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  • Country ranking ?

    392
  • Producer ranking ?

    6
  • Decanting time

    1h
  • When to drink

    Now
  • Food Pairing

    Game

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The Story

Our Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon has flavors of ripe black cherry, blackberry and black currant with hints of dried blueberry and cocoa. A sturdy structure and generous black fruits lend definition to a long, memorable finish.

Founded in 1861 by Charles Krug, the 27-year old Prussian immigrant came to America with little besides willpower and a willingness to work hard to build the cornerstone of the first winery in the Napa Valley. He became the major local winery figure of his era, greatly influencing Napa Valley’s development as a world-renown wine producing region.

Now owned by Robert Mondavi’s relative Peter Mondavi(99 years old!), above all else, Charles Krug Winery is a family winery. Peter Sr. and his sons Marc and Peter Jr. continue their dedication to producing the finest Bordeaux style wines in the Napa Valley. To achieve this, they initiated a nine-year, $22 million investment program completed in 2010. Over 400 of the winery’s 850 prime acres in Napa Valley have been re-planted and state-of-the-art winemaking equipment is now in use.

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Wine Information

Now under the guidance of Peter Mondavi Sr., the Charles Krug Winery honors its roots while forging ahead to the future. From the Wild West to the twenty-first century, relatively crude beginnings gave way to the finest form of winemaking.

Founded in 1861 by Charles Krug, the 27-year old Prussian immigrant came to America with little besides willpower and a willingness to work hard to build the cornerstone of the first winery in the Napa Valley. He became the major local winery figure of his era, greatly influencing Napa Valley's development as a world-renown wine producing region.

His leadership was said to be inspirational and his ideas innovative. Charles Krug introduced the cider press for winemaking, the first of which is still on display at the winery. He carefully selected rootstocks, varietals and vineyard sites - a novel concept in late 19th century America.

After his death in 1892, James Moffitt held the winery in proprietorship through Prohibition. By 1943, he found a pioneering spirit in Cesare Mondavi, an Italian immigrant with a passion for wine, and sold the winery to his family for $75,000.

At 60 years old, Cesare Mondavi spearheaded a dramatic renaissance in the decade that followed. Wine historian Charles Sullivan writes in his book, Napa Wine, “By the early 1950s it was irrefutable that the Valley's Big Four had been augmented by one - the Charles Krug Winery”.

Cesare died in 1959 leaving Rosa as President with sons Robert as General Manager and Peter as Vice President. In 1966, Robert moved south to Oakville and began construction of his own winery. Upon Rosa's death in 1976, Peter became President of the winery.

Peter's industry innovations from his studies at Stanford and Berkeley included revolutionary research on cold fermentation, enabling the production of exceptionally crisp, fruity white wines. His pioneering efforts to plant vineyards in the Carneros region with chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, cold sterile filtration techniques and aging wine in small French oak barrels contributed to his being named one of the twelve “Living Legends” in 1999 by the Napa Valley Vintners Association.

Above all else, Charles Krug Winery is a family winery. Peter Sr. and his sons Marc and Peter Jr. continue their dedication to producing the finest Bordeaux style wines in the Napa Valley. To achieve this, they initiated a nine-year, $22 million investment program completed in 2010. Over 400 of the winery's 850 prime acres in Napa Valley have been re-planted and state-of-the-art winemaking equipment is now in use.

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Written Notes

1949 Cabernet Sauvignion Charles 03/nowx2 The Charles Krug Winery is one of the oldest vineyards in California. It was founded by a Russian immigrant Charles Krug in 1861. He started from scratch and built a succesful wine enterprise which covered 123 has at its peak. Two years after his death in 1894, the phylloxera that had already been a strain on the whole wine world finally found its way to his estate and destroyed the vines totally. Shortage of new vines and the new prohibition forced the estate to give up cultivation, and soon it was re-possessed by the banks. Italian born Cesare Mondavi purchased Charles Krug´s vineyard in 1943 and modernized its wine production methods radically. The estate was a pioneer in the Californian wine industry and it was the first to generate sterilized wine cleansing, fermentation temperature control and long-term maturing in oak casks, among other things. This 1949 came from the New York auction house. Condition was excellent and level was high-shoulder. I cannot stop marvelling at the condition of these old Californian Cabernets, which seem to age exceptionally well. Very impressive, dark, bright colour to rim, an even more brilliant colour than the famous 1958. Lovely concentrated red fruit, dusty minerals and butter to nose. Quite complex, well balanced and thick with life. Big, even beefy and some soft tannin left. Has held very well, but does not improve. A unique and singular moment.
  • 92p
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Information

Origin

St. Helena, Napa Valley

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