Nose
Heady aromas of
blackberries, crushed pecans and cocoa nibs
Palate
Resting just above Oakville, our Atlas Peak hillside estate vineyard’s volcanic soil
provides a minerality and freshness to our family Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine shows
incredible length and beauty with deep and voluminous layers. Fine and polished tannins exemplify the beauty of this vintage. The wine is drinking superbly now and will
continue to evolve gracefully over the next 30 years.
Growing Conditions
The vineyard sits atop Atlas Peak at the edge of a steep canyon overlooking the town of Oakville
between 1,270-1,350 feet on 15 acres of stony, volcanic soil. The property was purchased and
planted by the Michael Mondavi Family in 1999. The vineyard is predominately comprised of
Cabernet Sauvignon of the Clone four variety planted on 110R rootstock, which produces
structured fruit with ample tannins and acid to balance the concentrated dark fruit flavors.
The warm season, balanced by the night time fog of the Napa Valley, calmed the
ripening process and gave this wine a unique equilibrium of tannin and dark fruit with
a full, rich background. The 2013 vintage marks the second year of profound vineyard
changes in which Rob Mondavi focused on the timing of specialized natural farming
practices and vinicultural techniques. The vines are thinned and tipped at specific
times to accentuate higher and earlier phenolic development which created yet
another exceptional vintage for our family vineyard
Winemaking
After the grapes were hand-harvested, de-stemmed and crushed, the must was cold
soaked for four days prior to the onset of fermentation in small wood French tanks.
Aeration and cap management is handled through a series of punch-downs and pumpovers
for color and tannin extraction. Upon completion of fermentation, the wines
macerate on the skins for 18-21 days before being gently pressed off.
Aging
The wine is
barrel aged in 82% new French oak for 20 months before bottling.
