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| Rob Williams - Cabernets and Blends | ||
Rob's "Wine of the Week" Archives So here is my wine review for the week of July 17th, 2006... ROBERT MONDAVI CABERNET SAUVIGNON 1997
Description: This is what we call a "cellar review." It's an opportunity to dig into the wines that are aging and see how they are holding up over time. 1997 was a revered year in Napa and while the Mondavi wine was far from the best produced, it did receive excellent reviews and, if a great cab, will be an amazing drink 10 years later. How to Get it: Come to my house and ask me to get a bottle out of my cellar, OR…maybe at a wine auction…or a restaurant wine list that features cellar selections. How Much: When released in 2000, it was about $20 per bottle. The entire 1997 vintage of all wineries practically sold out so finding bottles from that year is difficult and even if the wine is only mediocre, a true wine connoisseur would pay a large amount just to taste a 1997 now and 5, 10, 25 years from now out of curiosity My Thoughts: To be fair, I have found Mondavi's cabs to be rather "thin" since the early 1990's, meaning that they do not produce a great body. However, when I first tasted the 1997 cab back in 1999, I found the flavor to be very good and I was hopeful that aging would add depth, body and some tannins to the wine. With this time-tested tasting, most of my hopes have been realized, although I think the wine will continue to mature for another 5 years before reaching optimum drinking levels. The wine now features more body, fuller flavors and a boldness to it only time adds.
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