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46 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } JUNE/JULY 2016 De Vere joined Director of Winemaking Genevieve Janssens, who has worked, except for a brief sabbatical, at Robert Mondavi Winery and Opus One since 1978, and winemakers Joe Harden and Megan Schofield in two major tastings of 31 of the 50 different Robert Mondavi wines uncorked over the three days. The other 29 wines were served at four lunches and dinners during the celebration. The first tasting, held in the impressive First Year Barrel Room, was focused on the winery's famous Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserves, which come from the equally famous To Kalon Vineyard that lies to the west and south of the winery building. Robert Mondavi Winery owns the major - ity of the vineyard, about 450 acres, as well as the brand name "To Kalon"—Greek for "the beautiful." (The other major owner is the famous Beckstoffer grape-growing fam- ily.) Starting with the 2011 vintage, the To Kalon vineyard designation has been added to the label of the Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cabernets, reflecting 100 percent fruit sourcing from the historic site. The second major tasting was concentrated on recent vintages. In total, 25 of the 48 vintages of Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserves to date were tasted. Three of the four wines produced during the 1960s were poured, four from the 1970s, five from the 1980s, five from the 1990s and four from the 2000s, as well as the four made to date through the 2010s. Those included the youngest vintage, the 2013, which had been bottled but not yet released, and the oldest, the 1966, the first Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, which was surprisingly poured—in discreet tasting quantities—at the gala dinner. The 1966, a blend of 90 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 10 percent Cabernet Franc, proved to be quite drink - able 50 years later, with lively cassis fruit and tar t acidity. As Winiarski nosed the '66, he said, "I made this wine, and as I smell it, everything about the vintage is coming back!" With less than a case remaining, three of the last bottles at the cellar were consumed during the festivities. The other wines tasted during the overall celebration showed the diversity of the Robert Mondavi brand: reserves made for the other three primary vari - etals (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Fumé Blanc), Oakville district wines, Napa Valley wines and the Spotlight Series, which are limited releases sold only at the winery and distributed to the Spotlight Club members. Additionally, a "Harvests of Joy" Rosé served at the gala brought an emo - tional response from Margrit Mondavi, as it resurrected one of her favorite wines, a pink made from a variety formerly called Napa Gamay. "It was one of our most loved wines at the time," she remembered. "I'm so happy to see it again!" At the gala, a series of tributes (see Warren Winiarski, former owner of Stag's Leap W ine Cellars "Bob redefined what a winery should be like—light, not dark. He wanted to speak to the heart of wine lovers as well as their mouths. He wanted to create a place where a customer could become a part of it—a visual experience they could carry away with them." Paul Hobbs, Paul Hobbs Wine "This winery was the epicenter of wine whose ripples were felt throughout the world. Bob was a no-BS guy to work for. He didn't want any political answers . . . He was ground zero for winemaking. He is still more important today than even his brand." Zelma Long, consultant and winery owner in Napa Valley, Germany and South Africa "Bob was always looking forward," Long said in recalling a three-week European tour for the winery staff. "He was fun to work for." During the gala dinner held the evening of April 15 celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Robert Mondavi Winery, several alumni of the winery as well as valued grape producers rose to pay tribute to Robert Mondavi. PHOTO: MJ WICKHAM Zelma Long and Phil Freese. Tributes to Robert Mondavi This article's author, Roger Morris, among the gnarly old Sauvignon Blanc vines in the To Kalon Vineyard's "I" Block. Robert Mondavi Winery Executive Chef Jeff Mosher and Sous Chef Chris Stillwell shuck oysters that pair magnificently with Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc. PHOTO: ALEXANDER RUBIN PHOTO: ALEXANDER RUBIN