Opened this bottle in tribute to Robert Mondavi, who passed away Friday at the age of 94. A legend in the wine business and one of the people who really helped put Napa Valley and California in the upper tier of world wine producers.
I decanted for 1 hr. Color was dark ruby with an orange hue at the edges. Lovely aromas of stewed cherries, plums, cassis, black olives and violets. The main word to describe the flavor is "smooth". Sweet, dark cherry flavors to start - flowing to some tart and slightly acidic fruit on the mid palate. There are still some moderate tannins on the back end, but they are becoming nicely integrated. Very long finish with just a touch of heat + spice. A great wine -- with or without food!
I decanted for 1 hr. Color was dark ruby with an orange hue at the edges. Lovely aromas of stewed cherries, plums, cassis, black olives and violets. The main word to describe the flavor is "smooth". Sweet, dark cherry flavors to start - flowing to some tart and slightly acidic fruit on the mid palate. There are still some moderate tannins on the back end, but they are becoming nicely integrated. Very long finish with just a touch of heat + spice. A great wine -- with or without food!
