The hate & hype.....2007 Robert Mondavi Napa Cab

WINE TALK
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Seems this wine has stirred up some mixed opinions on this board over the last few weeks. After this bottle you can put me in the “I like it” column. I dont get the cloying, sloppy, unfocused mess that others got although I did get the alcohol. Good wine and I think it is worth the $18ish price tag.

I dont think anyone is wrong or right with this wine but at 100K+ cases bottle variation could definitely be the culprit.

  • 2007 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/19/2010)
    After about two hours of air in the decanter I finally decided to throw some impressions down. Smashing nose of pomegranate, raspberry puree, hint of spice, some perfume and a bit of cedar box. A little bit of creme de casis, melted licorice, charcoal and maybe a hint of blueberry. Nice medium body with a fat and juicy mid palate. Dry angular tannins, not cloying or too thick but medium weight, decently linear and focused. Chalky dry finish, firm tannin structure, a bit of toasty oak and plentiful red fruits on the finish. A touch of heat, noticeable but it doesn’t bother me. If it weren’t for the heat, this would be a 90 point wine. (89 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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$15 at Costco with coupon.

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Tyler, this of it this way: with all the dis-like happening on this one, there will be many left on the market for you to purchase. Probably about 400,000 cases many left…

[snort.gif]

4

Clumsy and overly ripe, EVEN with a coupon. [snort.gif]

5

Tyler,

I think relative to the more elegant, yet rich '06, it’s a real let-down. Have you had the '06?

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I must have missed the original thread, but how worked up can one get about an $18 wine?

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Pretty worked up.

TN: 2007 Educated Guess Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Mike, that link was for a 2007 Educated Guess cab - does the discussion segue to the Mondavi at some point in time?

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No, this was in response to how much worked over can one get.

Here is another 2 for Mondavi:
TN: 2007 Mondavi Napa Cabernet - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers" onclick=“window.open(this.href);return false;
TN: 2007 Mondavi Napa Cabernet - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers” onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

10

I guess maybe I didn’t really explain myself clearly in my first post - I can certainly see someone getting excited when you find a nice QPR for a reasonable cost - every time I pull the cork on a Clos de Briords and think “all this for $12”, it makes me smile. But I thought the title of this thread (and specifically the wording “hate & hype”) seemed to imply a heated argument/discussion about this wine, and I guess I was really saying how ticked off can one get if a QPR is a dud. I mean, I’ve bought many wines for under $20, and some I like and some I don’t - I never expect any of them to outperform Harlan or LLC, but I can’t see getting all tuned up if you buy an $18 cab and it sucks?

11

Bob, not sure you are speaking to me in particular, but I will venture a response worthy.

I agree with you, but with the love that Mondavi cabs have garnered in the past x amount of years, this is actually a big deal.
The house style has changed in this vintage, and die hard cab lovers who chiseled their teeth on cabs early on, did so with Mondavi. My first Napa cab from Mondavi was the 1974 in 1981. I was getting them for $40 per and could not get enough. Moved onto the 78 and then 79, then onto the reserves and I wanted to explore more. This is the bedrock of qpr Napa cabs, and if it sucks, it makes news, especially in a vintage where everything should at least be ‘good’?

Hope this it a pertinent point of view.


Cheers!

12

Drinking it now and I agree 100%…this wine is a mess…

13

Starting with the 2004, I’ve been a real fan of the Mondavi Napa bottling as a good QPR Cab. While I haven’t ever backed up a truck to whatever grocery store has it for $20, I’ve had a few from each of 2004, 2005 and 2006, and still have some of each downstairs.

With that in mind, I recently had a 2007, and while I wouldn’t call it a mess, there was noticeable heat and too much fruit. They’ve been harder to find at $20 around here lately, but I’m glad I resisted my initial urge to buy a six pack without trying one. Buy the 2006s if any are still left.