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M by Michael Mondavi
Napa Valley, California
Vintage Notes
The near-perfect 2016 growing season started early, saw ideal weather conditions throughout, and wrapped up right as the valley's first significant fall rainstorm arrived on October 14. Thanks to a steadily mild July and August and then a series of warm days at the end of the growing season, vineyards were able to progress to perfect ripeness, resulting in a fifth consecutive vintage of stellar quality Napa Valley wines.
Winemaking Notes
The grapes came into the winery early in the morning and were gently transferred into our gentle and precise Pellencde-stemmer. The berries were then moved into small tanks and allowed to settle for one day prior to commencing fermentation. Press began and we opted for a short maceration time since the small, mountain berries naturally provide ample intensity of color, tannins, and texture. And, finally, into barrels the wine went to capture the delicate influence of oak while preserving the nuances of the fruit and vineyard.
Technical Info
BLEND: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec AGING: 65% new French oak for 21 months, 35% neutral French oak ALCOHOL: 14.9 %; TA 5.9 g/L; pH 3.73 CASES PRODUCED: 396
Vineyard Notes
The grapes harvested for M by Michael Mondavi grow at the crest of our hillside vineyard on Atlas Peak overlooking the expanse of Napa Valley. In this special section, the vines produce smaller clusters and berries resulting in a richer, plush wine. In the years working this vineyard, we have come to intimately know the volcanic terroir of this piece of land, and are proud to present each year its very best expression of the Bordeaux grape varieties that we planted here.
Tasting Notes
Aromas of dark fruits and fresh French plums, with notes of roasted hazelnuts, are at the core of the bouquet. The attack on the palate is soft, and delicate flavors of refined vine fruits and orchard blossoms mingle together providing a seamless wine with a lingering finish. This is an elegant medium body wine, flush with restrained opulence.
Vintage Notes
The 2015 was a warm vintage, and in order to stress the importance of balanced vines and soils, our viticulturalist Danny Schuster provided guidance to establish balanced canopies to shield the grapes from the intense heat and sun. The vineyard is located high on the hillside of the valley. The vintage required attention in the vineyards and cellar, yet it demonstrated the beauty of harnessing the warmth of Napa Valley
Winemaking Notes
The grapes came into the winery early in the morning and were gently transferred into our Pellenc destemmer, known as the most precise and gentle tool available. The berries were then placed into small wood tanks and settled for a day prior to commencing fermentation to capture the freshness of the grapes. Pressing occurred and we opted for a short maceration time as the small berries of mountain fruit provide a naturally ample intensity of color, tannins, and mouthfeel. The wine is aged in 65% new French oak puncheons for 21 months as they impart a more delicate influence of oak and preserve the fruit and nuances of the vineyard. The wines are unfiltered prior to bottling.
Technical Info
89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 1% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot
Vineyard Notes
The grapes harvested to make M by Michael Mondavi come from a special section at the crest of our hillside vineyard on Atlas Peak. Here, in the crown of the vineyard, the vines produce smaller clusters and berries resulting in a richer and plusher wine.
Tasting Notes
Bold, rich dark cherry and loganberry with dark chocolate mocha play center stage for the aromatics. As the wine washes across the palate, the flavors compliment the aromatics, and the acidity balances the wine. The tannin profile is akin to a dark chocolate truffle, fully coating the palate and providing graceful form and structure. This is a wine that shows harmony between power and softness, with accenting notes of blackcurrant, boysenberries and subtle licorice. The dark fruit and balanced body suggest that this wine is the finest M by Michael Mondavi to date.
Vintage Notes
The winter of 2014 was one of the driest on record in California and total rainfall in the Napa Valley was half of the average amount. However, heavy rains in late February and early March gave a much-needed drink of water to the vines as they were emerging from dormancy and about to begin bud break. The spring was warm and heat spikes were nearly non-existent during the growing cycle, which contributed to the overall quality of the 2014 vintage.
Winemaking Notes
Working diligently in the vines to maximize phenolic maturity, the winemaking and vineyard teams met each critical timing requirement with precision. The vineyard responded and yielded opulent fruit with acidity, tannins, and complex aromatics that demonstrate a wine with strength and finesse. The 2014 is the hallmark of unlocking vineyards secrets and unleashing the wine’s potential in the fermentations and cellar. The wine was aged in 85% new French oak barrels for 18 months and 15% in neutral French oak barrels prior to blending.
Tasting Notes
Aromatics of freshly muddled boysenberries, toasted vanilla and cardamom grace the opening volley. The welcoming notes of this wine offer an integrated structure of approachable and full tannins with interlocked fruits that define the beauty of this vintage. The 2013 M by Michael Mondavi wine has a complete mouthfeel, which is complimented by elegant aromatics and superbly lengthy finish.
Vintage Notes
A long and warm growing season provided dark fruits while the sustained heat further softened the classically bold tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon. The warm season was balanced by the night time fog of the Napa Valley calming the ripening giving this wine a unique equilibrium between tannin and dark fruit with a full, rich background. The natural farming practices coupled with the new vinicultural techniques where the vines are thinned and tipped at specific times to accentuate higher and earlier phenolic development created yet another exceptional vintage for our family vineyard.
Winemaking Notes
The fruit’s rich flavors, fine tannins and balanced acidity enabled Rob Mondavi Jr. to craft Cabernet Sauvignon with unmatched richness, elegance and harmony. After the grapes were hand-harvested and clusters selected, they were de-stemmed and crushed into small 800 gallons wood tanks for fermentation. The wine was aged in French oak barrels (68% new) for 20 months before being blended with 5% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The final blend shows harmony and flushness accenting notes of blackcurrant, boysenberries and subtle licorice notes. The texture and concentration are distinctly mountain Cabernet Sauvignon yet the balanced tannins and rich fruit demonstrate a deeper relationship with the vineyard that has unlocked flavors and depth beyond expectation.
“When I first planted the vines for M over a decade ago, my goal was to make a wine that personifies the soil and climate of the vineyard and my vision as a vintner.” –MICHAEL MONDAVI
Tasting Notes
M is an elegant, dynamic Cabernet Sauvignon inspired by both the timeless reds of Bordeaux and the legendary Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernets of the 1960s and early ‘70s that Michael made himself.
Vintage Notes
A classic Napa Valley growing season and harvest provided an abundance of quality grapes from which winemakers had to choose in 2012. From spring bud break, through flowering, fruit set, and ripening, conditions were ideal. A consistent stretch of warm summer weather, without large heat spikes and with plenty of cool and foggy nights, ripened grapes to perfection before late rains appeared at the end of October.
Winemaking Notes
The fruit’s rich flavors, ripe tannins and balanced acidity enabled Michael to craft M Cabernet Sauvignon with unmatched richness, elegance and harmony. After the grapes were gently hand-harvested and the individual clusters selected, they were de-stemmed and lightly crushed into small punch down tanks. After a five day cold soak period, the juice was fermented at 27-30°C. Extended post-fermentation maceration brings the total skin contact time to 28-32 days fully marrying the wine’s rich black fruit flavors and supple, sculpted tannins. The young wine was then moved to barrel for malolactic fermentation and 22 months of aging in French oak barrels (87% new). It was clarified with a light egg-white fining in barrel, using organic eggs, and spent 20 months in bottle prior to release.
Vineyard Notes
Michael Mondavi’s grandfather taught him as a boy that all great winemakers, first and foremost, have respect for their soil.Making wine from the roots up, he said, is the only way to create a truly unique wine instilled with a sense of time and place. Years later, when Michael chose the vineyard site for , those words were not far from his mind. His daughter Dina named the vineyard Animo (“spirit” in Italian) because of the feeling of energy that permeated the site and clearly expressed its sense of place. This vineyard, high atop Atlas Peak on 15 acres of rocky, volcanic soil at an elevation of up to 1,350 feet, would carry on its terroir through the vines into the grapes and, ultimately, finish in the glass.
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