StarChefs at the 2003
South Beach Festival!
StarChefs will be hosting
a wine tasting featuring some incredible Miami-based
chefs. Don't miss the opportunity to taste exceptional
wines and
meet exceptional chefs!
| Saturday, March 1 |
|
| 1:00pm |
Marcus
Samuelsson
Aquavit
Question and answer |
| 3:30pm |
Angel Palacios
La Broche
Foam demonstration |
Sunday, March 2
|
|
| 3:00pm |
Michael Reidt
Wish, The Hotel
Brazilian drink tasting |
| 3:30pm |
Michele Bernstein
Azul, The Mandarin Oriental
Chat with the host of FoodTV's Melting Pot |
| 4:00pm |
Norman
VanAken
Norman's
Talks about his new cookbook New
World Kitchen |
| 5:00pm |
Willis Loughhead
Bizcaya Grill, The Ritz-Carlton
Vinegar aperitif & food pairing
|
Featured Wines:
Robert Mondavi
1999 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Robert Mondavi 1998 Napa
Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Robert Mondavi 2000 Napa
Valley Chardonnay
Robert Mondavi 2001 Napa
Valley Fume Blanc
1999 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve
Winemaker's Notes
Our 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is selected
from our finest Napa Valley vineyards, sites that
yield complex, long-lived wines. Each of these exceptional
vineyards has a distinct personality - a combination
of specific site, mesoclimate, soils, clonal selections
and cultivation techniques -- that contributes layers
upon layers of flavors to the wine. Opulent dark fruit
notes of cassis, black cherry and berry reflect grapes
grown on the deep soils of the Oakville bench. Nuances
of spice, minerals, licorice and violet weave through
the highly extracted, velvety flavors. We handcrafted
the wine with a long maceration, 17 months of aging
in new French chateau barrels, gentle barrel-to-barrel
racking, and bottling without filtration.
Varietal blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10%
Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1%
Malbec
Vintage
The 1999 La Niña
weather pattern gave Napa Valley one of the coolest
vintages on record; then the weather took a sharp
turn in late September with a weeklong, hot, low-humidity
spell. We harvested 45% of our total grape harvest
between September 27 and October 6. The grapes for
our Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were among the last
vineyards to ripen. Compared to the El Niño
phenomenon in 1998, marked by dramatic changes in
weather, this year experienced a milder growing season
with average (33.6") rainfall in Oakville. The
cool temperatures caused a later-than-average budbreak
and bloom, (April 13 and June 5, respectively) in
our To Kalon Block Z Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard.
July and August temperatures were below normal. Harvest
began slowly in mid-September; then the low humidity
heat spell advanced sugar maturity by two degrees
in just a few days. We harvested grapes for our Reserve
Cabernet Sauvignon throughout October, with an approximate
bloom-to-harvest length of 129 days. Perfect ripening
weather wrapped up the harvest on November 4.
Grapes: (Average) 24.2º Brix with 0.74%
initial acid and 3.61 pH
Vineyards
We selected 82% of the blend from the Oakville
AVA (American Viticultural Area), with 68% harvested
from the historic To Kalon Vineyard. This vineyard
has been continually planted to grapes for over 130
years, and for more than 50 years it has been the
backbone of Robert Mondavi's finest Cabernet Sauvignon
wines. The Oakville AVA grapes are planted on an alluvial
bench where low-fertility, well-drained soils allow
deep rooting and the development of complex flavors
in the grapes. To enhance the ripe berry character
of the wine, and complement the Oakville AVA fruit,
we harvested 11% from the Stags Leap District AVA
and 7% from the Carneros AVA.
Grape Sourcing: Napa Valley
Fermentation and Aging
The vineyard lots of grapes selected as reserve
candidates receive special attention throughout winemaking
and aging. We hand-harvested the grapes into small
bins and brought them to the winery for destemming
and light crushing. After an average of 40 days extended
skin contact to naturally soften tannins and enhance
varietal character, the wine was gently pressed and
transferred to 60 gallon, chateau-style French oak
barrels (80% new oak). All the wine completed an extended,
native malolactic fermentation in barrels for softness
and depth. To achieve natural clarity, we gently racked
the wine barrel-to-barrel six times during 17 months
of aging. The wine was bottled without filtration
to fully retain the rich, powerful aromas and flavors.
Wine analysis: 0.61% total acid, 3.67pH, 0.07% residual
sugar, and 14.0% alcohol, by volume.
1998 Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker's Notes
Our 1998 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon expresses
velvety tiers of back cherry, plums, violets and cocoa,
reflecting the diversity of the valley's soils and
microclimates. Sweet spice, vanilla and toasty oak
notes linger on the long finish. We captured the complexity
of Napa Valley terroir by selecting grapes from several
different regions, each renowned for distinctive Cabernet
Sauvignon. Midway through barrel aging, we blended
the vineyard lots to create a choir of complementary
flavors. Our Spotlight wines that showcase a single
vineyard are similar to a tenor solo, pure and focused.
Our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon demonstrates the
traditional artistry of blending vineyards to achieve
multidimensional flavors and beautiful balance.
Vintage
In Napa Valley, as throughout California, 1998
was an unusual year for weather. El Niño gave
us a growing season punctuated with extremes ? twice
the normal rainfall, 18 days of frost, cold weather
at bloom and record heat spells. Yields for some varieties
were down because of the wet weather during bloom
and berry set. A period of excessive summer heat caused
sunburn in some vineyards, necessitating thinning
to maintain high quality. But then, as harvest approached,
the weather improved, and we had near perfect mild,
sunny days for ripening. The small, loose clusters
had sufficient "hang time" on the vines
to create vibrant flavors and natural balance in the
wines. Overall, the 1998 harvest, one of the latest
of the decade, turned out to be of excellent quality.
Vineyards
Our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon displays the
diversity of flavors achieved by blending grapes from
the richly varied regions of Napa Valley. Every vineyard
has a distinct personality from the complex interaction
of micro-climate, soils and terrain. The French use
the term terroir to encompass these natural elements
that influence grape flavors. For this wine we selected
vineyards from the Carneros District, at the southern
tip of the valley, to Calistoga at the north. The
majority of the grapes were harvested from the middle
of the valley, with more than half of the blend harvested
from the Oakville District, including our historic
To Kalon Vineyard, and the Rutherford District. We
harvested the grapes at an average sugar of 24.2°Brix,
.68% acid and 3.75 pH.
Fermentation and Aging
After grapes were gently destemmed and crushed,
we fermented the must with a combination of native
(and cultured yeast for layers of flavor complexity.
To naturally soften the grape tannins and heighten
varietal intensity, we left the skins in contact with
the wine (maceration) for an average of 30 days. A
long malolactic fermentation (primarily native) conducted
in barrels enhanced the wine's depth and body. During
13½ months in small French oak barrels (18%
new oak), the wine was racked barrel-to-barrel four
times and lightly fined with fresh egg whites. Between
rackings, the wine was left undisturbed for optimal
clarity. To fully retain the beautifully integrated
layers of fruit, spice, floral and oak expression
and long aging potential of our Cabernet Sauvignon,
we bottled it without filtration.
2000 Napa Valley Chardonnay
Winemaker's Notes
Our 2000 Napa Valley Chardonnay unfolds
in rich layers of pear, tangerine, tropical fruit,
spices and minerals. To achieve this array of natural
flavors in the Chardonnay grapes, we selected vineyards
in the coolest regions of Napa Valley, primarily the
Carneros AVA (American Viticultural Area) and surrounding
foothills. For complexity, we barrel fermented the
wine with both native and cultured yeast. We then
hand-stirred the wine during sur lie aging in toasted
Burgundian barrels to harmonize flavors. These techniques
added nuances of hazelnut and vanilla to the lush
fruit flavors. We captured the full flavor profile
of the wine by bottling without filtration. The wine
will continue to develop richness and complexity with
five or more years of bottle aging. Visit our web
site at www.robertmondavi.com for some of our favorite
recipes to enjoy with this versatile wine.
Varietal blend: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage
Napa Valley's outstanding 2000 vintage started
with early budbreak and ended with a prolonged harvest
that lingered into November. Yields were abundant
throughout the state, following the sparse 1998 "El
Niño" and 1999 "La Niña"
vintages, necessitating thinning in some vineyards
to achieve highest quality. We began harvesting Chardonnay
on August 15 and had the majority of the crop in by
September 30. Cooler temperatures began in late September
and slowed ripening, so there was a lull in maturation;
the last Chardonnay vineyard was picked on October
17. Overall, the nearly ideal growing season provided
the Chardonnay grapes with ripe, lush flavors and
an excellent acid balance for vibrancy in the wines.
Grapes: (Average) 22.3º Brix with 0.81%
initial acid and 3.4 pH
Vineyards
We selected the majority of the grapes from the
Carneros AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the southern
end of Napa Valley, closest to the Pacific winds and
fog of San Francisco Bay. Most of these Carneros AVA
grapes come from our Robert Mondavi Huichica Hills
Vineyard. We selected the balance from vineyards in
the west Napa foothills adjacent to Carneros, and
surrounding the township of Napa. The marine-influenced
climate of these regions develops bright fruit flavors
in Chardonnay grapes. Cold fog blankets the vineyards
at night, and cool winds temper the summer sun, extending
the ripening period of the grapes.
Grape Sourcing: Napa Valley
Fermentation and Aging
After hand harvesting the Chardonnay grapes in
the early morning, we immediately brought them in
small bins to the field-pressing station in our Huichica
Vineyards. We gently pressed the grapes as whole clusters
to retain the intense fruit character. To achieve
a complex, multi-layered Chardonnay, we fermented
the wine in 60-gallon French oak barrels, with the
balance fermented in stainless steel tanks. We used
both cultured and native (wild) yeast for layers of
complex nuances. All of the wine underwent partial
malolactic fermentation in barrels to convert part
of the malic acid into lactic acid, thus achieving
a balance of roundness and vibrancy. We aged the wine
sur lie (on the yeast) in French oak barrels (15%
new oak) for eight months, periodically stirring the
wine to enhance the rich texture and marry flavors.
The wine was bottled without filtration for full flavor
and opulent mouthfeel.
Wine analysis: 0.67% total acid, 3.48 pH, 0.1%
residual sugar, and 13.5% alcohol, by volume.
2001 Napa Valley Fume Blanc
Winemaker's Notes
Our 2001 Napa Valley Fumé Blanc unfolds in
bright, fresh floral, fruit and mineral character.
Our recent tasting revealed very expressive aromas
and flavors of white flowers, Meyer lemon, white peach,
fresh anise and mineral. The wine has a nice middle
palate with rich, lengthy flavors. Barrel fermentation
and aging contribute to the rich, creamy texture and
hint of oak vanilla in the finish. We selected about
90% of the blend from three regions of Napa Valley
that are renowned for Sauvignon Blanc grapes - Stags
Leap District, Oakville and Rutherford, with the balance
from other exceptional vineyards.
Varietal blend: 99% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Semillon
Vintage
The 2001 harvest was unique, with one of the
longest bloom-to-harvest periods in recent history.
This long "hang time" on the vine resulted
in exceptional flavors and balance in the grapes.
Harvest began as one of the earliest in the last 20
years, with the first grapes crushed on August 8.
Then the weather changed and the harvest became one
of the longest, with the last grapes picked at the
end of October. We had predicted an early harvest
because of early budbreak, bloom and veraison. We
feared that all the grapes would ripen simultaneously,
but then the weather cooled and slowed ripening. The
flavor maturity in the grapes lagged behind the sugar
accumulation (Brix) so we played a waiting game, delaying
harvest until the flavor maturity caught up. Sauvignon
Blanc is the first grape to ripen in Napa Valley;
we harvested the grapes for our Napa Valley Fumé
Blanc during August and September.
Grapes: (Average) 22.4º Brix with 0.69%
initial acid and 3.31pH
Vineyards
For complexity of flavors, we selected 34% of
the grapes from the Stags Leap District American Viticultural
Area (AVA), 34% from the Rutherford AVA, and 20% from
the Oakville AVA. More than half of these grapes was
grown in Robert Mondavi's Wappo Hill Vineyard, in
the Stags Leap District AVA, and his To Kalon Vineyard,
in the Oakville AVA. The fruit from the Stags Leap
District contributes Sauvignon Blanc flavors typical
of cooler climates, such as citrus and fresh anise.
The Oakville and Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc grapes
add tropical and floral notes to the flavor profile,
while imparting richness. In addition to terroir (climate,
site and soil) influence, Sauvignon Blanc is very
sensitive to cultivation techniques. We are able to
influence its myriad of flavors in the vineyard with
clonal selection, state-of-the-art vertical trellising
and canopy management. In our vineyards, we pull leaves
to open the vine canopy for better sunlight exposure
on the clusters, to enhance the fruity, rather than
herbal, flavors in the grapes.
Grape Sourcing: Napa Valley, primarily Stags
Leap District, Rutherford and Oakville AVAs
Fermentation and Aging
We gently pressed the grapes as whole clusters
and immediately began fermentation to capture the
fresh, vibrant fruit character of the Sauvignon Blanc
grapes. For increased complexity, we fermented two-thirds
of the juice in 60-gallon French oak barrels and the
balance in stainless steel tanks. A special yeast
strain (VL3), developed at the University of Bordeaux,
was selected for its ability to accentuate fruit flavor
in the wine. We gently stirred the wine (batonage)
during five months of sur lie aging (on the yeast
lees) in French oak barrels. This classic technique
enhances creaminess and integrates the flavors of
the wine. A small amount of Semillon adds a hint of
mineral. We bottled the wine without filtration to
retain its full flavor intensity and complexity.
Wine analysis: 0.70% total acid, 3.24 pH, 0.12%
residual sugar, and 13.5% alcohol, by volume.
