Friday, April 24, 2009

Robert Mondavi 2005 Vinetta (California)

This (as far as I know) was the first vintage of this wine (if not the second) - a true Bordeaux blend using all five of the recognized grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec) from Mondavi. In their entire history they have never created such a beast ... hard to believe, but it's what I read, so it must be true. Anyway, I was lucky enough to grab a couple of bottles a couple of years ago while down in Michigan - turns out it's not available in Canada/Ontario and Mondavi's agent in Ontario at the time hadn't even heard about it (I'm sure they have by now, though it is still not available). The smell is a mix of red and black fruit, chocolate, raspberry and strawberry. The palate delivers mainly black fruit along with spices and herbs, creme de cacao and a dried blackberry finish.

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