Went to an interesting wine tasting Saturday night, entitled “Family Feud” (Robert Mondavi vs. Charles Krug- Peter Mondavi). I’m sure must people here have some knowledge of the “brotherly love” between Robert and Peter Mondavi, so I will not bore you with the “history”, but would just like to state that our gracious host, Vinny, gave a very colorful and informative narration of the early history of the Mondavi Family.
Let’s get to the nitty gritty between 3 flights of two wines (six wines in total); according to my personal evaluation it was Charles Krug 2 and Robert Mondavi 1; but from a group average performance it was Charles Krug 3 Robert Mondavi 0.
Flight one (The Whites):
Wine 1- Charles Krug (Peter Mondavi Family) 2007 Sauvignon Blanc- clear and brilliant straw color in appearance. Lemon, lime, with a hint of grass on the nose and palate. Good acidity, nice balance, nicely made wine. After taste was good but at the very end it seemed to show a bitter component. (My score 15; Group average 16.3; price $26 USD)
Wine 2- Robert Mondavi Winery 2007 Fume Blanc- clear and brilliant in appearance. Melony and citrusy (lemon and lime) on both the nose and palate. Some creaminess and honeysuckle even coming through. Good texture and structure, well balanced wine with lively acidity. Pleasant and lingering aftertaste. (My score 16.5; Group average 15.2; price $28USD).
After Flight one my ranking; Robert Mondavi 1 Charles Krug 0
Group Ranking; Charles Krug 1 Robert Mondavi 0
Food pairing- chopped salad (you name it, it was in it- chopped, green and red lettuce, green and black olives, red sweet roasted peppers, nuts, crumbled blue cheese, vinegar and olive oil) and baked clams.
Flight Two (Pinot Noir)
Wine 3- Robert Mondavi Winery 2005 Pinot Noir Carneros- clear and brilliant light red color in appearance, typical of Pinot Noir. The appearance however did “scream” ripe red fruit, but no matter how hard I tried all I could detect were only subtle hints of fruit masked by pleasant earthy tones and a slight hint of leather. Some funky-ness also showed up and I thought maybe some form of “Brett”. (My score 12; Group average 13.9; price $35 USD)
Wine 4- Charles Krug- (Peter Mondavi Family) 2006 Pinot Noir- clear and brilliant light red color, typical of Pinot Noir. Spicy and ripe fruity aromas with a hint of leather. Pleasant and lingering aftertaste. (My score 15; Group average 15; price $35 USD)
After Flight two my ranking; Robert Mondavi 1 Charles Krug 1
Group Ranking; Charles Krug 2 Robert Mondavi 0
Food pairing- mushroom soup
Flight Three (Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux Blend)
Wine 5- Charles Krug (Peter Mondavi Family) 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Ltd release Lincoln Vineyard- clear and brilliant dark red color in appearance. Ripe red and black fruit (dark cherry and black plum), some licorice, chocolate and cocoa, hint of leather, lotta good stuff happening here. Good balance, nice structure and complexity. Pleasant and lingering aftertaste. (My score 18; Group average score 16.9; price $93 USD)
Wine 6- Robert Mondavi Winery 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District- clear and brilliant dark red color in appearance. Pleasant earthy tones, hint of leather, chocolate and cocoa with subtle red and black fruit. Good balance, structure and nice acidity. Very elegant but not as complex as the Krug. Pleasant and lingering aftertaste. (My score 16; Group average 16.1; price $98 USD)
After flight three my ranking Charles Krug 2 Robert Mondavi 1
Group ranking Charles Krug 3 Robert Mondavi 0
Food pairing- venison with red tomato sauce and cheese filled tortellini.
Thanks Vinny and Linda, great Job!!!
Salute