Just hearing the name Robert Mondavi makes you think of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. So we were pleased to pair a bottle of the 2012 Napa Valley Cab with a nice thick and juicy fillet from the grill, cooked a perfect medium rare. This was not my first rodeo with a bottle of Mondavi Cab, and hopefully it won’t be my last.
The wine opens with a strong bouquet of blackberry and a hint of spice. The flavor is robust with a blackberry theme, backed with a touch of bell pepper and a dash of mellow oak. The finish is long and satisfying and hangs with the steak all of the way, which is most pleasant. The alcohol is 14.5%, which is a little high, but it does not impart any heat. Norm’s score is 88, and would probably be 90, but I did not detect the taste of cherry, which I enjoy so much, and find that it is usually typical of a California Cab.
California Cabs are the perfect choice for a thick grilled steak, as well as a variety of other robust meals. The paring is greatly enhanced when the Cabernet is from Napa.
score: 88
price: $22 – $27
By: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net
You must be logged in to post a comment Login