Opening and tasting a bottle of wine that bears the name of Robert Mondavi, the greatest wine business pioneer and ambassador that California has ever seen, is special in itself, but even more so given he recently died at the age of 94.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Vinetta 2005 was made under his direction before he gave up the last remnants of his eponymous company to industry behemoth Constellation. What he had envisaged as a great American wine dynasty ended with the second generation.
But Vinetta stands out as profoundly American. It is the result of the success of an Italian immigrant family that produced wines that would become one of the most famous names and brands in the world. Reason enought to celebrate with this Robert Mondavi wine during the Fourth of July weekend.
This Bordeaux-style wine, a good value, is an excellent wine entirely true to the Mondavis' ideals of creating simple wines that please as many people as possible.
In the glass, Vinetta is a dense, opaque blood-red with a blackish core, extracted appearance and medium ruby-red rim definition with high viscosity.
On the nose, there is a tremendous concentration of crushed blackberry, creme de cassis with a black currant freshness, sweetish hints of black cherries, herbs de Provence, spice box, phenols and mint-laced mineral components with hints of oak references.
In the mouth, this medium-bodied wine appears rich and supple, with loads of black fruit compote, black currant sorbet, almost raspberrylike flavors and great underlying concentration and structure . The midpalate impresses and is chewy and fat with black fruit, and the finish lingers on the palate with unobtrusive and soft tannins.
Vinetta should be good to drink through 2011, but it might need a half-hour out of the bottle prior to drinking. A perfect wine for your Fourth of July burgers.
Wine: Robert Mondavi Private Selection Vinetta
Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon (68 percent), merlot (14 percent), petit verdot (11 percent), malbec (5 percent), cabernet franc (2 percent)
Region: Napa Valley, Calif.
Vintage: 2005
Price: $6.99
Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.
RSS