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Let It Breathe : ROBERT MONDAVI 1913-2008

Let It Breathe — 16 May 2008 15:54:00

The AP has reported the death of Robert Mondavi. According to Robert Mondavi Winery spokeswoman Mia Malm, Mondavi died peacefully at his home in Yountville. He was 94.

Mondavi has been credited with being instrumental in making California a big player in the global world of wine. The Mondavi empire has seen decades of innovation, frustrations and success. And the Mondavi family dynasty's story has all the elements that rival any prime time soap opera.

He has earned his rest, may it be in peace.

The Wine for Newbies Podcast™ ...: Robert Mondavi 1913-2008

The Wine for Newbies Podcast™ Blog — 16 May 2008 15:39:55

If there is one person who can be credited with making the California wine industry what it is today, that person is Robert Mondavi. His vision and drive were instrumental in transforming California wines from cheap, jug-fillers to world class wines.

Robert Mondavi died today at the age of 94.

Wine Spectator has a very good article on the man, his mission, and what he helped create.

tales of a sommelier : Oenoeous Pedophilia? 2004 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande.

tales of a sommelier — 16 May 2008 15:39:00

In an effort to live up to our marketing departments claims of a 1000 bins on the wine list, I was put in a position where Ive had to list some really quite young wines on the list. Particularly prominent amongst them are the 2003, 2004 and now 2005 clarets that we have in stock. They are causing me something of a dilemma. Do I keep them off the list until they are ready to drink (my prefered option) or do we list them and hope that people will perhaps have enough knowledge to realise that really the wines are not anywhere near ready to drink. Well I kind of lost the arguement and they ended up being listed. So now what do I do when a customer order the wine?
Well this is a situation that I faced tonight. A table of four, amongst them a fairly prominent young chef, with a michelin star to his name. Am I being tested to see if I will pick up on the fact that the wine is a bit on the young side, or perhaps the customer is a wine pedo, he likes his wine young, tannic and under-developed. Im not in the business of correcting customers, and I dont want to offend the guy who ordered the wine, so my tactic is to present the bottle and then offer this gem - " Bearing in mind the youth of the wine, I think it might be prudent to double decant the wine in order to open it up a little bit" The guy shrugs ok and somehow I still dont quite feel absolved of any responsability for serving something so strikingly young. It doesnt get much better when we open the wine and it comes across as green as a green thing. Tight on the nose with hints of fruit behind a shield of greenness that the green lantern might use. Decanting it seemed to release some fruit on the nose and make the wine seem a bit more expressive ( possibly more due to the warming influence of being decanted from a cellar cold bottle into a warm decanter). On the palate it was still fairly tight and unforgiving, the fruit tantalisingly close but still seemingly locked up in a tightly bound tannic structure than threatened to strip the enamel off my teeth.
I give it a swirl and pour it over into a second decanter, trying to give it as much motion as I can without it being spilt everywhere. The smell coming from the wine is truly delicious, generous red fruit character with a touch of green wood character, still raw and fresh. On the palate it seemed to have softened a little bit, but at least I still had about an hour in the decanter until it would be needed. It was going to need every possible minute to soften and open up enough.
Pichon is one of my favourite wines from Pauillac, if somewhat out of my budget. One of my top ten wines that Ive tried was the 89 Pichon Lalande when I was working at Amaryllis. This wine has the potential to be as good, but in about ten more years perhaps. Hopefully I will still have some left by then!

tales of a sommelier : Passing of a Legend.

tales of a sommelier — 16 May 2008 15:37:00

The interwebs are blazing with the news that Robert Mondavi has passed away at the fairly ripe old age of 94. Few figures in the industry have been as influential and prominent as Robert Mondavi and his passing is truly a great loss to the wine industry as a whole. Condolences to his family.

REthink Wine Blog : Celebrating a Legacy

REthink Wine Blog — 16 May 2008 15:21:29

Today a great man, who challenged status quo, believed that a rising tide raises all ships, was a sharer of knowledge, and set the foundation for an entire industry, passed away. Robert Mondavi was also one of the most altruistic men in this entire valley. Several of us had been fortunate enough to have met Robert Mondavi, and he was a constant source of inspiration for us in both life and business. Without his leadership and example, Inertia would probably be a very different business than it is today, and Napa might not be the origin of New World wines. He was a great man who will be missed by many.

At Inertia, we believe that every success we realize is a tribute to his legacy, as we continue in our pursuit of his dream to help everyone enjoy wine and life. We hope you all take a moment at the end of this day to open some wine and toast a great man.

The Inertia Team

Wine Tasting, Vineyards, in France ...: Walk The Wine

Wine Tasting, Vineyards, in France — 16 May 2008 15:17:49

A Search for Health and More Good ThingsLast sunday in the Loire. What do you think can make so many people get up early on a sunday morning and walk 10, 12 or 18 kilometers accross woods, fields and vineyards...

The Wine Case : A toast to Robert Mondavi

The Wine Case — 16 May 2008 15:17:00

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, the very first wine experience that gave me a real sense of what wine could be about came from a bottle of Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Reserve 1987. And I have several very good memories of drinking Mondavi wines, before the days of the Constellation takeover that took the Mondavi Winery away from the Mondavis. To Kalon Fumé Blanc 2004, for instance, is one of the greatest New World whites I’ve tasted.

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.

The Pour : Robert Mondavi Dies

The Pour — 16 May 2008 14:31:33

Robert Mondavi dies at 94.

Winehiker Witiculture : This Sunday: a first-ever Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Railway event

Winehiker Witiculture — 16 May 2008 13:57:42

When I’ve walked the paths through the stately giants of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, about 30 miles from my hometown, I’ve always been awed by the majesty of those timeless trees. Equally timeless, it seems, is the far-off whistle of the historic Roaring Camp steam locomotive that runs daily from its mountain home in the town of Felton to its terminus at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Hearing that lonesome whistle blast always makes me yearn to transport myself to faraway places, and so it is a welcome sound in my ears as I meander along the banks of the San Lorenzo River.

There’s something about being outdoors and getting a concurrent dose of history. There’s also something to be said for adding fine wine to that equation.

This Sunday, May 18th, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., the Santa Cruz Mountain Wine Growers Association (SCMWA) will sponsor its inaugural Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Railway and Auction, to be held at the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad Museum in Felton, California. Guests will be able to enjoy wines from over 50 SCMWA-member wineries - which is to say, nearly all of them - plus get an opportunity to ride the venerable Roaring Camp train through the redwood forests of this mountain appellation.

From the SCMWA website:

Wines tasting will be accompanied by delectable appetizers, as well as, a silent and live auction. Auction items include rare wines, large format bottles, getaways to world class resorts, and trips, unique private winemakers’ dinners and much more.

Tickets are $55 in advance, $65 at the door, and $20 for children; leashed dogs are allowed. For reservations, or for more information, contact the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association at (831) 685-VINE (8463) or send them an email at info@scmwa.com.

~winehiker

Burgundy-Report : a few days in the côtes

Burgundy-Report — 16 May 2008 13:50:20

Thursday was an early start. First appointment (over 2 and a half hours drive away) was in Morey at 9:30am, then in Beaune to taste before lunch and back to Morey for two afternoon appointments - I couldn’t organise it any better, but ended the day with L&A Lignier, Segiun-Manuel, David Clark and Laurent [...]

Winexpression : Robert Mondavi Dies At 94

Winexpression — 16 May 2008 13:44:05

As reported in Decanter, Winespectator (who has a full obituary), and SFgate.com, Robert Mondavi passed away this morning at his home in Yountville. If you would like to read more on the man, a book detailing his life entitled The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty(paperback) Hardcover is available for purchase on Amazon.

The man was instrumental in many of the innovations still used today in wine making, was an excellent marketer, loved the arts, and left a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.

Robert Mondavi Winery

Wikipedia Article

Avenue Vine : Euro RSCG Wins Global Chivas Regal Business

Avenue Vine — 16 May 2008 13:36:50

Chivas Regal, the Scotch whisky brand, has appointed Euro RSCG to handle its global advertising business, bringing an end to its 14-year relationship with TBWA.

The agency has been briefed to create a new high profile global campaign for the Pernod Richard-owned brand. It is understood that the international campaign will run primarily in Asia and the US, where the brand enjoys strong growth, with some exposure in the UK market.

mondosapore : Wine Friday, May 16

mondosapore — 16 May 2008 13:28:49

I had a pleasant breakfast this morning with Marco Oberto of Ciabot Berton, traditionalist wine producer from Piemonte. We tasted a bottle of his 2003 "Vigna Capalot" Langhe Nebbiolo; his old-school, fermented-in-cement Barolo 2003 won't be ready to drink for at least a few more years. Light in color, this real-deal Nebbiolo has lots of stuffing, clean-flavored yet full of woodland fruit, impressive structure and a relatively long finish. The oak is under control; the wine spends about a year in Slovenian botti (medium-sized barrels). Right now it seems just...

LENNDEVOURS : In Memoriam: Robert Mondavi

LENNDEVOURS — 16 May 2008 13:19:57

We don't speak much of wine from the 'other' coast here on LENNDEVOURS, but today we have to look to California, saddened by the news that Robert Mondavi has died at the age of 94. Whether you like the wines he was responsible for or his methods of promoting them doesn't matter. Without him, the American wine industry wouldn't be what it is today... and I mean that in a good way. He was a great popularizer of wine and a champion for California and the United States. Those in the wine industry who try to appeal to the masses but still make high-end wines too can and probably should look to Mr. Mondavi for inspiration and as a model. Cheers, Mr. Mondavi. Rest in peace. You will be missed.

Kathleen Lisson's Wine and Food ...: Remembering Robert Mondavi

Kathleen Lisson's Wine and Food Pairing Tips — 16 May 2008 13:05:00

The Wine Spectator reports that Robert Mondavi has died at his home in Yountville, California. He was 94.

Mondavi teamed up with Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Bordeaux's famous Château Mouton-Rothschild to create the Opus One winery in Napa Valley and led the effort to create one of my favorite stops in Napa - COPIA, the American Institute for Food, Wine and the Arts.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Mondavi Winery with my father a few years ago, and I always enjoy a glass of the winery's Cabernet Sauvignon.

My prayers go out to his friends and family in their time of grief.

The Cork Board : Napa Valley loses a legend, Robert Mondavi passes

The Cork Board — 16 May 2008 13:00:36

There’s a bit of an eerie feeling in the Napa Valley today as word continues to spread about the passing of Napa Valley legend Robert Mondavi. According to Wine Spectator, Mondavi, who was 94 years old, passed away “…at 9 a.m. today at home in Yountville, Calif.”

We encourage you to go read the great write-up on Mr. Mondavi’s life and impact on the California wine industry that James Laube has put together. The Napa Valley Register also has a write-up.

RIP Mr. Mondavi.

Good Wine Under $20 : Death of a Legend

Good Wine Under $20 — 16 May 2008 12:59:00

Robert Mondavi, pioneering Napa Valley vintner, died this morning at the age of 94.

It's the end of an era.

If you've got a bottle of Mondavi wine in your cellar, I think tonight would be a good time to drink it. I'll be popping open the 2003 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, and raising a glass to this wine legend and all he contributed to American wine culture.

Tasting Room : Robert Mondavi, 1913-2008

Tasting Room — 16 May 2008 12:50:00

Hard to know what to say about this, but Robert Mondavi died this morning, age 94. It's essentially impossible to sum up in a short space his contributions to California wine; safe to say he was one of the instrumental forces in bringing Napa Val...

My Wine Education : RIP, Robert Mondavi

My Wine Education — 16 May 2008 12:49:59

This was coming, of course. Mondavi was 94 years old, and proof of the health benefits of wine and California breezes. Yet, I'm still somewhat surprised, and sad. Robert Mondavi passed away at his home in Yountville this morning.

He left an amazing legazy behind him. Last year, I read his autobiography, Harvests of Joy, published in 1998. As I read the book I swung between dislike, admiration, and confusion regarding the man who helped build the Napa we know today. In the end, he admitted his own mistakes and I was left with a clear admiration for Mondavi.

There is the legendary fight between Robert & Peter, two brothers, which sent Robert out on his own, building the first winery in Napa since Prohibition. He saw the winery as a tourist destination, forever changing the perception of Napa Valley (for good or evil, your choice). He traveled France, learning more about Bordeaux and Burgundy styles of wine. And he began to understand, and quest for, terroir. That quest led to the purchase of his To Kalon vineyards. I have some wine from those vineyards, and I have (of all things) a stone coaster with a print of those vineyards. After reading the book, I was rather fascinated with the man.

His winery has grown, expanded, and suffered through financial hardships in the last 20 years. I was never thrilled with the decision to sell to Constellation Brands. In the meantime, Mondavi launched philantropies, including COPIA and the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine & Food Science at UC Davis, which is almost complete. He and Magrit, his wife, also donated funds to complete the UC Davis performing arts center.

When I think of Robert Mondavi, I remember one clear moment. In 2005, on July 4, we were in Santa Rosa. I had managed to get tickets to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band concert at the Mondavi winery that night. We had a picnic from the Oakville Grocery and met some wonderful people spread out on blankets around us. Behind us, at a table in the vineyard, Robert & Magrit were dancing. In 2005, Mondavi was 91 years old, but had no trouble getting up and sharing one dance with his wife on a perfect summer evening.

Many Mondavi wines are inexpensive or generic. But there are some wonderful wines as well - I have two bottles of a reserve cabernet: one of which I'm aging another couple years and one that I do believe I'll be popping open this weekend, in honor of Robert Mondavi.

The Wine Knows - The ...: Robert Mondavi passes away this morning

The Wine Knows - The Wine Press Northwest blog — 16 May 2008 12:45:20

Robert Mondavi, the man who was key to dragging the American wine industry onto the world stage, passed away this morning at the age of 94, according to the Napa Valley Register.