Brecher and Gaiter Toast Robert Mondavi

John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter’s wine reviews have been a wonderful addition to the Wall Street Journal over the past decade, and I have been waiting to see how they would salute the legendary Robert Mondavi.

Their wine articles have soul, and this one is no different. It is one of their best, ever:

While many fine French wines were so elegant and high-bred that they seemed austere, Mondavi’s wines had both structure and generosity. They had the class of a master winemaker (some Mondavi winemakers became quite famous) and the ripeness of the California sun, a magical combination few had accomplished. The wines were more expensive than many, but not so expensive that they became special-occasion wines. And they were widely available. Unlike some later cult wines, whose appeal was that they were hard to find, Mondavi wines were accessible in every way, from availability to taste. They were democratic wines, and democratic in the best sense. They were wines that we could reach, but they made us stretch a little, think a little, grow a little. When we opened a Mondavi wine, we felt we were taking a step. Before we knew it, we—and a great number of other Americans—had stepped right into the modern world of wine.

Be sure to take time to read the full piece this weekend, and maybe even pick up a bottle of Mondavi’s Fume Blanc, or a Cabernet. Although it would need 30 years of bottle age before you could write a piece that would do it justice:

1974 Mondavi Cabernet Reserve
It was clear from the nose the moment we opened the long, intact cork that the wine was still good. The color was orange and light red, with fiery highlights. When we first opened it, the wine still had a core of vibrant fruit with a great sense of rich, sweet earth. There was cedar and a slight tone of citrus—Dottie thought of Grand Marnier. It was quite warming, with the essence of old grapes and earth. Although relaxed and clearly old, it was not over the hill.

Robert Mondavi

1913-2008
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A Toast to a Pioneer
WSJ
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Gary Vaynerchuck’s belated tribute, Gary was out of the country when Mr. Mondavi passed away.

WineLibraryTV

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