1991 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Readers should beat a path to their wine merchant and stock up on the 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon Unfiltered. This is the finest regular Cabernet Sauvignon Mondavi has made. It offers an opaque dark ruby/purple color, a superb nose of blackcurrants, vanillin, mint, and toast, outstanding richness, great purity, medium to full body, an attractive suppleness, and a long, rich finish. Although it can be drunk now, it should age effortlessly for 10-15 years. After producing a number of unexciting Cabernet Sauvignons in the early eighties, Mondavi has gotten this program back on track. Even the non-Reserve cuvees, which are now bottled unfiltered, go from strength to strength. This venerable Napa winery, which, justifiably, has enormous influence on the quality and direction of California winemaking, continues to perform admirably, pushing quality at both the vineyard and winery to greater heights. Readers who mistakenly believe size is not synonymous with quality must be surprised by the bevy of extraordinary wines turned out by the Mondavis. This winery's movement away from California's tendency to produce wines with excessive amounts of added acidity that are tart, often eviscerated (because of too much fining and filtering), began in 1987 with their Reserve reds. It has been vigorously continued, with the Mondavis now bottling virtually all their top white wines without filtration - a tribute to this family's commitment and dedication to excellence. Mondavi's new and up-coming releases reinforce Mondavi's position as the spiritual and qualitative leader of that segment of the California wine industry dedicated to producing world class, compelling wines. Tel. (707) 963-9611; Fax (707) 963-1007.