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Wine Description
The Story
"The ultimate expression of terroir." Hand-selected fruit from the finest blocks within our vineyards are handled with the greatest care in our dedicated reserve fermentation cellar. These wines combine elegant complexity with density and structure, and demonstrate the art of winemaking.
Our Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is the wine which embodies Robert Mondavi’s philosophy of making wines that are powerful yet gentle. Each year the blend reflects the “First Growth” quality of the To Kalon Vineyard. It is a classic wine which represents the history of innovation and style at Robert Mondavi Winery.
Genevieve Janssens - Director of Winemaking
Wine Information
The harvest in 2008 was very different from the norm in Napa Valley. Mother Nature turned the year into a real thriller, which held producers in its grip from the start all the way until harvest time.
The year began in stormy conditions: the valley was buffeted by downpours and storm winds. These then gave way to an agonisingly long dry period. The spring’s rainfall only reached 60 per cent of the average, and went down in history as one of the driest springs in Napa Valley. Due to the mild and dry weather, the vines’ growing season started earlier than ever. The early sprouting was fateful, however, when the month-long dry period in the spring was followed by destructive sub-zero night-time temperatures. This was not just on a few isolated nights, but went on for a whole month. The long night-time frosts had a devastating effect on the sprouting vines, cutting harvests by up to one third.
During the long frost period, producers pulled out all of their tricks to protect the vines. Some vineyards in the valley have large fans, which were in intensive use throughout the spring. Areas that did not have fans used sprinklers for watering the vines so that the water would freeze onto the buds to shield them from the icy cold. The flowering season after the frosts was irregular and, due to uneven pollination, led to below-average harvests. The summer started off cool and remained so until late August. As a result, the grapes developed slowly and became intense and concentrated. In the late summer, ripening was accelerated by a one-week heat wave, which was followed by dry weather during the harvest. Although the harvest was smaller than usual, the grape quality was excellent.