www.robertmondaviwinery.com

Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
1999 $124.99 limited
"An enormously complex and sophisticated wine that combines great flavors with uncommon finesse. Dark, sleek, rich and polished, with a delicious core of concentrated cola, currant, plum and blackberry. Tremendous finish. Best from 2004 through 2014. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.Cellar Selection." 94 The Wine Spectator 3/30/02
"Good bright ruby. Complex nose combines currant, black raspberry, tobacco, bitter chocolate and violet, all lifted by enticing sweet oak tones. Dense and sweet but fresh. This has a creamy texture I miss in most of this winery's other '99 reds, without any loss of precision." 91(+?) Steve Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 5/6-02
1998 $116.99 available
"The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is one of the vintage's few stars. Production exceeds 20,000 cases of this dark ruby/purple-colored wine with excellent cassis fruit combined with a touch of dried herbs, spicy oak, and licorice. Sweet and lush, with low acidity and ripe fruit, it should drink well when released, and evolve for 15+ years." 89-91 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #126
1997 $129.99 limited
"The profound 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve boasts a saturated ruby/purple color. Production (about 20,000 cases) of this sweet, opulently-textured, rich, full-bodied wine should guarantee widespread availability. Aged in 100% new French oak, this blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot offers a textbook varietal nose of cedar wood, licorice, creme de cassis, and pain grille. Full-bodied, with explosive sweetness and fruit on the attack, this gloriously pure, superbly well-delineated wine should be drinkable young, and last for 3 decades." 95 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #126
"Packed with currant, black cherry, plum, cedar and spice nuances, finishing long and complete, this Mondavi reserve is a dark, immense, deeply concentrated and sharply focused red. Best from 2002 through 2012. Cellar Selection." 93 The Wine Spectator 9/15/00
"Very good deep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of crystallized red berries, cassis, graphite and grilled nuts. Lush, sweet and minerally; already displays compelling inner-mouth complexity and superb delineation. Youthful fruit flavors show less of the meaty quality that characterized some recent vintages of this wine. Very strong underlying backbone. The wine's lovely sweetness carries through to the very long finish, which features dusty, even tannins." 93(+?) Steve Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 5/6-00
1996 $99.99
1995 $124.99 limited
"Robert Mondavi's 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is not far below the quality of the 1994. The 1995 boasts an opaque purple color, great ripeness and richness of fruit, that multi-layered and multi-dimensional character that is so much a characteristic of the 1994, full body, plenty of ripe, sweet tannin, and a long, spicy finish. The 1995 does not yet exhibit the expansiveness and depth of the 1994, but it is certainly a wine that should equal Mondavi's fabulous 1991 and 1990, in addition to surpassing the 1992 and 1993 Reserves. It is another 20-30 year Cabernet Sauvignon that will be delicious young, yet age effortlessly for three decades." 92-96 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #111
"Deep, saturated red-ruby. Lively, complex aroma dominated by blackcurrant, licorice and tobacco. Sweet and quite deep but very tightly wrapped. Much more difficult to taste than it was prior to bottling. Finishes with tongue-saturating tannins. Very firmly structured; today, the wine acids and tannins have not yet harmonized. A drier, serious style of cabernet, in need of bottle aging." 91(+?) Steve Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 5/6-98
1994 $146.99 very limited
"I have drunk some memorable Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons from Robert Mondavi, including the gloriously fragrant, elegant 1971, the powerful, dense 1974, the seductive 1978, the mammothly-endowed, tannic blockbuster 1987, the silky, opulent, super-concentrated 1990, and the compellingly rich, layered 1991. However, if I were to select the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that may turn out to be the greatest Mondavi has yet made, the 1994 might edge out the 1991 and 1987. It may not appear to be the case, but I am often at a loss for words when it comes to writing about truly profound wines. They seem to have their own stature, presence, and character that transcend the significance of mere words. That being said, Mondavi's 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is an exquisite wine, as well as a Cabernet that may turn out to be one of the wines of the vintage. The deep opaque purple color, and tightly wound nose and flavors still reveal enough profound aromas and flavors to mark this as one of Mondavi's most sensational efforts. The nose possesses a Margaux/Mouton-like cassis, lead pencil, floral aroma, backed-up by copious quantities of blackcurrant fruit. In the mouth, my notes said, "great stuff." The wine is full-bodied, layered, multi-dimensional, and astonishingly well-balanced, with an inner-depth and core of exceptional richness and intensity. All of this has been accomplished without any notion of obtrusive weight, tannin, or alcohol. The finish lasts for 35+ seconds. Because of its luxurious quantity of fruit, this wine will be accessible young, thus much of it will be drunk long before it ever reaches full maturity. However, for those able to buy more than a bottle or two, and who possess the discipline to wait 10-15 years, this wine should prove to be a formidable California Cabernet with a rare complexity, elegance, and richness. It should be at its best between 2002-2025. Readers can look forward to an immensely impressive group of Cabernet Sauvignons from Mondavi, which is not surprising given what this estate has produced over the last several decades. 1994 is unquestionably a great vintage for North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon. As the opening comments in this article have stated, 1994 stands above 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993 - all outstanding vintages with no shortage of heroic performances. Remarkably, 1995 may turn out to be as profound as 1994, giving California its two greatest back to back vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon ... ever!" 98 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #108
1991 $159.99 very limited
"This wine is just beginning to drink spectacularly well. The fabulous 1991 Reserve is the quintessential Napa Cabernet that represents a synthesis in style between the elegance of a first-growth Bordeaux and the ripe, intense, generous fruit of Napa Valley. It is just hitting its peak of maturity where it should remain for 10-20 years." 96 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #142
"Dense, compact and tightly wound, showing a rich, focused beam of minty currant and chocolate flavors. Complex, concentrated and firmly tannic." 90 The Wine Spectator 11/15/94
1990 $219.99 very limited
"The 1990 Cabernet Sauvignon-Reserve looks to be a worthy rival of the great 1987 Mondavi Reserve. Although slightly less powerful than that magnificent wine, the 1990 exhibits an opaque dark ruby/purple color, and a huge nose that offers up abundant aromas of sweet, toasty, new oak, cassis, roasted nuts, and animal scents. In the mouth, the wine reveals a gorgeous concentration of cassis fruit welded to gobs of sweet, soft tannins. There is a wonderful inner-core of richness and concentration, as well as a finish that is disarmingly velvety until some tannins emerge as the wine sits in the glass. This super-concentrated, beautifully made wine should age magnificently for 15-20 years." 96 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #85
"Herb, olive and currant flavors begin to open up on the finish, where they fold together nicely and pick up a spicy anise accent that adds dimension. A young, tight, firm and tannic wine that's just starting to show. Best after 2001.--Cabernet Challenge." 92 The Wine Spectator 9/15/96
1986 $249.99 very limited
"Showing more complexity now than the '85, with tough, concentrated tannins and a rich yet elegant core of currant and spice. Classic.--Mondavi Cabernet vertical." 95 The Wine Spectator 11/30/91
"The 1986 reveals a deep, ruby/garnet color with an opaque middle and vague lightening at the edge. The expressive bouquet offers up scents of jammy cassis, tobacco, and damp earth. Sweet and ripe, this full-bodied, soft, seamless, velvety-textured wine was tasting exceptionally well. Although fully mature, it is capable of lasting another 7-10 years. A very delicious, complex, elegant Cabernet." Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #106
1985 $249.99 very limited
"Extremely rich and seductive, complex yet delicate, with layers of cedar, plum, currant and spice flavors that are remarkably rich, supple and concentrated, echoing long and full on the palate. Delicious. Best from 1995 through 2005. Spectator Selection." 95 The Wine Spectator 11/15/89

Robert, Tim and Michael Mondavi