So instead, I turned my eyes south. Way south.

Back when I started to be truly interested in wine - i.e. not just drinking it, but exploring the diversity of the world of wine - a new player was coming on the scene. In Canada at least, at the turn of the 1990s, Chile's cabernet sauvignons - tasty, consistent, well-defined, at very reasonable prices - were rising stars, a clear harbinger of the tide of New World wines that was getting ready to reshape the international market.

I drank a lot of the stuff. By which I mean I drank it frequently with friends and family. And as some of my first group tastings showed, not only were the wines good to drink now, but they could also age quite nicely.  One of the prime examples of this very low cost-to-aging ratio was Cousiño-Macul's Antiguas Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, grown from ungrafted old vines brought to Chile from Bordeaux by the family's founding father, Luis, well before phylloxera had swept through and almost destroyed European vineyards. Deep, subtle, reasonably complex, it became, with time, a beautiful expression of what cabernet sauvignon is all about. I remember drinking a bottle of 1986, about ten years ago, and sympathizing with the very good friend who had brought it to the table and noted with an audible sigh that it was his last bottle. Many a Médoc would have had trouble competing.

I've kept a few bottles of Antiguas Reserva and other interesting cabs from Chile in the cellar, here and there, over the years, and have never been disappointed. But for various reasons, I haven't been cellaring any over the last six or seven years. Tastes change, focus shifts, budgets change. And Chile, after moving to market highly expensive, highly concentrated super cuvées that just didn't allow it to move from supplier of good, inexpensive wines to a dominant force at the high end of the market, didn't seem quite as exciting as it was fifteen years earlier.

When I tipped my glass of Antiguas Reserva, yesterday, and took a deep breath, some reasons for which I've stopped drinking Chilean cabs regularly quickly appeared. Compared to the elegant berry and tobacco I remembered from years back, the 2005 projected vanilla, coffee grounds, a bit of burnt toast from which prune and blackberry aromas struggled to emerge. Oak, oak oak. And little room for the wine to breathe.

Sipping it was better. Fine tannins, good (if not great) length, with the fruit coming out more, especially in the finale. Nice spicy touches, medium body, lovely garnet color. The elegance I remembered about this particular wine is still there to be found. But not quite as before.

Five years ago, I interviewed Ronald Grasty, then Director of Exports for Cousiño-Macul, and saw that the company was at a crossroads. It was opening a modern new winery, and clearly pointed out that it wanted to modernize its wines as well, in tune with market trends for bigger, fruitier wines. All that while keeping with tradition. Of course.

Well, I checked back on a bottle of the 1998 Antiguas Reserva, in my cellar, and one clear sign of this shift could be seen. Alcohol level in the 1998: 12.4%. Alcohol level in the 2005: 14%. And I'll bet the oak is newer, too. It's from the same place, the same vines. But it's more caught in the trappings of today's global winemaking trends.

A couple of months ago, I opened a bottle of 1995 Prima de Martino Cabernet Sauvignon, purchased for barely 15$, over ten years ago. Lovely stuff. Balanced, with a wide range of aromas and flavors (humus, mushrooms, tomato, prune, pepper, blackberry... I could go on). And alcohol below 13% as well. I'm not sure more alcohol would have helped it in any way.

Which is why I'm unsure about the more recent Antiguas Reserva. It's still a good wine, at a fair price (19$), and I think it still has good aging potential. But I'm not sure how the more oaky and higher-alcohol (and, somewhere behind that, riper) style will work out in the future. It's changed, but I'm not sure it's improved.

But hey. What can you do. Sometimes, you just can't go back.

Winery: Robert Mondavi

Wine: Private Selection Merlot 2006

Location: Napa, CA

Purchased: Sonoda Sushi Seafood

Price: $25.00 ($12.99 wine.com)

“Wine to me is passion. It is family and friends warmth of heart and generosity of spirit.”

            ~Robert Mondavi

In 1966, Robert G. Mondavi founded his world renowned Robert Mondavi winery in the heart of Napa Valley. His California wines rival the world’s best. The Mondavi winery was the first major winery build in Napa in the post-Prohibition era. In 1968, Mondavi made a dry oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc, an unpopular variety in California at the time, and labeled it Fume Blanc. The wine was hugely successful and in time Fume Blanc became synopsis with Sauvignon Blanc.

Mondavi spent considerable time in Europe studying the great wine regions and learning how the world’s best wines are made. This relentless quest for knowledge and understanding the wine making process led him to become a nationally and internationally leader in the wine industry. He introduced the cold fermentation process in stainless steel tanks and used French oak barrels in the late 1960’s. Mondavi collaborated with NASA using aerial imaging to understand the health and vigor of the vines in the 1990’s.

The Private Selection Merlot derives its exceptional character primarily from choice grapes of Monterrey County. This region provides a temperate climate, cool breezes and moist soils; all essential favorites for Merlot grapes. This wine is aged in French oak barrels and brings soft oak nuances to the nose. The Private Selection Merlot displays classic Merlot attributes of bright ripe black cherries, plum and slight hints of spice and mocha.

This wine is extremely drinkable; however, it was not served at the correct temperature so the warmth hindered the presence of the fruit. The Private Selection Merlot offers a very fruit forward wine with smooth, velvety and balanced flavors. The finish on this wine is not extremely long, but it is noticeable. The acidity in the wine was low muting the flavors of the wine. However, the Mondavi name lived up to its reputation.

Winery:  Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi

Wine: Cabernet – Merlot 2006

Location: Woodbridge, CA

Purchased: Patrick’s Dogtown Liquor

Price: $7.80

An overnight trip to St. Louis lead us to the neighborhood liquor store for a bottle of wine. The selection was slim, just a handful of reds and whites. I believe we may have bought the most expensive bottle in the store. However, I knew the reputation of Robert Mondavi so I felt safe with the Woodbridge Cabernet-Merlot blend.

The Cabernet-Merlot blend affords the drinker vibrant aromas of dark fruit and slight hints of spice and warm vanilla. The wine’s velvety texture highlights the intense fruit-focused personality of this wine. This is a very drinkable wine, and we had no trouble finishing the bottle while watching a movie.

Woodbridge’s mission is to make delicious, affordable wines that families can share each night around the dinner table. Cesare Mondavi brought his wife and four children to Lodi, California during Prohibition to start a business shipping wine grapes to Italian-American families on the East Coast. Years after establishing his own winery in the Napa Valley,  Cesare’s son Robert returned to Lodi and established Woodbridge in 1979.

His wife, Margrit, was adorable! So friendly and charming and gracious! She reminded me a lot of Carol Channing with her wide smile and silver bob.

When the Mondavi's came in for dinner Robert was wheeled in by a younger man and woman, who left after he was comfortable. Margrit took care of ordering and would attentively feed Robert and give him sips of champagne and wine.

A funny thing was they would usually bring their little white dog in it's carrier. Dog's aren't allowed in restaurants unless they are seeing eye dogs, but what could we say? They are the Mondavi's. Our Napa Valley royalty! Generally the darling little dog was good and quiet, but occasionally it would bark! All of the staff's eyes would get big as we hoped that none of the guests complained. Sometimes Margrit would let the dog out and feed it under the table. One night as they were leaving and the younger couple had come to take them home, the man was pushing the wheelchair and the woman was holding the door and the little dog started running around through the center of the restaurant! Finally we shooed it out the door and the Mondavi's were wisked away in their limosine.

We had a large event where the Mondavi's were guests. I had to talk with the organizer and let him know that Robert was in a wheelchair as they had made no provisions for that and were unaware. They were under the impression that he was going to be giving a speech as well. I had to let them know that was doubtful unless his condition had changed since last I saw him. Margrit Mondavi had sat at Bouchon Bakery hand painting touches on all the menus as souvenirs for all the guests. They were such a lovely elegant touch. I am pleased to say I snagged one of the leftover menus at the end of the night!

Robert Mondavi died peacefully Friday morning, May 16, 2008 at his family home in Yountville, California at the age of 94. We were getting ready to celebrate his 95 birthday in June at Copia with a big event that included many of the world's top chefs. The hope was that this event would continue in his memory. And what a memory he left.

Cheers to your memory, Robert Mondavi!

The story of the Mondavis is quite captivating. The competitiveness of the brothers (Peter and Robert, and then Michael and Timothy) and the resulting heartbreak and destruction of the family businesses felt like a soap opera.

Overall, I was satisfied with the book though I wish Siler had written more about Peter Mondavi after the split with Robert Mondavi. I would have also liked to have learned more about Charles Krug and other vinters -- even the Franzia Brothers and their success with Charles Shaw / "Two Buck Chuck."

Also, I was expecting to learn about wine from this book and while it does teach readers a bit about the process (barreling, pomace, etc.) it really focuses almost exclusively on Robert Mondavi's rise to power and subsequent sale to Constellation Brands.

Still, definitely worth reading for those interested in learning about Napa Valley wine history!

El 24 de Mayo de 1976 (Grandes eventos sucedieron ese año) el británico Steven Spurrier organizó la famosa “Cata de Paris” o “Juicio de Paris” donde confrontó en una cata a ciegas los vinos franceses contra los norteamericanos.

Cual fue la sorpresa de los asistentes, incluyendo a los mismos catadores, cuando se anunciaron los resultados de los vinos blancos y descubrieron que 3 Chardonnay norteamericanos estaban entre los 5 mejores, por encima de los prestigiosísimos Blancs du bourgogne, y más conmoción aún causó el hecho de que el “Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 1973” estaba en 1er lugar. La conmoción se transformó en pánico por parte de los catadores franceses cuando se dieron los resultados de la cata de los tintos y el 1er lugar lo ostentaba una bodega con un nombre  que era algo así como: “Stags Leap Wine Cellars 1973” en lugar de uno llamado “Haut Brion”, “Montrose”, “Mouton-Rothschild”. Cuenta la leyenda que inclusive algunos de los jueces trataron de recuperar sus fichas de cata, decepcionados por ver el orgullo de su industria nacional superado en calidad por los “Forasteros Yankis”.

De aquel año en adelante el impulso del vino en esa zona ha ido en ascenso, en los 80’s nacieron las “Bodegas Boutique” que se han multiplicado en la zona mas rápido que los gremlins, y ahora sin duda es la ruta del vino mas famosa, prestigiada y donde se producen los mejores vinos del continente. Aunado todo esto a la atinadísima idea de conjugar la gastronomía de manera excelente, con empresas como “COPIA” uno de los institutos culinarios mas prestigiados del mundo, además de ser sede de 3 de los 10 mejores restaurantes del mundo.

Pues hasta allá fuimos a dar mi esposa y yo en nuestra eterna cacería de la bebida de Baco y Dionisio, coronando de esta manera un viaje por carretera de casi 3,500Km, desde la ciudad de Monterrey México hasta California (y los mismos de regreso). ¿Que si estamos locos?... probablemente, pero ha sido uno de los mejores viajes que hemos hechos y que nos dejó experiencias fabulosas.

Ese día nos levantamos bien temprano con la expectativa de una promesa fermentada por meses y meses de planeación. La primera bodega que nos recibió fue: “Domaine Carneros”. Enclavada en el extremo sur del Valle de Napa, esta región tiene la apelación “Carneros”, y por su ubicación estratégica, que es la entrada de los vientos fríos y neblina del pacífico al valle, permite el desarrollo de los mejores Pinot Noir de Napa, especiales para la producción de Cuvées de alta calidad, es propiedad de franceses y por decirlo de alguna manera, es la franquicia americana de Champagnes Tattinger, la casa es una réplica de su propiedad en Francia, y es en verdad un edificio digno de postal. Ese día probamos 3 vinos espumosos, el Brut Cuvée Sparkling Wine, Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine y el Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine. Todos eran muy buenos, pero debido a mi proclividad por los sabores dulces y frutales, el que mas disfruté fue el rosado. Nos atendió una chica francesa que se le notaba mucho en el acento y en la forma de besar... claro que nunca la besé, esa broma se las dije a las chicas de la caja cuando me aclararon su procedencia, claro que mi esposa estaba distraída con los artículos promocionales obligados en toda Napa, y ahora que lo lea... solo dios sabrá como me vaya en casa.

Seguimos por la Rd. 29 y el siguiente que visitamos por supuesto fue: Robert Mondavi. Tiene una propiedad estilo: Hacienda norestense, post-moderna... o algo así justo al frente de sus viñedos. Una propiedad también muy vistosa, como casi todas las del valle, con un tasting room bien elegante y muy bien atendido, los vinos que nos sirvieron fueron los de línea, Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc, un varietal 100% Pinot Noir, y unas mezclas a base de Merlot y Cabernet, todas estaban bien, con la calidad de la línea de Mondavi, los que mejor me parecieron fueron el Chardonnay, excelentemente balanceado y el fumé blanc estaba también muy frutal y licoroso. Luego salimos de ahí con muchas ganas pero con pocas posibilidades de conocer “Opus One” ya que no habíamos hecho cita y ahí solo te reciben así, pues nos detuvimos en la reja, pero pues al frente estaba el letrero bien claro, así que ni siquiera nos molestamos en tocar el timbre.

Luego nos topamos con “PEJU” Family Estate Wines, con excelentes propuestas blancas y tintas, entre ellas varios Cabernet Sauvignon fabulosamente tratados, aterciopelados, muy bien balanceados, elegantes pro con buen cuerpo. También tenían un Cabernet Franc del que sacaron sus mejores notas, considerando que del Cab franc no se puede sacar mucho (Según Miles-Paul Giamatti); tenían en especial un Cabernet sauvignon hecho con las vides de esa propiedad que pertenece a la apelación Rutheford. El Cab. Sauv. HB.

Saliendo de Peju, unos metro más delante vimos un montón de gente entrando y saliendo de una propiedad, y pues dijimos “¿Aquí que estarán regalando?” nos metimos y era V. Sattui Winery, una hermosa propiedad que recordaba una villa toscana, con amplios y hermosos jardines y áreas para hacer tu pic-nic, en una de las áreas habían vendido Barbecue pero ya se lo habían terminado los canijos gringos, el tasting room estaba atestado, apenas pudimos hacernos un lugar en un rinconcito, probamos varios de los varietales que producen pro definitivamente el que mas nos gustó fue el Cabernet Sauvignon que como siempre la dependienta nos sirvió después de la clásica historia: “fui a una reunión y llevé este vino y todo el mundo lo prefirió por encima del Mondavi”. La verdad, hablar de vinos malos en este lugar es muy raro, Sattui tenía excelentes propuestas, no fueron las mejores que probamos en Napa, pero el lugar es muy popular, probablemente es uno de los mas concurridos que visitamos.

Continuará...

1. The French Government wants to make French wine simpler.

Trying to compete on international markets with New World chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons, France is creating a simpler category of plonk made without any geographical obligation. Called "Vignobles de France", the category will allow varietals to be placed front and center on the labels, and allow winemaking practices like oak chips and added tannins. Also, it will be possible to make them with a varietal that is planted outside of its traditional region (you want to make a gewurztraminer in Pauillac? It'll be a Vignobles de France). And you'll even be allowed to mix wine from different regions.

Clearly, this is a wine industry decision, not unlike the Cellared in Canada approach that is allowed in the Canadian bottling industry, in order to help the domestic industry win market share, more than to promote wine culture. A concerned Jancis Robinson calls it "the clearest sign so far that France has capitulated to the New World way of selling wine", pointing out that the approach is aimed at increasing French wine exports to 16 million hectoliters per year, compared with an average of 13.6 million hectoliters in the 1990s.

I'm very skeptical. Without even getting to the question of distinctiveness and personality, which I'm sure would be a better fighting ground, I'm unconvinced that France is in a position to fight on a battleground where price is the main issue. Competing against Chile and Argentina, where land and labour cost so much less, seems nearly impossible, especially in a context where the vignerons are facing low prices that are leading them to bankruptcy (see this article, in French, in Le Figaro, about recent angry demonstrations in Southern France). Bulk wine prices are much lower than they were ten years ago, and a category that allows wine to be shuffled from one end of the country to the other seems unlikely to help in any way.

Besides, the winemakers that are doing better - on the export front, particularly - are going after quality, terroir, personality, through careful, sensitive approach to regional characteristics. Something where New World wines have a lot more trouble defining anything precise and significant.

2. Young people in France are turning away from wine.

Wine consumption per capita has been plummeting in France for the last twenty years. But a recent study adds to the worries of the French wine world, by pointing out that, contrary to previous generations, twentysomethings are not making wine part of their daily rituals:

Roughly 50 percent of young people in France never drink wine, according to the Montpellier report, and less than 10 percent are regular consumers. The rest limit their consumption to two to three times a month.

Of course, the fact that French vignerons are severely limited in their capacity to promote their wines on the internal market may have a lot to do with this continuous drop in interest in a drink so intimately associated with traditional French identity. When you're not allowed to say how great drinking wine can be, on the grounds that it encourages public drunkenness, but that Bacardi or Absolut are allowed to promote a cool image, it's no wonder that young people will tend to find the latter more attractive.

Indeed, the French attitude is quite opposite to what is going on in North America, and so is the drinking trend:

"This trend is in complete opposition with the United States, where the major group responsible for increasing wine consumption is the Millennials [people who reached adulthood around the year 2000]," said Liz Thatch, professor of management and wine business at Sonoma State University. Americans aged 21 to 29 are the fastest growing segment of the wine market, according to a 2005 study by the Wine Market Council, a trade organization of winemakers, importers, retailers and others.

I had an interesting moment, last week, at a popular Quebec City spot called Le Cercle, a combination tapas bar/wine bar/DJ place/alternative concert venue run by the owners of L'Utopie, my favorite gastronomical restaurant in the city.

I was chatting with Christophe Pacalet, nephew of famed Beaujolais producer Marcel Lapierre and co-owner of Les Marcellins, a domaine that harvests selected vineyards "rented" from vignerons in the best terroirs of the Beaujolais region. As I was taking in the intensity and depth of his terrific Chiroubles (you read right, Beaujolais with depth and intensity - as it should be), the bright fruit and the serious mineral structure, and discussing his approach, Pacalet interrupted himself in something like disbelief.

I looked to where his eyes had wandered: a table of eight young girls, around 18, were settling in for the evening and were being served a bottle of wine which they started smelling and tasting with enthusiasm. "Did you see those young chicks?", he said. "You never see that in France, a bunch of young girls sitting down all together with a bottle of wine." And since they were at Le Cercle, they were not having a bottle of Yellowtail, that's for sure, but more likely a private import from Bierzo or a nice cabernet franc from the Loire, with a clear sense of place. The kind of wine and food experience that turns drinking into an actual sensory experience, not just a means to tipsiness.

The scene gave a sense of cool, and a sense of discovery: how else do you make wine attractive and interesting? It's the kind of thing that someone like Robert Mondavi, inspired by what he had discovered in France, endeavored to bring forth all his life: wine as part of life, as part of culture.

And meanwhile, what are the French doing to improve the state of their wine industry? Turning to New World industrial approaches.

Really?

Winemaker Robert Mondavi passed away at the age of 94 on May 16, 2008.

His life story has special meaning to me because I developed my first sense of professional identity in the wine business beginning in the mid 1970s. I was looking for "traction" in my life, evidence that I was on a career path where my aptitudes and abilities would enable me to make a contribution. I wasn't at all sure what those aptitudes and abilities might be. Robert Mondavi's enthusiasm, confidence, and business success served as evidence to me that I was in an exciting industry, and it was until the giant beverage conglomerates took it over.

Men—and women—of extraordinary passion and zeal are often deeply flawed, as Mr. Mondavi was. He was vain, emotionally stunted, and notoriously flirtatious. He brought enormous conflict to two families, his birth family and the family he established when he married his first wife, Marjorie Declusin. He started the famous fistfight with his brother Peter that became a legend in the wine industry. His life was characterized by incredible flights of success and shocking amounts of emotional pain that he spread around rather indiscriminately, seemingly unaware of how he was contributing to one emotional disaster after another. He seemed to lack any sense of proportion, and that may be the key to both his remarkable success and his outrageousness.

"CALL it Greek tragedy or Shakespearean drama, Biblical strife, Freudian acting out or even soap opera. You wouldn’t be exaggerating, and you wouldn’t be wrong," Eric Asimov wrote in his review, published in The New York Times, of Julia Flynn Siler's book, The House of Mondavi, The Rise and Fall of An American Wine Dynasty. All of those characterizations fit Mr. Mondavi and his family. He was, as they say, bigger than life.

In any case, I try not to begrudge a person his or her weaknesses.  With extraordinary power one often gets extraordinary flaws. In our present culture we are quick to dismiss the successes of anyone who has also failed. It is one of the tragedies of our times that we cannot reconcile strength and weakness in the same individual.

Mr. Mondavi's accomplishments are worth remembering. He envisioned dignity and stature for California wines at a time when all good wine was deemed to come from France, and when Californian's themselves favored sweet wines and cheap reds and whites of no pedigree at all poured from gallon jugs. California wines were scorned by the wine stewards at great restaurants. He also singlehandedly brought sauvignon blanc into fashion by renaming it fumé blanc. Wine snobs discovered that fumé blanc actually tasted good, unlike its boring alter ego, sauvignon blanc.

Yes, his flaws were real, but so were his energy, courage, and imagination.

The Associated Press obituary, published in The New York Times, among other places, was devoid of any sense of wonder or joy about Mr. Mondavi's accomplishments. Its tone reflected our current fascination in finding weaknesses in famous people. Frank Prial and Eric Asimov, former and current wine writers respectively for The New York Times, understandably and appropriately showed more sensitivity when they wrote about Mr. Mondavi. Ms. Siler's book is incredibly detailed and informative, but she too seems to lack a sense of wonder about her subject. The text on the back flap calls the book "A balanced and richly-detailed account." Balanced with what? The Mondavi empire was indeed "brought to the brink by hubris," but Ms. Siler found no joy at all in Mr. Mondavi's life worth recording.

The photo with this article was taken by me at Mr. Mondavi's birthday party at the Robert Mondavi winery the year that Ms. Biever presented him with two llamas. What else do you give a man who has everything?

I propose a toast to the flawed man who taught us much about what to do and what not to do. Fare thee well, Mr. Mondavi.

Robert Mondavi passed recently. Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV pays a nice tribute.

By Amorita Bastaja / Wine Contributor

The revolutionary and visionary Robert Mondavi died on May 16^th. He was 94 years old. Every imbiber is indebted to Mondavi, whose innovative wine making skills and brilliant marketing ideas ushered California wines into a new era of quality and complexity.

Born in Virginia to a coal mining father and a mother who was a talented chef, Mondavi and his family eventually made their way to Lodi, California where his father worked in the grape growing business. In 1943, The Mondavi family purchased the Charles Krug winery in St. Helena, where Mondavi would have bitter disagreements with family about how to run the winery. He was eventually asked to leave, and would start his own winery, Robert Mondavi Winery, in 1966.

Mondavi firmly believed that California was capable of producing world class wines equal to the best Bordeaux and Burgundy. Educated by his many trips to Europe, Mondavi began to produce high-quality Cabernets, Pinot’s and an oaked Sauvignon Blanc, termed “Fume Blanc”.

Mondavi forged many partnerships with other respected winemakers, most notably Baron Philippe de Rothschild from the famous Bordeaux Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. Together they created Opus One, arguably some of the most famous and expensive wine in the world. This partnership (and fabulous wine) was a testament to the potential of California as a wine making region, and many European winemakers followed in the Baron’s footsteps.

As Mondavi aged, he began to participate in more philanthropic pursuits, involving charitable donations and wine education programs. Mondavi was a firm believer in the health benefits of wine and aspired to teach the positive aspects of wine.

An inspiring man, Mondavi’s lessons can be applied to all aspects of life: passion, motivation and education will result in excellence; have absolute faith in yourself and your ideas, and most importantly, the inclusion of wine leads to a long, happy, healthy life.

Cin Cin, Mr. Mondavi.

For more Mondavi reading pick up his autobiography: Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business.

]]> http://pastamanvibration.wordpress.com/?p=143 Sat, 24 May 2008 20:24:37 +0000 pastamanvibration http://pastamanvibration.wordpress.com/?p=143

A friend told me this last night: When asked of the secret to long life, Napa Valley wine entrepreneur Robert Mondavi replied, "Every day...a massage, a swim, and red wine."

Robert Mondavi died this week at age 94.

"If you wish to succeed, you must listen to yourself, to your own heart, and have the courage to go your own way, to find the right direction." -Mondavi ( 6.18.13 – 5.16.08 )

-D-

The first sip of the evening, after touring the aromatic landscapes of the nine wines decanted for the occasion, was accompanied with a toast to Robert Mondavi, with everyone saluting the spirit of the man. Doing it with the best vintage in recent memory seemed quite fitting.

We were tasting blind, which I always prefer, but when the bottles were pulled out at the end of the tasting run, it was revealed that we had tasted with the right wine. And what an elegant start to the evening it had been, delicious and elegant and refined and able to hold its own against the apparently more powerful wines that followed.

Overall, I was struck by the wide range of aromas and flavors found in the wines - all cabs, all from the same vintage. Evolution varied greatly as well, just as extraction, oak integration, color and tannins did too. As Bernard, our host for these tastings, pointed out quite rightly, the variations in climate and soil and, even more, the signature of the winemakers could easily be perceived in the wines. For those who think that New World Cabs are all the same, well, I certainly have to say it's not true - at least not at the higher price range.

So here are the full tasting notes of the evening:

1. Robert Mondavi Stag's Leap District, Napa Valley

Clear, garnet-colored wine, meaty nose with blackcurrant jam and iodine notes, beautiful creamy texture with silky smooth tannins, and a subtle range of flavors going from celery to raspberry, mineral and orange peel. Remarkable balance and refinement.

2. Kendall-Jackson, Buckeye Vineyard, Alexander Valley

Deep garnet color, tight nose with blackcurrant/blackberry, cocoa, smoky notes, fine but substantial tannins, compact on the flavors as well, with notes of dust and cocoa particularly coming through. More extraction and wood than the Mondavi.

3. Arrowood, Sonoma County

Earthy and animal aromas and flavors dominate this wine, with vegetal, smoky, cedary notes overlapping with jammy touches, a little mushroom and coffee, all rounded by smooth, ripe tannins. Nicely complex, with great length and changing flavors as time goes by.

4. Corison, Kronos Vineyard, Napa Valley

Lighter, slightly more evolved color on this intriguing wine featuring red-fruit jam, cigar-box aromas with granny smith apples and slightly oily notes on the nose. Kicking in slowly, it features fresh acidity and fruity aromas, with a note of oranges and medium length. Very pleasant overall, though.

5. Benziger Reserve, Sonoma County

Leather, spice, light fruit, medeciney nose, bright clear color. The mouthfeel is more intense than the nose, with spices, coffee, cedar, a fair bit of sweetness, but a touch of astringency on the finish. Doesn't seem to be fully integrated yet, but has a while to go.

6. Kenwood Vineyards Artist Series, Sonoma County

Lovely deep garnet color, with ripe red currant, leather, coffee, vanilla and a nice touch of earthy, dusty aromas. A very balanced mouthfeel, long and bright, finishing on a beautiful black fruit note that goes on and on, after an array of rich flavors corresponding nicely to the aromas. Great stuff.

7. Dominus, Napa Valley

Not surprisingly, the more Bordeaux-like of all the evening's cabernets. A dense, bright ruby color, aromas of horse saddle, iodine, smoke, ferns and woodland, red cherry - and that's just on the nose. Neat, clean mouthfeel with tight flavors of leather, coffee, a round, sweet feel, but with a graphite finale and significant, well-rounded tannins. A class act.

8. Beringer Private Reserve, Napa Valley

A lovely set of distinctive aromas on this expansive wine: pine and blackberry, licorice and blood, something like the crust of a camembert. Flavors are tight and dense, with dust, oak, cherry, strawberrys, a touch of menthol, and a sudden burst of fresh fruit, as if you were biting into the grape itself. Still quite young and yet well-integrated and elegant.

9. Ridge Montebello, Santa Cruz

Still showing ruby-violet, this young giant shows a concentrated, rich nose, ripe with blackcurrant, spice, peat smoke, fruit ketchup, concord grape and a host of other aromas waiting to burst over time. On tasting, it is warm and luscious, with spicy notes, firm tannins, black berries, jam, salty, mineral touches and great length. More expansive than I would have expected from a Paul Draper wine, but it also feels "incredibly young", as I wrote down enthusiastically.

As befits such a remarkable year, none of the wines were beyond their peak. Anybody lucky enough to have them in their cellar can still lovingly stare at the bottles for a while.

The Big News this week was the California Supreme Court overturning the ban on same sex marriage. While it doesn't have a personal effect, no matter what my mom says, I think it is a cool moment in the state's history. Mom, yes, I just mentioned you and no, I'm not going to write here about not having a girlfriend. Leave me alone. I'm writing. Mom, that's a picture I just found on the internet. I just came across it and they look like a happy couple. No, I didn't do a search for "sexy shirtless men." Mom, Mom, MOM. Oh forget it. No, I'm not mad at you. Yes, I still want you to come and check out Big News at the IOWest on Sunday night at 10 pm. I said it didn't I? Just read the bonus jokes.

On Thursday, the California Supreme Court overturned the state's ban on same sex marriage. Protestors are upset at the decision, in fears that homosexuals will soon be ruining the sanctity of divorce.

Following the California ruling in favor of same sex marriage, Pope Benedict restated the position of the Roman Catholic Church that only unions between a man and a woman are moral. However, the Pope will have to stick to only flogging his bishop.

Following the California ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, Pope Benedict restated the position of the Roman Catholic Church that only unions between a man and a woman are moral. The Pope added that unions between man and boy are totally hot.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has put together a list of proposed cabinet ministers for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to approve. The international media were astounded as Medvedev read the names while Putin drank a glass of water.

An earthquake registering 7.5 rocked China's Sichuan province on Monday, and offers of aid poured in from around the world. Especially from Africa, which provided boatloads of AIDS.

Doctors in Greece found a deceased fetal twin inside the abdomen of a 9-year-old girl who was being treated for stomach pain. However, doctors are still trying to figure out why the girl was going around eating twin fetuses.

On Monday, Hillary Clinton compared her campaign to John F. Kennedy's 1960 campaign in West Virginia. Pundits said this moves her policies out of the moderate middle and back... to the left. Back, and to the left.

Seven U.S. senators spoke at congressional hearings on the need for a national strategy to deal with the effects of Alzheimer's disease on Wednesday. And then they named eight new things after Ronald Reagan.

The Interior Department officially declared the polar bear as a threatened species, giving them added protection from a variety of dangers. In addition, the threatened species will now also include Hillary Clinton supporters.

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a three hundred billion dollar farm bill which will extend farm subsidies, increase funding for nutrition programs and provide tax breaks for racehorse owners. Racehorse owners were given a break because of the falling price of glue.

Bob Barr, a former Republican congressman from Georgia, has announced that he will be running for president on the Libertarian ticket. The decision is expected to cost John McCain tens of votes.

Former Republican Bob Barr has announced that he will be running for president on the Libertarian ticket. He is expected to get slightly more votes than Babar, the Elephant.

John Hagee, an Evangelical pastor whose support John McCain sought, issued an apology Tuesday for harsh comments made about the Catholic church, including calling the church “the great whore”. Hagee corrected himself and said the church is more like your average skank.

A 48-year-old woman was indicted after using a phony MySpace profile to taunt a 13-year-old girl who eventually committed suicide because of the taunts. Prosecutors plan on proving the two parties knew each other by showing evidence of a mutual friendship with a man named Tom.

A 48-year-old woman was indicted after using a phony MySpace profile to taunt a 13-year-old girl who eventually committed suicide because of the taunts. The taunts included asking the girl to check out her totally naked pictures at a site that's way cooler than Myspace.

A new study reveals that people suffering from muscular dystrophy may be able to protect their hearts by taking regular doses of Viagra. Unfortunately, it's very difficult for people with Muscular Dystrophy to get laid.

A letter written by Albert Einstein, which revealed his thoughts on religion and theology, sold for $404,000. In a particularly revealing passage, Einstein is quoted as saying, "Religion? God? Meh. It's all relative."

On Tuesday, Earthlink Wireless announced plans to stop providing low cost wireless internet service to the city of Philadelphia. The service only drew five thousand subscribers as the citizens of Philadelphia couldn’t use their wireless internet to boo the Eagles.

A robot designed by Honda conducted a Detroit Symphony performance of "Impossible Dream." The Detroit symphony had planned on using a robot designed by GM, but it stopped working just after the warranty expired.

A new breed of ant with no known natural enemies and a staggering propensity to reproduce has overrun Houston in recent weeks. Unfortunately for the citizens of Houston, they can't get Britney to go home.

A wildfire burned about 100 acres of rugged terrain near Mt. Baldy. Samantha Jones from Sex and the City immediately donated $10,000 to restoration efforts as she knew nothing hurts worse than a Mt. Baldy wildfire.

A new law went into effect in Los Angeles on Thursday requiring taco trucks to move every hour or face one thousand dollar fines. To help ease the pressure on the mobile food vendors, a new parking lot has been opened at Kirstie Alley’s home.

Filmmaker Michael Moore has announced that he is making a sequel to "Fahrenheit 9/11”. In addition, the film will be shown in Europe, with the title Celsius 1.3/5.89 Two.

Anne Heche told a judge that she could no longer afford to pay nearly $15,000 a month in child and spousal support after the cancellation of her show “Men in Trees." In lieu of cash, Heche has offered $15,000 worth of crazy.

Sixty-seven-year old music legend Neil Diamond got his first number one album this week when his new CD "Home Before Dark" hit the top of this week's Billboard chart. Unfortunately for Diamond none of his friends or family did anything to mark the milestone, since no one brings him flowers anymore.

CBS announced they have purchased online news site, CNet. The site is expected to be a big hit with CBS viewers, just as soon as their grandkids teach them how to use the internet.

On Thursday, CBS announced it has picked up the series "The Ex List" about a woman whose psychic guides her to past relationships to find her future husband. And the source of her crabs.

Madonna will find out next week if she can officially adopt the Malawian orphan boy she's been caring for since 2006, after some accused the country of bending their adoption laws. In response, Madonna told Malawi not to preach, because she's made up her mind and is keeping her Malawian baby.

After having a hybrid car flown to him from Japan instead of sent by ship, Paul McCartney is being criticized by environmentalists for his carbon footprints. Meanwhile, ex-wife Heather Mills is being praised by environmentalists for having half as many carbon footprints.

And finally, artist Robert Rauschenberg, famous for championing "found art" sculptures and paintings that included mundane "daily life artifacts", died Monday at the age of 82. Rauschenberg will be buried in a coffin adorned with band-aids and plastic grocery bags.

And finally, Robert Mondavi, the head of the famous California winery bearing his name, died last Friday at the age of 94. Mondavi was found lying peacefully in his bed, aged to perfection and with a slight nutty aftertaste.

And finally, Robert Mondavi, the head of the famous California winery bearing his name, died last Friday at the age of 94. He will be cremated and his ashes will be stored sideways.

And finally, Robert Mondavi, the head of the famous California winery bearing his name, died last Friday at the age of 94. The funeral is expected to be pretty good for the price.

The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty by Julia Flynn Siler

It is with some irony that I make this post.  I read this morning that yesterday Robert Mondavi died at age 94.  I was privileged once to make a private tour of the Robert Mondavi winery guided by Mr. Mondavi himself and just this week I finished reading The House of Mondavi.  Robert Mondavi's encounter with fine French wines in the early 1960's rivals that of Julia Child's encounter with fine French food for its impact on American food culture.  Mondavi had already spend decades in the California grape and wine business before he went to France.  American wines in the early 1960's were inexpensive table wines, after the European trip it became Robert's mission to bring California wines up to the standards of fine French wines.  Mondavi's confidence was rewarded in 1976; in a blind tasting of wines, California wines beat well known French fine wines, in an event that became known as the Judgment of Paris.

Julia Flynn Siler, a writer with The Wall Street Journal, conducted exhaustive research and interviews for her book The House of Mondavi.  Siler skillfully tells the fascinating story of the Shakespearean struggles fo the passionate Mondavi family.  Two generations of brothers fight for control of the family business.  First Robert and Peter Mondavi struggle over control of the Mondavi family owned Charles Krug winery.  An argument over a mink coat led to a fist fight between the brothers, Robert's ouster from the business and a lengthy court battle.  Robert founded his own eponymous winery and continued his pioneering efforts in improving California wines.  Robert's sons Michael and Timothy clashed over management style.  Robert generously contributed millions in charitable donations to wine and food related institutions.  A downturn in the wine market and declining stock price left Robert in the position of being unable to cover his generous gifts.  A corporate restructureing offered temporary relief, but ultimately the Mondavi's were forced to sell the windery.  The House of Mondavi is an epic story well told.

The House of Mondavi is also an excellent audio book.  It is a nominee for the Audie Award for excellence in audio books in the Best Business & Educational book category.

Yesterday the wine world lost one of its true pioneers and the first American wine maker to create a French-American wine partnership with the development and release of Opus One with Baron Philippe de Rothschild in 1979.

We are all better for your contributions to the wine world both as a wine maker and as an ambassador for American wine around the world.

Rest in Peace Robert, we are all raising our glasses in your memory today

and for many days, months and years to come
.

Sad.

Decanter story <link>

BBC report <link>

Quoi qu'il en soit, la finesse du pinot, la complexité du vin, pour autant que je m'en rappelle, m'avait vraiment séduit. Le vin, ça pouvait être ça?

C'est pourquoi, vingt ans plus tard, environ, j'éprouve un vrai pincement au coeur en apprenant le décès de Robert Mondavi, à 9h du matin, heure de Californie, aujourd'hui le 16 mai. (À cette heure, aucun lien en français: voyez plutôt la section spéciale du Wine Spectator). À 94 ans, Mondavi quitte ce monde après huit décennies dans le monde du vin, laissant un héritage véritablement remarquable dont les conséquences se font encore fortement sentir aujourd'hui.

Sa volonté ferme, dès les années 60, d'élever les vins de Napa au rang des meilleurs du monde aura été un facteur clé dans l'émergence de cette région viticole et dans le développement des vins du Nouveau Monde. Quoi qu'on pense des tournants pris par la Californie depuis quelques années, bien au-delà de l'équilibre et de la finesse dont Mondavi parlait souvent, il reste que l'impulsion qu'il a si largement contribué à donner aux vins de son coin de pays a profondément changé le monde du vin.

Coïncidence des coïncidences, je me dirige de ce pas vers une dégustation de cabernets sauvignons 1997 de la vallée de Napa. Inutile de dire que l'on devrait bien y porter un toast à Mondavi père. Bien hâte de voir si un de ses vins sera au menu...

I still don't know much (just what was printed in the article) but I tried to put a hold on Mondavi's 1998 autobiography Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business at my local library.

Anyway, I looked up the New York Times review of Harvests of Joy ("Stomp" by Ted Loos) and it's not exactly a glowing commentary...

Still, Mondavi sounds like an interesting man and I appreciate that (according to the AP obituary) he was aware of and forthcoming about the mistakes (personal and professional) he made during his successful journey as a winemaker.

Click here to read an excerpt of Harvests of Joy from NYTimes.com.

Unfortunately my local library does not carry it so I may have to settle for The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty by Julia Flynn Siler (published in 2007) or go out and purchase a copy of Harvests of Joy.

At least the New York Times review of The House of Mondavi ("Grapes and Power: A Mondavi Melodrama" by Eric Asimov) sounds more promising -- though perhaps too :)

Click here to read more about The House of Mondavi from the author's website.

So it was with a real sense of sadness that I read, today, that Robert Mondavi, the patriarch of that famed wine family, died today at the age of 94. Wine Spectator immediately sent out an e-mail to subscribers and put up a whole special section on its web site. The news was not completely unexpected, as he had been fading over the past couple of years, a slow sunset at the end of a rare and extremely significant life in wine.

Wine Spectator is publishing an excerpt of Mondavi's autobiography, Harvests of Joy, where he tells of the realization that made him set the path that led to the creation of his own winery, after being expelled from Charles Krug, his family's original winery. The objectives he laid out ring true today, in the context of Napa Valley and California's history:

I wanted to take American technology, management techniques and marketing savvy and fuse them together with Old World tradition and elegance in the art of making fine wine. We would need passion, conviction and courage, along with a willingness to invest in the necessary research, development and new equipment. But with this combination, I felt confident that Napa Valley and California could ultimately create wines that would stand shoulder to shoulder with the great wines in the world.

Whatever one thinks of the path taken by California wine over the last decade or so, the fundamental change Mondavi's thinking helped imprint on the region's wine, and potentially, on all the New World, is one of the great turning points of contemporary wine making. So it's worth pondering what his life and works have meant.

Coincidentally, tonight, I'm heading to a tasting of 1997 cabernet sauvignons from California. No doubt that every one of these ones will be tasted as a toast to the great Robert. So cheers to you and many thanks, sir.