Robert Mondavi - The Man Who Changed California Winemaking Forever
In September 1966 Robert Mondavi was crushing grapes in his make-shift, half-completed, roofless winery in Oakville, grapes that would go into the first vintage of Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine that transformed Napa, and kick-started an American wine revolution.
Okay, perhaps this is a bit of an over-simplification of a more complex history. Perhaps Napa was already primed for the dramatic changes that ensued over subsequent decades, and perhaps America was ready to embrace a quality wine culture – the oldest baby boomers were 20 in 1966 – but this was certainly a right man, right place and right time serendipity of circumstance.
Yes, there were other people in Napa already pushing the boundaries of the possible, Mondavi was not functioning in a vacum -- Heitz Cellars celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, and Martha's Vineyard also turns 50 – but Mondavi’s drive, single-minded ambition and relentless promotional energy seemed to galvanize the process.
Impecably organized, the events prove a worthy showcase for some wonderful wines, while highlighting a remarkable journey. The extrovert Bob Mondavi, who died in 2008 at age 94, would have reveled in the hoopla, and bestrode the stage with ill-disguised delight.
One of the highlights of the proceedings is a vertical held in the barrel room of 16 Cabs going back to the 1968 vintage. Two impressions strike me about this ambitious showcase. The first is how long-lived are most of the wines, and to show what I mean, here are a few highlights from my tasting notes:
1989: A pure delight, an extremely pretty wine, all refinement and finesse.
1987: A commanding presence of dense, rich fruit, far from drying out, with Old World suggestions of mushrooms and wet leaves.
1976: Extraordinary! Fresh and rich, even after 40 years, and showing an appealing herbal quality, something I find in many Mondavi reds.
1971: Quite awesome depth and complexity with hints of cinnamon, mint and baking spices.
The other impressive feature is how the wines gained consistency over the decades. Although no one is quite prepared to admit this, it does seem they were rather making it up as they went along in the early years. This is not surprising; they were, after all, making it up as they went along, there was no road map to follow back then, it was all an act of faith.
A former winemaker at RMW, Paul Hobbs, now owner of his own winery and ever-growing collection of labels, is present and observes that “There was an intense ‘vin de garage’ spirit going in those early days. It was a pretty heady place to be”.
Anyone who knows the glossy, chic Napa Valley of today would be flabbergasted by what it was like back in 1966. Winemaking had flourished in the late 19th century but by the 1960’s, after decades of travail – Prohibition, the Great Depression, World War II – the wine business was decrepit; old, dirty wineries turning out mostly sweet white wines 80% of which was sent out of state in bulk. And besides, America had no real wine culture at that time.
But Mondavi had traveled widely in Europe and his exposure to French and Italian wines, along with his knowledge of the terroir of Napa, convinced him he could make wine of similar quality here.
Not surprisingly many regarded him as nuts.
He had recently had a volcanic split with his mother and brother Peter over the direction of the family wine operation based at Charles Krug, and was determined to set out on his own, to prove them wrong, to prove he could make, and just as importantly sell, the quality, age-worthy wine he knew was possible
But that was not all.
Mondavi was nothing if not burdened with ambition and endless self-confidence - that's what made him the tireless and captivating salesman he was – but cash was always a problem and he wanted to not only make the sort of quality wine he had encountered in Europe, but to construct a unique winery, an appropriately impressive showcase for the brilliant new wines he knew he was going to make.
And this he achieved spectacularly. It was the first new winery built in Napa since before Prohibition, and stands as a symbol of modern Napa. It also serves as an impressive setting for the delectable food and wine we enjoy during the festivities over the two days.
The most famous vineyards in RMW’s holdings is To Kalon, known especially for its I Block Fumé Blanc which we sample at a tasting in the vineyard, accompanied by oysters. (Fumé Blanc is the name Mondavi invented for these wines as Sauvignon Blanc had such a poor reputation at the time. Yup, he really got the whole marketing thing.)
I believe Napa too warm for the cool-climate SB grape but the generalization doesn’t seem to apply to To Kalon. Here it has longevity, depth and intensity, characteristics not normally associated with the varietal, especially in California, and all due to the combination of 60-plus-year-old vines, the alluvial fan soil of the vineyard, extraordinarily low yields and long sur lees aging.
The centerpiece of the 50th-anniversary celebration is the unveiling of a new red blend, the 2013 Maestro ($50). It’s primarily Merlot, along with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Big, rich, plummy and accessible – that’s the Merlot speaking – it’s a bit tannic at first but opens up very nicely. Will be a delight in five years.
We drink it with a duck confit so sublime it would do Gascony proud, the pairing inspired.
Maestro 2013 has a lot of dark fruit flavors along with the usual Mondavi components of dark chocolate, dried tobacco and hints of Provence spices. There’s an intriguing depth here thanks to the blend of four Bordeaux varietals – something one doesn’t find in single-varietal wine – that will only deepen and become more engaging with time.
The finale is a gala dinner at which I am privileged to sit at a table with Marguerite Mondavi, Robert's widow. She appears frail, while still managing occasional flashes of her zinging wit.
"Robert used to say 'Just do it! You can always apologize later!' That was his philosophy of winemaking and of life." This explains why he was so successful at the former, but why so much of his personal life was beset by turmoil.
She has subsequently died, so I am grateful to have met this remarkable, charming woman who played such a central part in the Mondavi story.
Also at the table is Warren Winiarski. I am a great admirer of this erudite and entertaining former professor. He is also the founder and former owner of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, and in that capacity made the Cabernet Sauvignon that won the red portion of the now famous Judgement of Paris competition in 1976.
I’ve known Warren for several years but hadn’t realized that 10 years before his Paris triumph, he had been Mondavi’s first winemaker at RMV. He makes the best speech of the evening, low-key and gently humorous as is his wont, and captures Mondavi’s unique personality and visionary achievement in a few succinct words:
“Robert had so much exuberance, so much enthusiasm. He rediscovered what a winery could be in this valley.”
Happy 50th Birthday, Robert Mondavi Winery!
