Robert Mondavi survives the worst of times

By Tom Marquardt & Patrick Darr

Robert Mondavi certainly has suffered some bad times. One of the icons in Napa Valley, Robert Mondavi blazed trails in raising the bar for this country’s fine wine industry. But mismanagement, family squabbles and changing focus eventually crippled the winery and forced the Mondavi clan to sell the business and the name to Constellation.

If you want to read more about one of the most intriguing family breakups, pick up “The House of Mondavi” by Julia Flynn Siler. Although there is no happy ending to this pitiful squabble, the ownership change is probably what the brand needed to get Mondavi back on track.

We had a chance to catch up with the Mondavi wines during a recent visit with Mark de Vere, one of about 24 masters of wine in the United States. A “MW” is an elite title given to only the best tasters in the world who have passed an incredibly rigorous test.

We suspect Mark was chosen as Mondavi’s ambassador because of his impeccable palate. He has been touring the country challenging people like us to blind taste Mondavi wines alongside French counterparts.

He pitted the 2005 Mondavi Reserve Chardonnay with the 2003 Moreau Chablis Volmer Grand Cru, the 2005 Mondavi Reserve Pinot Noir with the 2003 Nicolas Potel Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, and the 2004 Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon with the 2003 Lafite Rothschild.

That’s pretty stiff competition for even the best California wine.

Of course, all of these wines were excellent and it was difficult to leave them unfinished. Given the different vintages and regions, it is hardly a fair comparison. However, it wasn’t Mark’s intention to show that one wine was better than the other. Rather, it was to show that Mondavi, despite its recent turmoil, is still making world-class wine.

Judging the wines purely on hedonistic pleasure, we surprisingly preferred the Mondavi cabernet over the Lafite Rothschild. It is no wonder the Mondavi cabernet (about $125 a bottle) was rated 92 points by Robert Parker Jr.’s Wine Advocate. Parker’s criticism of previous vintages was eviscerating.

“We’re trying to show that California wines are different, not necessarily better,” de Vere said. “We want them to taste like California wines.”

And they do. The Mondavi wines are more forward in fruit while the French wines were more subtle and even more exquisite. That’s a generalization, of course, but to us the big fruit flavors is what makes California wines Californian.

Genevieve Janssens has been Mondavi’s director of winemaking since 1997 and before that she directed wine making at Opus One.

The face-off between these wines was very persuasive. Although it is unlikely you can duplicate the blind tasting in your own homes — the Lafite Rothschild cost $500 a bottle — you can still enjoy these more moderately priced wines:

• Robert Mondavi Winery To Kalon Vineyard Fume Blanc Reserve 2005 ($43). Mondavi still clings to the often misunderstood “fume” label for its sauvignon blanc — and, for good reason. It set the model for a top-quality fume blanc and remains one of the best in California. Blended with 15 percent semillon, it has rounded, multi-layered flavors of pit fruit and orange. It packs power without being smothered with overpowering fruit. The grassy character of the grape is muted by the semillon.

It’s a very exquisite sauvignon blanc with a lingering finish.

• Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Pinot Noir 2005 ($60). Mouthfilling black cherry fruit from Carneros with delicate tannins and hint of clove and vanilla. Although packing a lot of understated power, it is an exquisite wine with a long finish.

• Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ($125). Blended with 12 percent cabernet franc and 2 percent petit verdot, this is one powerful wine. Rich texture, ripe black berry aromas with a hint of licorice and spice in the nose. Generous and complex plum and cassis flavors with big tannins and a long finish.

It is a world-class wine. Mondavi was among the leaders to establish California’s cabernet sauvignon program — and the reputation lives on with this wine.