1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
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Tasting notes
(13.5% alcohol; 50% from To Kalon): Dark ruby-red. Aromas of cherry and pepper are complicated by balsamic cedar and anise scents. More saline and peppery than fruity in style, offering hints of minerals, tobacco and spices. Comes across as somewhat disjointed: the fruit seems to be evolved without the wine having absorbed its acidity. Rather austere today and dominated by its tannic structure. I wanted more complexity of flavor. Janssens noted that the blocks planted on AXR rootstock may not have ripened completely, as the huge crop of 2007 was harvested in a rush at the end.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
TCA-affected unfortunately. (JR)
Full, round, ripe but no great personality and very obvious tannins on the finish. This is the heavily trumpeted unfiltered, unfined bottling but it seems no more impressive to me than the regular one. In fact the tannins are more aggressive. (JR)
About the producer
Robert Mondavi is a name known the world over. The ambitious businessman created his eponymous winery in 1966 to produce world-class wines in Napa, pioneering quality winemaking and becoming a champion for the region.