TN: 2003 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch

WINE TALK
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  • 2003 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (3/8/2017)
    Brought this to share with friends at dinner. Was very tight upon opening and needed more air time than it received. Did the best I could under the circumstances. Rustic red fruits, some secondary aromas of cedar and mulch. The mid-palate was medium full but the fruit was holding back a tad. Some tobacco and graphite accompanied the chewy tannins. Bottle was throwing lots of fine sediment. If I was at home I would have decanted and pobably should have double decanted before we even left home but I wasn’t sure if we would get to this wine so I held back.

All in all it is a very nice bottle that deserved more care than it got on this night. 2003 continues to be an under-appreciated vintage IMHO. I’ll continue to source '03 Napa Cabs value priced on the secondary market.

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Posted from CellarTracker

And yes, 1959 did call asking for their kitchen tile back.

2

Nice note Brian, thanks for posting. Bummer you weren’t aeed to give the wine more air, but we all know how that goes sometimes.

Totally agree on the 03 vintage for Napa. The few I’ve had over the last couple years were in a great spot and drinking really well.

And side note…I really dig that label! Don’t think I’ve seen that before actually. Do they still use it??

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No, I think '03 was the last year for that label. I really like it too.

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I love that label. I’ve had a couple dozen 2003s over the past couple of years, many bought on release and appropriately conditioned. I think they’re middling wines. They’re solid, but not spectacular, and while it’s nowhere near the bust vintage WS thought it was, it cannot be considered one of Napa’s better vintages. Decent floor, lower ceiling than surrounding vintages.

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I’m saying that 2003 is aging well and ending up with very enjoyable wines. Not that it’s a VotC.

6

Agree with you on the 2003 vintage. Wish I had more of the 2003 Meyer Family when it was 28/ea. I was a big fan of the Mondavi Oakville from the same vintage.

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Brian, thank you very much for bringing that over. I know that we didn’t give it the proper treatment but when you’re in a rental and the only thing close to a decanter is a beer pitcher, well you do what you can. Still, it was an interesting wine and paired quite well with those little steaks. [cheers.gif]

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We have noticed over the years that there are some panned vintages, 2003, one of them, that actually were superior and more age worthy than the touted vintages of over ripe grapes. 2006 is another one of those years. Sleepers if you will. Lean and sometimes fruitless for ten years only to rise like the phoenix after ten years or more of age.

Brian, you got to love it when you open an old wine only to find it was too soon. [cheers.gif]

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Put me in the anti-2003 camp, the wines lacked freshness on release and still do now, only real difference is the tannins have mellowed out. 2006 is a slightly better version of 2003.

That Mondavi sounds great though. Not sure how it is now but the 2003 Mondavi Oakville was really good too.