Robert Mondavi Winery is one of the most prominent wine producers in Napa Valley. Founded in 1966 by Robert Mondavi himself, the company is widely credited with kickstarting the modern era of California’s wine industry.
Mondavi founded the winery after a less-than-amicable split from his family’s business, Charles Krug. His stated aim was to swap quantity for quality, believing that good wine could be made in the valley.
To Kalon, originally planted in 1868, became the epicenter of his estate, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc (often labeled Fumé Blanc in California) providing the backbone of the Mondavi range. Over the years, Mondavi has employed some of Napa’s most famous winemakers, including Mike Grgich (of Chateau Montelena), Warren Winiarski (of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars) and Zelma Long (of Simi Winery).
One of Mondavi’s most high-profile contributions to Californian winemaking came via a collaboration with Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild. Opus One, the resulting wine, first appeared in 1980, and has gone on to become one of California’s more iconic Cabernet Sauvignon wines, netting both high praise and high prices.
95 Points Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon The Reserve To Kalon Vineyard is about as perfumed, upfront and sexy as they come. Sporting a ruby/plum color and a terrific bouquet of black raspberries, cedary spice, toasty oak, flowers and incense, it hits the palate with loads of sweet fruit, an undeniable opulence, ripe tannin and a great finish. It’s an approachable 2015 that’s going to evolve gracefully for another two decades.