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TO KALON VINE IN GRAPHITE

Robert Mondavi Winery has commissioned San Francisco artist Agelio Batle to create a limited-edition work of art inspired by the vines of the renowned To Kalon Vineyard. A limited number of To Kalon Vine in Graphite are now available for sale to the public.

Using a proprietary graphite compound, the artist used discarded vines found in the vineyard, incinerating them and incorporating the vine ash into the graphite mix. The result is a finely sculpted decorative object and writing implement with a little bit of To Kalon inside it.

 

 

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History

Robert Mondavi established his namesake winery in 1966 with a vision to create Napa Valley wines that would stand in the company of the world’s finest.  He chose To Kalon Vineyard in the heart of the Napa Valley as the home for Robert Mondavi Winery. This first-growth vineyard, located in Oakville, California, is renowned for producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines in the world, as well as for its Sauvignon Blanc grapes, from which Mr. Mondavi crafted his signature wine, Fumé Blanc.

 

Along with To Kalon Vineyard, Robert Mondavi Winery sources grapes from some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyards, including Stag’s Leap (Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc) and Carneros (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay).

Mr. Mondavi believed that wines should reflect their origins, that they are the product of the soil, the climate, and the careful stewardship of those precious resources. He also believed in combining the newest techniques and technology with time-honored winemaking traditions.

Our winemaking and vineyard teams are proud to carry on our founder’s mandate to always strive higher, to pursue Robert Mondavi’s goal of excellence with the same passion and innovative spirit, moving forward with programs that break barriers and open new frontiers.

Leading this initiative is Genevieve Janssens, Director of Winemaking. Genevieve, whose relationship with the winery began in 1978, was selected Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2010.


We are located at 7801 St. Helena Highway in the town of Oakville at the edge of the To Kalon Vineyard.

 

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Vineyards

Planted originally in 1868, the To Kalon Vineyard has become recognized as one of the first-growth vineyards of the world. Ancient Greek for “the highest beauty,” To Kalon is the historic vineyard that provides Robert Mondavi Winery with grapes for its world-class Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and Oakville District Cabernet Sauvignon, and is the exclusive source of our Fumé Blanc Reserve.  

To Kalon is also home to our cherished I-block where we have 60-year-old Sauvignon Blanc vines that give us the wonderfully complex fruit for our I Block Fumé Blanc. Additional varieties planted in the vineyard include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petite Verdot, Syrah and Semillon.

TO KALON LEGACY RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Robert Mondavi Winery has applied innovative research and development processes in matching rootstocks with soil to enhance wine quality.

ROOTSTOCK, CLONAL, AND SPACING TRIALS The 31-acre To Kalon Vineyard H-block at Robert Mondavi Winery is dedicated to the study of Cabernet family varieties. In 2005, the winery began what is planned as a 10-year, $10 million program of replanting and vineyard improvements at the historic To Kalon Vineyard.

SPACING Until the mid-1980s, standard California vineyard spacing was 8'x12'. In the European-style high-density format (4’x4’), vines are forced to compete with each other for sustenance, resulting in lower yields, smaller berries, and more intense fruit flavors. In the To Kalon Vineyard, Robert Mondavi Winery has more high-density plantings than any other California winery.

The Stags Leap District growing region has distinctive gravelly and clay loam soils, which retain less water, gently stressing the grapevines, resulting in small berries and intensely flavored fruit. The steep, eastern cliffs retain and reflect the afternoon sun, while breezes from the nearby San Pablo Bay maintain cool morning and evening temperatures. The vines thrive in this unique environment and give us wines with balanced acidity, velvety texture and ripe fruit flavors. 

 

IN THE VINEYARD

HOW ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY USES NATURAL, SUSTAINABLE FARMING TECHNIQUES.

  • Adopted natural winegrowing philosophy in the early 1970s and to this day remains a leader in ongoing research and experimentation.
  • Currently manages more than 1,000 naturally farmed acres in Napa Valley.
  • Establishes raptor roosts to encourage the proliferation of natural predators to control vine pests and rodents.
  • Reduces insect pests, powdery mildew and bunch rot through leaf removal and canopy management. Character and balance in the grapes are enhanced by improved sunlight and air penetration.
  • Uses composted grape pomace, a natural grape by-product, as well as fresh pomace to increase soil fertility.
  • Plants cover crops and adds organic matter to naturally replenish the soil with nitrogen and increase diversity of flora and fauna while preventing erosion. Cover crops also support beneficial insects for pest management, reducing the need for non-natural measures. They help conserve water and soil, creating the basis for sustained production and fine-quality wine.
  • Dedicates significant acreage to permanent cover crops or “no-till” areas.
  • Increases density of plantings to reduce yield per vine, improving flavor concentration and yield per acre.
  • Controls vine vigor and yield through crop thinning and shoot removal, intensifying flavors and aromas.

 

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Winemaking

Robert Mondavi Winery was the first to formally adopt a natural farming approach to the cultivation of estate vineyards. This approach extends beyond rules and strictures of organic farming and considers overall wine quality and the impact on the greater environment.

As a joint effort in 1995, the Robert Mondavi Winery and the Napa County Resource Conservation District created the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group (NSWG). The NSWG holds several annual workshops on current topics in sustainable winegrowing such as water conservation, quality improvement, cover cropping, erosion control and the latest in Integrated Pest Management techniques. During the past decade, Robert Mondavi Winery has undertaken further experiments in natural farming and in 1998 became the first winery to receive an “Innovator” award from California's Environmental Protection Agency.

 

IN THE WINERY

NATURAL WINEMAKING METHODS

  • Gentle hand-harvesting minimizes bruising and brings only the finest fruit to winery
  • Ferments majority of wines with naturally occurring native yeasts, which imparts more complexity and character
  • Gentle gravity flow of wine eliminates need for pumping
  • Fines and filters wines naturally

ON-SITE ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES

  • In-house task force studies and implements new environmental projects
  • Maintains an aggressive recycling program for glass bottles, paper products, corks and cans
  • Recycles more than one million gallons of winery wastewater annually for use in the vineyards

 

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Inside information

One of the first goals Robert Mondavi set for himself was recreating Sauvignon Blanc, which was, at the time a sweet, unnuanced wine. He sought inspiration in Loire Valley Pouilly Fumé, enlivening it with a uniquely California profile. He named the delightfully rich and refined yet bright, fresh wine he created Fumé Blanc. It’s Sauvignon Blanc, plus so much more.

Released in 1968, Fumé Blanc remains Mr. Mondavi’s signature and one of  Robert Mondavi Winery’s most popular. 

The first vintage (1966) of Robert Mondavi Winery's Cabernet Sauvignon is released also uin 1968. A shot heard throughout the Valley, it would inspire the waves of pioneers to follow.In time, the path Robert Mondavi cleared would lead to the creation of some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays, Merlots and Sauvignon Blancs in the world.

In 1971 The Winery's Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon, the finest wine of each vintage, is first labeled with the reserve designation.With the exception of 1972, we have produced Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve every year with remarkable praise by critics and consumers. Our Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is produced using fruit from our famous To Kalon Vineyard, which is recognized as one of the finest vineyards in Napa Valley for powerful and complex Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2000 vintage was the first to benefit from the nearly completed To Kalon Reserve Fermentation Cellar.

With the To Kalon Project, Robert Mondavi Winery has created a state-of-the-art cellar for producing and barrel-aging its Reserve, District and Vineyard-Designated red wines. The project also enhanced the winery's visitor programs. Planning started in October 1996, and work began in January 1999. The renovated winery was ready for the 2000 harvest, and construction was completed in March 2001.

The new multi-level To Kalon Fermentation Cellar was built on the west side of the winery. Directly beneath the new fermentation cellar lays a new first-year barrel cellar for Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Its underground location provides ideal temperature and humidity for aging wine. The original barrel room now houses the second-year Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve barrels and includes a special area for Fumé Blanc Reserve and To Kalon Vineyard I Block Fumé Blanc.

The new winemaking facility features 56 French oak fermenters. Prized for their ability to enhance aromas, flavors and complexity in red wines, the oak fermenters were handcrafted in Cognac by a team of Taransaud coopers. The coopers numbered each stave before disassembling them fermenters for shipping to Oakville, where the team then reconstructed them in-place at the winery.

 

 

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30 different wines with 163 vintages

Winemaking since 1966

  • Robert Mondavi

    Walking through To Kalon, admiring its contours and vines, smelling the richness of its soil, I knew this was a very special place. It exuded an indefinable quality I could not describe, a feeling that was almost mystical.

  • Genevieve Janssens

    Director of Winemaking
    “We have a mission – to produce wines of great density and rich fruit character, wines of elegance and finesse that complement food. In this way, we combine the structure of the finest French wines with powerful fruit, California-style.”
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