The Vancouver International Wine Festival Tastings (VIWF), which will take place each night from Feb. 27 to March 1, allow consumers to have an opportunity to taste many wines that are not familiar to them.
These wines will be available for purchase as a specialty order at the BC Liquor Store set up at the festival site exclusively during the VIWF.
A couple of weeks ago, I did a feature on the Booker family of wines. This time, I am focusing on Robert Mondavi Winery and the wines they will be presenting at this year's international wine festival.
Robert Mondavi is one of the most iconic American wineries.
In 1943, Robert Mondavi joined his father and brother Peter to acquire Charles Krug Winery. However, he left the family winery in 1965 after a disagreement with his brother Peter over the business direction of the Krug Winery and established his own winery in Oakville, Calif.
Mondavi built his winery into one of the most successful and best-known California wineries. Constellation Brands acquired the Mondavi winery in 2004. Although the Mondavi family is no longer associated with the winery, it is still one of the top wineries in the world.
Part of Mondavi's original vineyard land included the To Kalon vineyard. To Kalon is a Greek term meaning “the beautiful." To Kalon is considered one of the best plots of land in California to grow grapes.
At the Vancouver International Wine Festival, consumers will get a chance to taste the following wines:
Robert Mondavi 2022 Sauvignon Blanc
This wine is produced with grapes from the winery's Stags Leap District Estate vineyard and their Oakville estate. A small amount of Sémillon is contained in this wine to provide roundness and a creamy texture.
The blend of this wine is 93-per-cent Sauvignon Blanc and seven-per-cent Semillon.
You can expect peach, citrus and tropical aromas along with peach and orange peel flavours, and a mineral aftertaste.
It is perfect to drink without food or with appetizers.
Robert Mondavi 2020 The Estates Fume Blanc
Mondavi originated the term “Fume Blanc” in 1968 to denote an oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc, reminiscent of Pouilly Fume wines from the Loire Valley in France.
Mondavi is the only winery to plant white wine-producing grapes in To Kalon and this wine is a blend of 87-per-cent Sauvignon Blanc and 13-per-cent Semillon.
The grape juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels and then spends six months in 13-per-cent new oak barrels before bottling. You will get herbs, stone fruit and smoke on the nose with stone fruit and mineral on the palate.
This wine is heavier in style than the Sauvignon Blanc but still wonderfully refreshing.
Robert Mondavi 2019 The Estates Cabernet Sauvignon
If this is the vintage that is being offered for sale at the onsite B.C. Liquor Store, buy it up! This wine was the number six wine on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list of wines released in 2022.
The grapes used in this wine are from new vines from the To Kalon vineyard. This wine is a blend of 83-per-cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 11-per-cent Cabernet Franc, two-point-five-per-cent Petit Verdot, two-percent Merlot and one-point five-per-cent Malbec grapes.
You will get dark fruit with a tobacco and toasty aftertaste.
For more information about these wines, please see my in-depth review of these wines here.
I also had the privilege of speaking to Kurtis Ogasawara, Director of Winemaking for Robert Mondavi Winery. See my interview with him, which includes a discussion of why To Kalon Vineyard is so special, here.
Kurtis will be at the Robert Mondavi booth at the International Festival tastings.
I will also be attending the International Festival Tastings on Feb. 27 and 28, so hope to see many readers there!
For more information about the Vancouver International Wine Festival on their website.
Until next time, happy drinking!
Tony Kwan is a Richmond News columnist. Lawyer by day, and a food and wine lover by night. Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
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