2005 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Release Price:$135
Drink Date:2015 - 2035
This is a beautiful 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve from Mondavi. The wine, a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc, has a youthful, opaque bluish/purple color and a classic nose of lead pencil shavings, crème de cassis, licorice, and subtle, toasty French oak. Some chocolate also makes an appearance. Approachable, this full-bodied, beautifully concentrated and handsome Cabernet Sauvignon strikes me as one of the superb efforts the Mondavi Winery has produced, and should age effortlessly for another 20+ years. Given the bevy of $200+ Napa Cabernets these days, at $135.00, this is not a best buy, but it’s certainly a compelling price point, given this stunner. Drink it over the next 20 years. P.S. Once again, the vintage’s incredible freshness, vibrancy and precision are well displayed in this wine and, as I have indicated so many times in this horizontal, this is a striking characteristic in the manner the 2005s have evolved.