Eve Reviews: 2008 Mondavi To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon

So this just happened:

How happy are you when you discover a wine in your chiller that you didn’t remember was there? We moved a 2008 Mondavi To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, from our cellar to the chiller and decided to pop that puppy open just for ourselves! (We also have a 2010 waiting for us next!) There will be a full one-bottle post on this wine on Eve Wine 101 on 10/28…but for now this is your taste: The beautiful etched bottle felt heavy in my hands, with a deep punt, which for me exudes style and quality. Notes of black cherry, blueberry, blackberry, boysenberry, dark chocolate, earth, toasted oak…and well deserving of  99-100 points from the Bushmans.  

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The details:

To complete my tasting notes above I didn’t find a lot of peppery notes.  Long finish. Balanced. And it tasted younger than what I was expecting. The fruit was super fresh. Our collective score: 99-100 points. (To Kalon, for those that don’t know, is the name of the vineyard in Oakville.)

We decided to take this 2008 Mondavi To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon out to dinner with us at D’Agostino’s in Las Vegas on a Wednesday night. No special occasion, no friends except the restaurant owners to share it with, Wednesday just happens to be their free corkage night. We enjoyed the wine with a Veal Marsala. Perfect.

We were Mondavi club members for a few years, and this was one of the special bottles we looked forward to receiving in the top tier club we chose. Will have to pay full price for it next time, so happy that we have that 2010 next!

From K and L Wines:

2008 Robert Mondavi “To Kalon” Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

SKU #118755893 points Vinous

Bright, dark ruby. Slightly high-toned, almost porty ripeness to the aromas of cassis, menthol, plum, violet, truffle and smoky oak, plus a hint of prune that reflects the heat spikes during the summer of ’08. Then wonderfully suave, fine-grained and sweet; fresher in the mouth than on the nose but with full ripeness to its plum and dark berry flavors. A suggestion of nutty oak adds complexity. This very supple, harmonious midweight has filled out since its bottling. Finishes with terrific rising length and substantial but well-supported tannins that should carry this wine for another 12 to 15 years. Just approaching its peak drinking plane but I’d still wait a few years. (ST)  (5/2018)

K&L Notes

This is Mondavi’s most rare and focused Cabernet Sauvignon bottling. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from some of the To Kalon Vineyard’s oldest planting. Originally planted in 1868, the To Kalon Vineyard has become recognized as one of the finest first-growth vineyards of the world. Ancient Greek for “the highest beauty,” To Kalon is the historic vineyard that provides Robert Mondavi Winery with grapes for its world-class Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and Oakville District Cabernet Sauvignon, and is the exclusive source of their Fumé Blanc Reserve. (There is a wait list for this wine à https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1187558)

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Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.