This wine was very good still - practically no tannins, very smooth but clearly just a tick past it's prime. If you like older Calif cab's, this is for sure a good one - hence the 90 Pts. Was so happy - the cork was in perfect condition and zero seepage all these years store in my cellar.
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Fruit forward - a mix of black fruit and red fruit. Lots of cedar and spice/black pepper. Tannins are still quite high. Should continue to drink well for a number of years.
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one of the first wieries i visited 8n napa in 1987. took a while to open up, but earthy and full bodied and a long finish. great with pasta, roasted peppers, garlic and basil.
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75. Casis nose. Muted, simple palette of raspberry. Bit of acid. Past its prime (not surprised). Drinkable if meh. After sitting under a VacuVin for 48 hours, it's opened up quite a bit. The raspberry gotten darker and more casis, there's a hint of earth in the finish, which now lingers with continued dark fruit notes. We're still not talking complex or nuanced by any means, but a nicely rounded, low tannins wine. I suspect I should've let it sit in a decanter for a while when I initially opened it -- and the decanter would've helped with the precipitate in the last glass too. Bump the rating to 83 with the added depth and finish.
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Decanted for 1.5 hours. When opened big nose. This wine is about as good as it gets. Long on the palette, lots of fruit. Shared the Bottle with grass fed waygu NY strips, asparagus, and mashed potatoes. We drizzled a port wine muchroom sauce. Drank with Balzanos
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Popped and let breath for a half hour or so. Vinturi'd into Riedel stem and let sit for another 20 minutes. Aromas of dark fruits, and wet earth w/a smooth, full body w/beautiful balance and finesse. This is light years ahead of the last bottle, of this vintage I had consumed perhaps a year ago. There is a wow factor here, I wasn't expecting, this is terrific Napa Valley cab, that is drinking beautifully now! Day 2 Refined elegance, this quality at this price point, is something. Had my neighbor over, and gave him a glass, equally impressed. Should you have in your cellar, the time is now to enjoy. Cheers!
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Popped and poured tonight, watching Monday night football, and handing out candy to the kids on Halloween...Happy Halloween to all. Kids and candy are what this day should be about. Getting back to this wine. What stands out, this wine is balanced and dry, nothing really stood out on the nose, when popped..some musty earth and dark fruit. Full bodied, and as the game wore on this opened up and developed aromas and flavors of tobacco, cedar, casis and dark fruits. Smooth, balanced and somewhat elegant...but in this price range, better choices out of WA.and Napa. It pains me to say this, as I grew up in the Bay Area, and learned to taste/appreciate wine at Mondavi in 1980. First bottle purchased at the winery was an '81 cabernet, which we consumed a couple years ago...so an emotional tie to the winery, for sure. The reserves remain fantastic, along w/the history and tradition of this iconic place. Drink em, if you've got em.
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I am not an expert on cabs, but this was very nice indeed. Upon opening the nose was there and continued for days. On the palate at first seemed a bit stewed and sweet, then settled down over time. Nice body, velvety, smooth finish. Very good to excellent - 89
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A really nice drink for 20 bucks. I buy this wine in most vintages and have always considered this wine a solid performer for the tariff. In fact between Mondavi, Beringer, Sebastiani, BV, and Chateau St Jean's #20 offerings a person could drink pretty well. This wine was pop and pour. Nice dark garnet. Plenty of fruit on the nose. The flavors were not very concentrated but the integration and balance was good. Flavor of spice, dark fruit, some smoke and leather. Really pleasant with a medium finish. This wine is solid. Better than a bottle a year ago.
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Terrific value! Delicious medium bodied wine with notes of black cherry, plums and a hint of cedar. Very soft on the palate; quite Merlot-like. Fruit-forward, plush and delicious. 15 - 20 second finish. Great quaffer. Drink now.
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not sure what the other were drinking. but this was an outstanding cali cab. i am very sensitive to oak and vanilla and neither were evident in this wine. big, almost inky with some fruit and definite chocolate overtones. some tannins to give this some more life. very impressed.
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Rich nose. Dark purple, with pink rim. Medium-heavy bodied. Pleasant, deep blackcurrant and blueberry on the palate, with a green herbal hint. Holds up on the midpalate and has a decent finish. Overall though, oaky, a bit brash and the most negative feature, rough dusty tannins that leave me fuzzy-tongued. With air, I partly expect this to open up, and I partly expect it to break down. We'll see.. ... Update: this blossomed into something serviceable, but not memorable.
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On the nose chocolate covered maraschino cherries and berry kool aid. On the palette spices like vanilla, cloves, and black berries. Quite an interesting experiment to tasted it side to side with a day old bottle of Dard & Ribo - Crozes Hermitages. The wines could not be more different in philosophy. The polar extremes. The length is 20 sec and lacks complexity.
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Pop & pour. Earthy, tobacco, some barnyard, and white pepper. Not much fruit on the nose. In the mouth, sour cherry, with dirt and tobacco, and a long finish of dark chocolate and cherry cough syrup. A touch of heat on the finish sneaking in there too. A decent cab, for the price.
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This one suprised me. I bought many when '04 was a good year in Napa and it was going to be one of the last vintages under Mondavi's supervision. I was disappointed when I tasted it a couple years back so I sat on it. Opened this one last night (pop-n-pour) and it had great dark ruby color in the glass, dense dark fruit on the nose with some lighter berry. Fruit forward but subtle in the mouth still with some tannic structure so it'll likely last a bit longer. Overall the fruit and tanins balanced nicely, with the fruit really the standout here in a good way. Now I'm glad I have a bit more!
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Popped and poured. The wine peaked after about thirty minutes with nice grape, currant and bell pepper flavor with nicely rounded tannins. Became sharper and less expressive at 2-3 hours.
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Nice raspberry and cedar on nose, hint of vanilla. Taste was rich raspberry, classic cab with great structure and tannins. The only thing holding this wine back is a bit of a sour finish, will that get better with time? Drinking better then 5 months ago when I bought a few of these.
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A really nice cab from Mondavi. The nose offers little except some nice dark fruits and herbs. Medium bodied with sweet black fruits, particularly plums, right up front, followed by a little sage, rosemary and toasty oak. Balanced with ripe tannins, very little acidity, and a medium lengthed finish, this is ready to drink now. Would recommend.
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14.5% alcohol. aromas of dark plum, cassis, vanilla, cocoa, dark berries, hint of smoke and nice oak finish. med. to full bodied, ripe dark napa fruit that tastes fresh and is balanced by nice polished tannins and a creamy finish. drinking wonderful now.
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A toast to Mr. Mondavi... Rich, but structured with sweet fruit balanced by silky tannins and an earthy finish; plenty of currant, bell pepper, and plum to make it approachable, but structured enough to make it elegant
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Cheers to an American wine legend. Opened in honor of the great Mondavi. Decant and serve. Dark and ripe on the nose wiith herb, cassis, and ripe berries. Medium to full bodied with dark currants and firm tannins on the medium finish. Drink or hold over the next 2 years. Robert Mondavi: 100 point life 2004 Mondavi Napa cab: 87 points.
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Still a little young but opened nicely after about an hour. Dark red ciolor, light on the nose, good primary fruit, good structure, good finish and no heat. Excellent QPR should be good for at least 5 more years.
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Very, very pleasnt nose, very fruity... Berries, asst red fruit, little Oak. Taste was pleasant, blue/black berries, little thin, shortish finish, a bit hot on the palatte. Decent wine for $15.
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Pretty harsh right after opening... not a bad bottle, just not particularly pleasant at first. Took about an hour to open up, and then went very nicely with a good steak.
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VERY GOOD Smooth, dark fruit and slight caramel. Let it sit at least an hour or 2 after opening. A little hot and uneven to start but it really settles down.
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Dark ruby colorand great nose of bark fruit, casis. Very well balanced with lots of chewy tannin. This should mellow out beautifully in a few years. Otherwise, decant for a few hours before trying it. Probably worth a little better score when it evolves. A great QPR at $19.50.
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Deacnted a couple of hours. Currants with cedar influence. Medium to full bodied with pretty firm tannins. Balanced. Spicey notes on the finish. A decent value for a Napa cab. Should improve wtha few years in the bottle.
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I have been on denial with this one. I tried it twice and with a spare of six months apart from each tasting; it has been the same plain stuff. I can deny what salvage this wine from lower than average is its powerful nose. On the palate it does not deliver. One is only paying for the label on an empty bottle on this. Though, the "House of Mondavi" book is excellent, that definitely gets a 99!
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Nice dark red color. On the nose deep red rasberry and some blackberry. Bright berry flavors with a toucho tobacco and deep red rasberry. I am inpressed with the depth of fruit. Although this isn't a very complex wine, its bery pleasurable to drink. This is a fairly lush wine with some good structure too. The tannins are well concealed, but present.
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Very tannic and hot upon opening. After 4 hours in the decanter, it was drinking pretty good (about a 90). However, at about the 5th hour, it was giving off a cherry nyquil finish, which I'm not a fan of (dropping to an 84). So, if you catch it right, it's pretty good, but don't wait too long.
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Note after 24 hours. Nose of Luden's cherry cough drops, but not in a bad way. Medium-bodied, with hints of red fruit on the palate. Finishes with a hint of minerality. Enjoyable, one of the best Cali Cabs in the sub $20 price range.
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Tasted unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. This tasting is for the Oakville bottling, which is somewhat inadquately labeled in Robert Parker's software (easily confused with the regular Napa bottling). Deep-to-opaque purple in color, this wine sports a nice, new-world ripe nose of currants, vanilla, blackberries and savory. Full-bodied on the palate and with medium acidity, the flavors mirror the nose and ride nicely ov the big ripe tannins. While the oak is generous, it is not overwhelming. Medium-to-long finish.
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Nose: Cedar and currant, with some black cherry. Varietally correct.
Taste: Same as above, with decent balance and a pepper tone mid-palate. Finish tapers, and is quickly gone. A good enough wine, but nothing exceptional. Ho-Hum.
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giving a high score because i drank over 3 days and it got better with time. The taqnnins and initial bitterness went away and it became very nice. Very balanced after a day in the bottle
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Color is dark garnet to purple. Nose shows sweet dark fruit, tar, toast, and oak. On the palate, this is a fairly juicy wine with significant fruit, licorice, tar, and sweet tannin.
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I think this '04 Mondavi is a bit too sweet. An hour later: It is sweeter than cotton candy. (Well okay I exagerate, but it seems awfully sweet, alcoholic, not very balanced.) I'm going to downgrade this a point from the last time I had it. Rating: 87 points.
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Nothing to complain about here. Nice fruit, everything seems to be in place. Slightly odd finish, but an enjoyable California cab, about justified at the $20 price level.
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This is the best Cab for under $20 that we've had (Costco had it for $18). Very agreeable with plenty of body and a palate of oak, fruit and a hint of eucalyptus. The wine had a few rough edges and a bit too much heat - but a crowd pleaser all the same.
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For the money, this is a decent wine. It does not stand out in the crowd of other Napa Valley cabs, but it is much cheaper than most of them. Easy to drink and enjoy but not overly complex, this wine works well as an everyday cab to share with friends.
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Very dark wine. Nice nose. A bit of an edge at first taste out of the bottle. Sat for one hour and was much better and got better over dinner. Very nice wine for $24. Will buy a couple more of these.
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Good wine for regular weekly consumption. Taste was a little tannic in the beginning, but became better later on. Recommend leaving for at least one hour before drinking.
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Remember when you could get a good bottle of Napa cabernet for about $12 to $15. That was not too long ago. That's what this wine should be. A nice easy drinking cab with good earth, oak, cherry and hints of mint and eucalyptus. Looks pretty in the glass too with deep red color and purple hue around the rim. A balanced wine that can accompany the steak or the mushroom risotto and not over-power either of them. An enjoyable wine. But alas, it's about $24 so on the QPR, it weighs a bit too heavy on the pocket-book. Still, a decent bottle of wine.
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A gift. This note is from the 2nd night with this bottle. Almost purple color. Terrific dark nose of burnt graphite and sweet cassis. The wine was richer up front last night, but had a more bitter finish. Tonight it seems a little more reserved on the palate but shows good density, solid deep fruit, and definitely a burnt streak. Tonight it finishes well, none of the green stems I tasted last night. Moderately tannic with a bit of acid bite to finish off. My impression last night was of a wine with good aromatics, sweet fruit, but a green streak and tonight I feel like this might all come together very well given a few years. I think this retails around $20, which makes it a pretty good deal.
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On a recent buying excursion we bought 10 bottles from $8-$108. This was a moderately priced ($19.99) bottle. Certainly far superior to the Mondavi Syrah we tried earlier in the evening, it didn't knock our socks off.
Fruity, but not juicy; a nice, evolving, mouth-feel and aroma, but nothing remarkable. Cin noticed a bitter/acrid aftertaste.
On Jeff's 4 point scale this is a 2 = "Would drink it if put in front of me, but wouldn't go out of my way".
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Excellent year for this wine. Hard to imagine someone not liking it, and at $18 the price is more than fair. Parker only gave this an 88, while the 03 got a 90. I prefer this one to the 03, however.
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This is a wine of the parts. Part I- Beauiful aromatics leap from the glass. Blackberries and other dark fruits. Some sweetness, from what I guess to be the oak. Very impressive and inviting. Part II - A medium bodied wine, with the same dark fruits, only much more muted. Hints of mocha and bitter chocolate also come across. Not as nice as the nose, but pleasant. Part III - The palate ends with an extreme bitterness, almost acrid. The acidity completely drops off, leaving me feeling like I'm sucking on a chocolate sprinkled tree.
Not surprisingly, given my notes, I found this disjointed. I'm hoping time will take care of this bottle, but I am not happy with this wine right now. We'll give it a low 80 score on potential.
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Shy aromatically with a trace of forest and red fruit pushing through the nose. Cab flavors are undeniably Napa with some sweet cassis, bright cherry, currant and a trace of smoky oak. Very balanced and drinking well already but could improve with short term cellaring. Fine tannins, red fruit and a fair amount of oak in the close. Great value.
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4/23/2022 - nicholasagonzales wrote: 91 Points
Surprisingly was still full bodied and had lots of life.
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5/14/2021 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 89 Points
Last bottle of this QPR cab drinking well with pot roast. Still going strong.
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11/1/2019 - BeeRose Likes this wine: 85 Points
Rich smooth fruity plum berry
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5/11/2019 - gman4commerce Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine was very good still - practically no tannins, very smooth but clearly just a tick past it's prime. If you like older Calif cab's, this is for sure a good one - hence the 90 Pts. Was so happy - the cork was in perfect condition and zero seepage all these years store in my cellar.
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3/2/2018 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 91 Points
This $20 bottle is performing way above its pay-grade. Very nice with a pot roast. Drink or hold. Only have one bottle remaining.
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8/10/2016 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
Damn fine for a 20 dollar bottle. Drinking well but years to go.
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10/18/2015 - timdavis130 wrote: 93 Points
Good fruit, maybe drank it a little past its prime. Was excellent today though.
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7/24/2014 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very smooth but past its pime. medium finish
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5/14/2014 - drunken sommelier Likes this wine:
Fruit forward - a mix of black fruit and red fruit. Lots of cedar and spice/black pepper. Tannins are still quite high. Should continue to drink well for a number of years.
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4/14/2014 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 90 Points
full bodied, smooth, dark red fruit with a medium finish
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4/13/2014 - drunken sommelier Likes this wine:
Not as expressive on the nose as I'd expect but otherwise a fantastic Cab with lots of life left in it.
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3/28/2014 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 88 Points
one of the first wieries i visited 8n napa in 1987. took a while to open up, but earthy and full bodied and a long finish. great with pasta, roasted peppers, garlic and basil.
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3/15/2014 - slubgob wrote: 83 Points
75. Casis nose. Muted, simple palette of raspberry. Bit of acid. Past its prime (not surprised). Drinkable if meh. After sitting under a VacuVin for 48 hours, it's opened up quite a bit. The raspberry gotten darker and more casis, there's a hint of earth in the finish, which now lingers with continued dark fruit notes. We're still not talking complex or nuanced by any means, but a nicely rounded, low tannins wine. I suspect I should've let it sit in a decanter for a while when I initially opened it -- and the decanter would've helped with the precipitate in the last glass too. Bump the rating to 83 with the added depth and finish.
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6/24/2013 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 93 Points
one of the most consistent wineries going. The wine has aged well, incredibly smooth, with dark sweet fruit
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3/31/2013 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
Drank over three nights with pump. Good everyday wine all three nights. If you paid $20-25 for this it's a great QPR wine.
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1/6/2013 - RBOND Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drank with Dave Potter
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1/1/2013 - RBOND Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank on New Years Eve with Dave Potter. Had with New York Strips and Root veggies. Smooth and big. A bit more tannins than I remember
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11/18/2012 - RBOND wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours. When opened big nose. This wine is about as good as it gets. Long on the palette, lots of fruit. Shared the Bottle with grass fed waygu NY strips, asparagus, and mashed potatoes. We drizzled a port wine muchroom sauce. Drank with Balzanos
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10/21/2012 - RBOND wrote: 93 Points
Not much more I can say about this wine. It really is everything you expect it to be
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4/6/2012 - JGinMO wrote: 90 Points
Even a modest wine with good genes is a tret with 8 yrs of age. Still throng 2d night
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2/6/2012 - wineaboutit wrote: 91 Points
Popped and let breath for a half hour or so. Vinturi'd into Riedel stem and let sit for another 20 minutes. Aromas of dark fruits, and wet earth w/a smooth, full body w/beautiful balance and finesse. This is light years ahead of the last bottle, of this vintage I had consumed perhaps a year ago. There is a wow factor here, I wasn't expecting, this is terrific Napa Valley cab, that is drinking beautifully now! Day 2 Refined elegance, this quality at this price point, is something. Had my neighbor over, and gave him a glass, equally impressed. Should you have in your cellar, the time is now to enjoy. Cheers!
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12/21/2011 - WAWINEFAN wrote: 89 Points
Decent, especially for the price.
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10/31/2011 - wineaboutit wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured tonight, watching Monday night football, and handing out candy to the kids on Halloween...Happy Halloween to all. Kids and candy are what this day should be about. Getting back to this wine. What stands out, this wine is balanced and dry, nothing really stood out on the nose, when popped..some musty earth and dark fruit. Full bodied, and as the game wore on this opened up and developed aromas and flavors of tobacco, cedar, casis and dark fruits. Smooth, balanced and somewhat elegant...but in this price range, better choices out of WA.and Napa. It pains me to say this, as I grew up in the Bay Area, and learned to taste/appreciate wine at Mondavi in 1980. First bottle purchased at the winery was an '81 cabernet, which we consumed a couple years ago...so an emotional tie to the winery, for sure. The reserves remain fantastic, along w/the history and tradition of this iconic place. Drink em, if you've got em.
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7/11/2011 - mikesvins wrote: 89 Points
I am not an expert on cabs, but this was very nice indeed. Upon opening the nose was there and continued for days. On the palate at first seemed a bit stewed and sweet, then settled down over time. Nice body, velvety, smooth finish.
Very good to excellent - 89
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10/21/2010 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
A really nice drink for 20 bucks. I buy this wine in most vintages and have always considered this wine a solid performer for the tariff. In fact between Mondavi, Beringer, Sebastiani, BV, and Chateau St Jean's #20 offerings a person could drink pretty well. This wine was pop and pour. Nice dark garnet. Plenty of fruit on the nose. The flavors were not very concentrated but the integration and balance was good. Flavor of spice, dark fruit, some smoke and leather. Really pleasant with a medium finish. This wine is solid. Better than a bottle a year ago.
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8/24/2010 - Stirling wrote: 90 Points
Terrific value! Delicious medium bodied wine with notes of black cherry, plums and a hint of cedar. Very soft on the palate; quite Merlot-like. Fruit-forward, plush and delicious. 15 - 20 second finish. Great quaffer. Drink now.
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6/15/2010 - ajr wrote: 90 Points
not sure what the other were drinking. but this was an outstanding cali cab. i am very sensitive to oak and vanilla and neither were evident in this wine. big, almost inky with some fruit and definite chocolate overtones. some tannins to give this some more life. very impressed.
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4/23/2010 - Brian1970 wrote: 87 Points
Rich nose. Dark purple, with pink rim. Medium-heavy bodied. Pleasant, deep blackcurrant and blueberry on the palate, with a green herbal hint. Holds up on the midpalate and has a decent finish. Overall though, oaky, a bit brash and the most negative feature, rough dusty tannins that leave me fuzzy-tongued. With air, I partly expect this to open up, and I partly expect it to break down. We'll see.. ... Update: this blossomed into something serviceable, but not memorable.
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12/30/2009 - djdaqm wrote: 88 Points
On the nose chocolate covered maraschino cherries and berry kool aid. On the palette spices like vanilla, cloves, and black berries. Quite an interesting experiment to tasted it side to side with a day old bottle of Dard & Ribo - Crozes Hermitages. The wines could not be more different in philosophy. The polar extremes. The length is 20 sec and lacks complexity.
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12/13/2009 - dsimmons wrote: 87 Points
Solid ca, may improve
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12/2/2009 - jcable wrote: 88 Points
didn't like this when I bought it, but showing nicely now, butter and oak and dark fruit!
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11/24/2009 - VinoTx wrote: 88 Points
Very solid and held up well the next day. More cedar and earth than fruit, which I like.
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8/25/2009 - RPerro wrote: 88 Points
Pop & pour. Earthy, tobacco, some barnyard, and white pepper. Not much fruit on the nose. In the mouth, sour cherry, with dirt and tobacco, and a long finish of dark chocolate and cherry cough syrup. A touch of heat on the finish sneaking in there too. A decent cab, for the price.
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8/15/2009 - Texas Pete wrote: 88 Points
Well rounded cabernet, nice Calif. wine that was out overpowering.
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6/28/2009 - jcable wrote: 85 Points
This one suprised me. I bought many when '04 was a good year in Napa and it was going to be one of the last vintages under Mondavi's supervision. I was disappointed when I tasted it a couple years back so I sat on it. Opened this one last night (pop-n-pour) and it had great dark ruby color in the glass, dense dark fruit on the nose with some lighter berry. Fruit forward but subtle in the mouth still with some tannic structure so it'll likely last a bit longer. Overall the fruit and tanins balanced nicely, with the fruit really the standout here in a good way. Now I'm glad I have a bit more!
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6/14/2009 - stevenjstein wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruit and tannins. Despite what Wine Spectator says, this could age for several more years.
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6/4/2009 - gmbdds wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured. The wine peaked after about thirty minutes with nice grape, currant and bell pepper flavor with nicely rounded tannins. Became sharper and less expressive at 2-3 hours.
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5/26/2009 - spotfin wrote: 86 Points
Good cali cab, nothing special.
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3/21/2009 - jeffal66 wrote: 88 Points
Still time left on the meter; intriguing, some complexity; no notes.
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2/15/2009 - wineshaman wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured, dark fruit in the nose, dark fruit and oak on the palate, not much complexity, however does not short change you on flavor.
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2/2/2009 - dougie wrote: 89 Points
Good cab.
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11/8/2008 - Rich S wrote: 88 Points
Slightly stewed fruit on the nose. Lots of dark fruit, hint of oak on the palate. Quite smooth. Not very tannic. No need to age this wine. Drink up.
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6/7/2008 - Arch57 wrote: 88 Points
Good solid Cali-cab that was well balanced between the fruit and oak. Paired well with grilled Filet we had for my parents 51st anniversary.
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6/4/2008 - Vino Uomo wrote: 89 Points
Nice raspberry and cedar on nose, hint of vanilla. Taste was rich raspberry, classic cab with great structure and tannins. The only thing holding this wine back is a bit of a sour finish, will that get better with time? Drinking better then 5 months ago when I bought a few of these.
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5/26/2008 - BSpdx wrote: 88 Points
A really nice cab from Mondavi. The nose offers little except some nice dark fruits and herbs. Medium bodied with sweet black fruits, particularly plums, right up front, followed by a little sage, rosemary and toasty oak. Balanced with ripe tannins, very little acidity, and a medium lengthed finish, this is ready to drink now. Would recommend.
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5/23/2008 - wcacern wrote: 91 Points
14.5% alcohol. aromas of dark plum, cassis, vanilla, cocoa, dark berries, hint of smoke and nice oak finish. med. to full bodied, ripe dark napa fruit that tastes fresh and is balanced by nice polished tannins and a creamy finish. drinking wonderful now.
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5/21/2008 - sdatl wrote: 90 Points
A toast to Mr. Mondavi... Rich, but structured with sweet fruit balanced by silky tannins and an earthy finish; plenty of currant, bell pepper, and plum to make it approachable, but structured enough to make it elegant
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5/18/2008 - jnastynebr wrote: 87 Points
Cheers to an American wine legend. Opened in honor of the great Mondavi. Decant and serve. Dark and ripe on the nose wiith herb, cassis, and ripe berries. Medium to full bodied with dark currants and firm tannins on the medium finish. Drink or hold over the next 2 years.
Robert Mondavi: 100 point life
2004 Mondavi Napa cab: 87 points.
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5/17/2008 - cmr wrote: 89 Points
Very nice balanced cab fruit with integrated tannins and very good structure.
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4/27/2008 - vintage61 wrote: 88 Points
Still a little young but opened nicely after about an hour. Dark red ciolor, light on the nose, good primary fruit, good structure, good finish and no heat. Excellent QPR should be good for at least 5 more years.
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4/3/2008 - dougie wrote: 88 Points
good wine. Liked the 02 more.
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4/2/2008 - dom418 wrote: 87 Points
Very, very pleasnt nose, very fruity... Berries, asst red fruit, little Oak. Taste was pleasant, blue/black berries, little thin, shortish finish, a bit hot on the palatte. Decent wine for $15.
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3/29/2008 - Pat & Jen B wrote: 87 Points
Pretty harsh right after opening... not a bad bottle, just not particularly pleasant at first. Took about an hour to open up, and then went very nicely with a good steak.
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3/27/2008 - pkbackman wrote: 87 Points
VERY GOOD
Smooth, dark fruit and slight caramel. Let it sit at least an hour or 2 after opening. A little hot and uneven to start but it really settles down.
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11/30/2007 - pilot360 wrote: 85 Points
Nose of dark fruits, plum. Tastes of black currants, a little peppery.
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11/28/2007 - jivey wrote: 86 Points
AZWCO - More extracted style than usual, thought the finish was muted and more importantly had a hard time drink it. Maybe an off bottle?
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11/27/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 88 Points
Blackberry, raspberry and caramel. A bit stemmy. Rich, lush finish.
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11/25/2007 - vintage61 wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby colorand great nose of bark fruit, casis. Very well balanced with lots of chewy tannin. This should mellow out beautifully in a few years. Otherwise, decant for a few hours before trying it. Probably worth a little better score when it evolves. A great QPR at $19.50.
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11/22/2007 - bgillman wrote: 88 Points
Nothing remarkable but Surprisingly good for $20 - Mondavi might be making a comeback....
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11/21/2007 - pitt71 wrote: 88 Points
Deacnted a couple of hours. Currants with cedar influence. Medium to full bodied with pretty firm tannins. Balanced. Spicey notes on the finish. A decent value for a Napa cab. Should improve wtha few years in the bottle.
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11/19/2007 - RATER wrote: 79 Points
I have been on denial with this one. I tried it twice and with a spare of six months apart from each tasting; it has been the same plain stuff. I can deny what salvage this wine from lower than average is its powerful nose. On the palate it does not deliver. One is only paying for the label on an empty bottle on this. Though, the "House of Mondavi" book is excellent, that definitely gets a 99!
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10/29/2007 - redpine42 wrote: 86 Points
Thin and vegitably. Not to my liking.
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10/27/2007 - Pat & Jen B wrote: 89 Points
A very consistent, very good wine for under $20 (on sale).
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10/26/2007 - bubbachumps wrote: 89 Points
Nice dark red color. On the nose deep red rasberry and some blackberry. Bright berry flavors with a toucho tobacco and deep red rasberry. I am inpressed with the depth of fruit. Although this isn't a very complex wine, its bery pleasurable to drink. This is a fairly lush wine with some good structure too. The tannins are well concealed, but present.
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10/21/2007 - Jack wrote: 89 Points
Taste of the Vine 10/21 (Kierland): Big creamy fruit up front with a big tannic finish - Needs food. For $15 w.s. this is a good value.
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10/15/2007 - shiraz guy wrote: 88 Points
Very tannic and hot upon opening. After 4 hours in the decanter, it was drinking pretty good (about a 90). However, at about the 5th hour, it was giving off a cherry nyquil finish, which I'm not a fan of (dropping to an 84). So, if you catch it right, it's pretty good, but don't wait too long.
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10/12/2007 - jim dixon wrote:
This bottle was strangely vegetal. Normally this is a very consistent and lovely wine for the money.
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10/9/2007 - cookie7 wrote:
Note after 24 hours. Nose of Luden's cherry cough drops, but not in a bad way. Medium-bodied, with hints of red fruit on the palate. Finishes with a hint of minerality. Enjoyable, one of the best Cali Cabs in the sub $20 price range.
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9/28/2007 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 89 Points
Tasted unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. This tasting is for the Oakville bottling, which is somewhat inadquately labeled in Robert Parker's software (easily confused with the regular Napa bottling). Deep-to-opaque purple in color, this wine sports a nice, new-world ripe nose of currants, vanilla, blackberries and savory. Full-bodied on the palate and with medium acidity, the flavors mirror the nose and ride nicely ov the big ripe tannins. While the oak is generous, it is not overwhelming. Medium-to-long finish.
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9/25/2007 - RSLyss wrote: 84 Points
Nose: Cedar and currant, with some black cherry. Varietally correct.
Taste: Same as above, with decent balance and a pepper tone mid-palate. Finish tapers, and is quickly gone. A good enough wine, but nothing exceptional. Ho-Hum.
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9/18/2007 - brewking wrote: 90 Points
giving a high score because i drank over 3 days and it got better with time. The taqnnins and initial bitterness went away and it became very nice. Very balanced after a day in the bottle
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9/18/2007 - now_in_mi wrote: 89 Points
Really a great wine for the price, good oak, chrerry flavors.
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8/7/2007 - brewking wrote: 89 Points
a bit tart at first, but then evens out. nice even fruit and earth combo. Very nice for the price
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7/17/2007 - Thilo wrote: 87 Points
Color is dark garnet to purple. Nose shows sweet dark fruit, tar, toast, and oak. On the palate, this is a fairly juicy wine with significant fruit, licorice, tar, and sweet tannin.
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6/15/2007 - jcbrand wrote: 88 Points
Subtle floral aroma, slight alcohol bite, a little too acidic but overall balance is good. Better with food and some time to let it open up.
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6/3/2007 - JimHow wrote: 87 Points
I think this '04 Mondavi is a bit too sweet.
An hour later: It is sweeter than cotton candy. (Well okay I exagerate, but it seems awfully sweet, alcoholic, not very balanced.)
I'm going to downgrade this a point from the last time I had it.
Rating: 87 points.
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5/10/2007 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 89 Points
Very pleasant for a $20-22 California Cab. Would buy again.
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5/7/2007 - JimHow wrote: 88 Points
Nothing to complain about here. Nice fruit, everything seems to be in place. Slightly odd finish, but an enjoyable California cab, about justified at the $20 price level.
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4/13/2007 - SuitePhoto wrote: 89 Points
This is the best Cab for under $20 that we've had (Costco had it for $18). Very agreeable with plenty of body and a palate of oak, fruit and a hint of eucalyptus. The wine had a few rough edges and a bit too much heat - but a crowd pleaser all the same.
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4/3/2007 - Rob MacKay wrote: 83 Points
For the money, this is a decent wine. It does not stand out in the crowd of other Napa Valley cabs, but it is much cheaper than most of them. Easy to drink and enjoy but not overly complex, this wine works well as an everyday cab to share with friends.
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3/6/2007 - bdublu wrote: 91 Points
Very dark wine. Nice nose. A bit of an edge at first taste out of the bottle. Sat for one hour and was much better and got better over dinner. Very nice wine for $24. Will buy a couple more of these.
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2/25/2007 - BrianV wrote: 85 Points
Good wine for regular weekly consumption. Taste was a little tannic in the beginning, but became better later on. Recommend leaving for at least one hour before drinking.
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2/18/2007 - t_moderne wrote: 88 Points
Remember when you could get a good bottle of Napa cabernet for about $12 to $15. That was not too long ago. That's what this wine should be. A nice easy drinking cab with good earth, oak, cherry and hints of mint and eucalyptus. Looks pretty in the glass too with deep red color and purple hue around the rim. A balanced wine that can accompany the steak or the mushroom risotto and not over-power either of them. An enjoyable wine. But alas, it's about $24 so on the QPR, it weighs a bit too heavy on the pocket-book. Still, a decent bottle of wine.
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2/13/2007 - grossie wrote: 90 Points
A gift. This note is from the 2nd night with this bottle. Almost purple color. Terrific dark nose of burnt graphite and sweet cassis. The wine was richer up front last night, but had a more bitter finish. Tonight it seems a little more reserved on the palate but shows good density, solid deep fruit, and definitely a burnt streak. Tonight it finishes well, none of the green stems I tasted last night. Moderately tannic with a bit of acid bite to finish off. My impression last night was of a wine with good aromatics, sweet fruit, but a green streak and tonight I feel like this might all come together very well given a few years. I think this retails around $20, which makes it a pretty good deal.
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2/12/2007 - JeffnCin wrote:
On a recent buying excursion we bought 10 bottles from $8-$108. This was a moderately priced ($19.99) bottle. Certainly far superior to the Mondavi Syrah we tried earlier in the evening, it didn't knock our socks off.
Fruity, but not juicy; a nice, evolving, mouth-feel and aroma, but nothing remarkable. Cin noticed a bitter/acrid aftertaste.
On Jeff's 4 point scale this is a 2 = "Would drink it if put in front of me, but wouldn't go out of my way".
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1/22/2007 - beezer6 wrote: 86 Points
California Cabernet Master Seminar/Lecture by Serafin Alvarado (Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago): Napa Cab Lecture - Sefarin Alvarado
Very approachable cab.
Medium deep ruby color.
Nose of red fruit - cherry, casis. Big cab characteristics.
Notes of spice - mocha, cinnamon
Floral hints of violet.
Darker fruit on the palate with a sweet spice finish.
Moderate alcohol and tannin levels.
Balanced. Classic Mondavi style.
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1/18/2007 - jwolf99 wrote:
raspberry, sweet cherry aroma; currant, spice flavors; soft tannins, lots of fruit
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1/16/2007 - John McCabe wrote: 90 Points
a bit stiff, with an edge on the finish, but quite polished and expressive. Could benefit from a couple more years maybe. Quite a wine for the price.
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12/20/2006 - jim dixon wrote: 90 Points
Excellent year for this wine. Hard to imagine someone not liking it, and at $18 the price is more than fair. Parker only gave this an 88, while the 03 got a 90. I prefer this one to the 03, however.
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12/16/2006 - hutch wrote: 82 Points
This is a wine of the parts. Part I- Beauiful aromatics leap from the glass. Blackberries and other dark fruits. Some sweetness, from what I guess to be the oak. Very impressive and inviting. Part II - A medium bodied wine, with the same dark fruits, only much more muted. Hints of mocha and bitter chocolate also come across. Not as nice as the nose, but pleasant. Part III - The palate ends with an extreme bitterness, almost acrid. The acidity completely drops off, leaving me feeling like I'm sucking on a chocolate sprinkled tree.
Not surprisingly, given my notes, I found this disjointed. I'm hoping time will take care of this bottle, but I am not happy with this wine right now. We'll give it a low 80 score on potential.
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12/14/2006 - 6831 wrote: 90 Points
Shy aromatically with a trace of forest and red fruit pushing through the nose. Cab flavors are undeniably Napa with some sweet cassis, bright cherry, currant and a trace of smoky oak. Very balanced and drinking well already but could improve with short term cellaring. Fine tannins, red fruit and a fair amount of oak in the close. Great value.
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11/30/2006 - dale1038 wrote: 89 Points
Drinkable now. Slightly herbal nose with balanced tannins in the mouth. Finish isn't great, but I usually enjoy Mondavi cabs and this is no exception.
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