Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/807384
april 2017 / the tasting panel / 7 Cabernet Sauvignon (73%), with Cabernet Franc (23%), Merlot (2%) and Petit Verdot (2%) as sup- porting players. Inspired by Bordeaux blends, Janssens says Maestro is really a free spirit at heart. The cuvée will be revised and rearranged every year to spotlight the unique qualities of the particular vintage and give voice to their star performer vineyards. "2014 was a fantastic season, with truly beautiful expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon from our prized Wappo Hill and To Kalon estate vineyards. It created an opportunity for a unique blend of the two AVAs." Nestled within the Stags Leap District AVA, Mondavi's Wappo Hill Vineyard is noted for its consistency, with fruit that delivers high-toned fresh- ness and palate-swooning softness. Oakville's long- revered To Kalon Vineyard, planted since the 1860s and considered Napa Valley's original Grand Cru vineyard, offers fruit with deep throated flavor, firm structure and bold tannins. For the 2014 vintage, the hand-harvested fruit underwent 24 days of extended maceration to develop rich flavor and fine-tune the fleshy, supple tannins. The new wine was then gently pressed into 28 percent new French-oak barrels for malolactic fermentation to create seamless harmony between fruit and oak. The final blend was assembled after 21 months of barrel aging. Like a true maestro, the Mondavi 2014 Maestro commands attention with its freshness and spunk, its precision and harmony—while also silencing any discordant notes of overripe fruit that render so many California red blends too jammy and unbalanced. Culminating in a crescendo of dark, juicy plum and cassis fruit, with violet, cinnamon and unsweetened cocoa undertones, it is a sumptuous symphony of flavor that lingers on the palate like a well-hummed tune. Mark de Vere, Master of Wine, described the 2014 Maestro as "seductively approachable and ready to enjoy now," while also displaying the "depth and complexity of high quality Napa fruit." Winemaker Harden feels confident that Maestro is an "artistic wine"—one that would make Mr. Mondavi proud. Janssens concurs: "It is a serious wine with a humble soul," she said. Kelly Hendriksen, Senior Manager of Brand Development for Ruth's Chris Steak House, noted that Robert Mondavi's wines have always resonated with patrons—and pair perfectly with the restaurant's prime steaks. "We are thrilled to feature Maestro on our wine list. It celebrates the longevity of Robert Mondavi and mirrors the American tradition of ingenuity and creativity." While the curtain may have closed on Robert Mondavi's physical life, his spirit and legacy endure like a timeless musical composition, resounding through the valley, vineyards, winery and wines he so passionately championed. "Great artists are always fanatics," he wrote in his autobiography, Harvests of Joy. "The painting or the poem or the symphony is not finished until every brushstroke, every syllable, every note, is finally perfect and in harmony with the rest of creation". While sipping a glass of the 2014 Maestro, I definitely heard the music. Robert Mondavi Winery Maestro is supplied by Constellation Brands, Inc. On Location with Maestro Just up the road from LAX sits the newly opened location of Ruth's Chris Steak House in Marina del Rey, CA. The General Manager, Janette Han, notes that her guests gravitate towards California Cabs, especially since they see so many tour- ists and visitors due to the restaurant's proximity to the airport. Adding to the other Mondavi wines that the location fea- tures on its bottle and by-the-glass menu, Robert Mondavi Winery Maestro is set to be on the menu through the end of the year and Han expects it to stick around for even longer. "Its dark fruit notes pair really well with our lamp chop, filet and crimini mushroom side dish," explains Han. We certainly agree that it's a great taste of California before takeoff. Janette Han is the General Manager at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Marina del Rey, CA. At Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Marina del Rey, Robert Mondavi Maestro pairs beautifully with steakhouse classics.