, held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator for 4 days.

1998 vintage

Blind I would peg this as a left bank Bourdeaux. Cassis, Cherry, graphite, tobacco, and a kiss of cedar. Never would I guess this is a Napa cab blend. And I mean that as a compliment. Superb example of what Napa cab can achieve with time.

1991 vintage

A decent wine, a green streak right through the mid palate. I love 90's Mondavi Reserves and this was better than some of the last ones I popped but these are no where near when these are on point. good wine, nothin great.

1999 vintage

2 hour decant. Still drinking well. Good bright fruit and smooth. Not sure if it will continue to improve so I would drink up in the next year or two.

2010 vintage

A cult wine , which I miss it.

2010 vintage

Unfortunately oxidative

1997 vintage

Delicate wine as for Napa cabernet and 1997 vintage. Good accidity, mixed black & red fruits, medium concentration of flavours overall good balance but lacks intensity, depth and concentration to deserve better score. I think this wine is on downside of it's life so don't wait it wouldn't be better.

1997 vintage

Super solid with cherry, plum minerals, mild oak, cigar and earth. Medium plus finish. Excellent.

1999 vintage

Aged Napa at 112 (112 Eatery, Mpls, MN) : Dark red color with an 8mm transition to clear margin. Spash double decanted due to cork issues. Drank a glass plus over 2 hours. This was a crazy cork situation to say the least. The bottle had been sitting upright just over night. On removing the top foil, the cork was depressed at least 1.5 inches and could move freely. There was no way even with a Durand to get a …

1991 vintage

Old school Napa at 112E CV,KB,LI,DD& SS. Kevin's btl. Saw a spash double decant due to a disintegrating sunken cork :). Remarkably, the wine showed great basically protected only by the capsule & some muck. Dr. Kevin tended to the cork w/a surgeon's precision! Like multiple previous btls this continues to be a head turner & "best in class" Napa version of a BDX blend & wonderful Napa benchland terroir. So resolved, pretty & velvety w/ cigar ash, red & …

1991 vintage

Deep, beautiful clear garnet with rose at the center. Orange zest and blood orange with some raspberry and Christmas spices on the delicious nose. Similar tasting notes with a very long finish. Delicious.

2010 vintage

What a gorgeous wine! Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1999 from magnum. Wonderful aroma. A touch meaty, chocolate, and ripe black fruit. Lovely sweet fruit on the palate. Still a bit of tannin, but nice straight from the bottle. Long, long finish. Great balance. Surprised at the 14.1% alcohol as it certainly doesn't feel like it. Last bottle. Wish I had more!

1999 vintage

An aged claret of distinction and character. Stunning

1998 vintage

Exceptional wine. Had a few glasses of this at Mondavi's dinner and paired it with steak. No words of good it was. Still slightly developing and has 4-5 years of life in it left. There is some restraint here, but the ripe fruit really comes out into focus, not being heavy or cloying. Long, eternal finish. Will be happy to drink this again when it comes along.

1995 vintage

Drank during Super Bowl with friends. No bricking, delicious fruit, subtle complex flavors with eucalyptus, modest tannins. Amazing showing. Never had a wine of this age with no brown ring around the edge. Still have one bottle left.

1992 vintage

Another birthyear wine, this time from California. This is already ready to drink. Initially, very fruity on the note. Benefited from an hour decant. I'm surprised how well this is drinking. Red plum, amla, black pepper, Bay leaf notes. This is fantastic wine and I immediately want another bottle. 92 points.

1986 vintage

Last bottle. Neck fill, cork wet but came out intact with the Ah-So, some bricking as expected, medium sediment. Still quite good, although finally drying out a bit. Fun to drink and a pleasure with pizza. Boy, Robert sure made good juice for many years! My first visit to Napa was in 1968, and we toured a winery still under construction... the guide was Robert Mondavi :)

1992 vintage

Deep tawny ; medium plus intensity on nose, black cherry , herbal, eucalyptus, smoke , vanilla, savoury, leather , ； low tanning , high acidity , pronounced intensity , medium alcohol , medium body , long finish , outstanding .

1996 vintage

Was absolutely cooked, sadly. Hopefully just a bad bottle as have a few more…

1997 vintage

still drinking well

1997 vintage

The cork was wet 2/3 of the way up and the bottom 1/4 broke when l opened the bottle. Luckily, there was no deterioration on the wine nor oxidation and l managed to pull the last bit of cork out without dropping any into the bottle. Drank 3 hours later with grilled lamb chops, a perfect match. The nose was strong with herbal, woody and tobacco bouquet. A smooth enjoyable drink but very different from a Bordeaux.

1991 vintage

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Robert Mondavi Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Oakville

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