Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa Valley: 10 Best Wines, Vineyards

Robert Mondavi founded his namesake winery in the Napa Valley wine country in the 1960s to create premium wine that competes with the finest from the Old World. 

He is credited for bringing worldwide critical acclaim and fame to the wines of Napa Valley. His complex Cabernets, Chardonnay, and barrel-aged bottles are highly regarded worldwide.

Let’s explore all there is to know about Robert Mondavi, including its most prestigious wines, 10 fine bottles you can buy in 2023, and their investment potential. 

We’ll also explore Mondavi’s legacy and its finest vineyards.

Robert Mondavi Wine: Styles, Taste, And Characteristics

Robert Mondavi produces a variety of wines classified into five different tiers that vary in price:

• Reserve: These are elegantly textured wines made with hand-picked grapes from the best blocks of vineyard land.
• Oakville District: The vineyards around Oakville in the Napa wine country provide the perfect terroir for the growth of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Some of the best Cabernets are produced under this label.
• Napa Valley: This tier includes wines from the Napa Valleys finest vineyards -  Stags Leap, Oakville, and Carneros, among other vineyards. These Napa Valley wines combine complexity and elegance in every bottle. 
• Winery Exclusive: These wines are made in exceptional vintages from the finest vines that stand out from the rest.
• To Kalon Exclusives: The finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines and the I Block To Kalon Vineyard Fume Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc) are produced under this label.

These wines are made from the following grapes:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Fume Blanc
• Pinot Noir 
• Cabernet Franc
• Chardonnay
• Merlot
• Moscato
• Petite Sirah

You can also visit the Robert Mondavi for a wine tasting tour to taste these delicious wines and tour the beautiful estate - a perfect weekend getaway from San Francisco!

Looking for the perfect Mondavi bottle to impress your guests?

10 Best Robert Mondavi Wines to Buy in 2023

Here’s are the most remarkable Mondavi wines and how they taste!

• 2016 Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2014 Robert Mondavi Winery 'The Reserve' To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2015 Robert Mondavi Winery Spotlight Collection Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1987 Robert Mondavi Winery My 50th Harvest in the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1996 Robert Mondavi Winery 30th Anniversary Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2004 Robert Mondavi Winery Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1992 Robert Mondavi Winery 'Duke of Bourbon 35th Anniversary' Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2020 Robert Mondavi Winery Twin Oaks Zinfandel Rose
• 2018 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Rum Barrel Aged Merlot
• 2019 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection 100 Chardonnay

1. 2016 Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($148)

This great wine has an elegant ruby red color and soothing aromas of lavender, black currant, and truffle. The palate has distinctive tasting notes of ripe red cherries with hints of vanilla bean. 

2. 2014 Robert Mondavi Winery 'The Reserve' To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($155)

Coming straight from the To Kalon vineyard, this Mondavi Cabernet wine is history in a bottle!

A wine enthusiast will enjoy its deep blackberry flavor and oak, tobacco, and leather nuances. This red wine has a velvety structure that complements its grippy tannins and medium acidity levels. 

3. 2015 Robert Mondavi Winery Spotlight Collection Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon ($105)

This amazing Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the warm Stags Leap District. The signature wine has ripe red fruit with spicy white pepper flavors and earthy aromas.

4. 1987 Robert Mondavi Winery My 50th Harvest in the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($441)

This iconic Mondavi red wine has developed jammy fruit flavors and silky structure. This proprietary red has delicious chocolaty tasting notes and a hint of smoke and leather accompanied by joyful acidity.

5. 1996 Robert Mondavi Winery 30th Anniversary Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($424)

This exceptional Robert Mondavi proprietary red wine celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Mondavi winery. It has intense black fruit flavors with chewy tannins and a fine ash and chocolate aftertaste. 

6. 2004 Robert Mondavi Winery Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon ($75)

This California wine has a fascinating ripe plum taste accompanied by a rich herbaceous flavor, which developed over the years. These flavors combine well with the wine’s slight vanilla bean and leather aromas.

7. 1992 Robert Mondavi Winery 'Duke of Bourbon 35th Anniversary' Cabernet Sauvignon ($224)

This great wine is dry with medium acidity and delightful black fruit notes. Its velvety texture combines well with the toasty oak undertones and hints of smoke and earth.

8. 2020 Robert Mondavi Winery Twin Oaks Zinfandel Rose, California, USA ($26)

This Zinfandel has aromas of ripe molasses and hints of Jabucatiba liqueur. Soft and sweet on the palate, this rose wine showcases lively acidity.

9. 2018 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Rum Barrel Aged Merlot ($15)

This vintage wine has rich aromas of molasses, maple, and black plum. The palate is jammy, with plum and blueberry flavors. Rum barrel aging gives it complex nuances of toasted coconut and vanilla.

10. 2019 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection 100 Chardonnay ($14)

This Robert Mondavi Chardonnay wine is made from cool-climate grapes and offers vanilla, toasty oak, and lemon cream aromas. Green apple, peach, and citrus flavors follow a buttery, creamy mouthfeel - a perfect white wine to spice up your meticulously prepared cocktails.

Investing in Robert Mondavi Wines

The most investment-worthy Robert Mondavi wines are its signature Cabernet Sauvignons, the age-worthy Rieslings, and the Opus One red blends.

The best Mondavi wines can age for around 20 years and even longer if stored right. 

They’re also well-acclaimed by popular wine magazines like Wine Spectator for their complexity and elegance. 

Thanks to all these factors, they command high prices in auctions and show good price appreciation over the years.

The average six-year price appreciation for Robert Mondavi To Kalon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is 50%, while for Opus One, it is 71%.

In 2001, at a Napa Valley Auction, 20 3-liter Opus One bottles were sold at a whopping total of $220,000.

And, at the 2016 Napa Valley Auction, 50 rare Robert Mondavi bottles were sold for an astonishing $520,000.

So, where can you get an investment-grade Mondavi wine without worrying about a counterfeit bottle?

Luckily, there is a safe and easy way to invest in fine wines. A trusted wine investment platform like Vinovest will help you buy, store, and sell authentic wines from across the globe within a few clicks.

Now, let’s explore how this iconic winery came into being, and about its vineyards and wineries.

A Brief History of Robert Mondavi

Robert Mondavi was born to Italian immigrant parents - Rosa and Cesare Mondavi, who moved to America in the 1900s.

Cesare Mondavi shipped wine grapes to the Italian families on the east coast, and Robert Mondavi started helping in his father’s business. 

Robert Mondavi studied viticulture at Stanford University, and in 1936 after the termination of the Prohibition Act, he started working at Sunny St Helena Winery. 

In 1943 the Mondavi family acquired the Charles Krug Winery. But due to disagreements with his brother, Peter Mondavi, Robert Mondavi decided to leave Charles Krug.

So, in 1966 Robert Mondavi founded his namesake winery in Oakville, Napa Valley, with his sons, Tim Mondavi and Michael Mondavi.

He achieved many feats over the years - from producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines to coining the term Fumé Blanc for his Sauvignon Blanc grape wines (a clever marketing move that associated his white wine with the premium French Pouilly-Fumé.) 

In 2001, Mondavi made a $25 million donation to UC Davis, helping the university establish Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

In 2005, the American conglomerate Constellation brands bought the Robert Mondavi corp for $1 billion.

Robert Mondavi Vineyards

The main Mondavi vineyard plots are:

• To Kalon Vineyard: This vineyard dates back to 1868 and is the #1 first growth vineyard in North America. It provides the finest Robert Mondavi Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
• Carneros: Carneros vineyard has the coolest climate in the Mondavi winery. This vineyard is the source of some of the finest Robert Mondavi Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.
• Wappo Hill Vineyard: This vineyard enjoys clay and gravelly soils and a drier climate. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties are grown in this vineyard. 

Mondavi’s chief winemaker, Geneviève Janssens was declared the “Winemaker of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast in 2010.

Wineries Under the Robert Mondavi Brand

Robert Mondavi founded other very successful and prominent wineries under his name during the years. Some of the most popular ones are:

• Opus One Winery
• Woodbridge
• Robert Mondavi Private Selection
• Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks
• International Brands
• Continuum Estate

1. Opus One Winery

In 1978, Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild (of Chateau Mouton Rothschild) founded the Opus One winery in the Napa Valley wine country. 

This Napa Vallery winery creates an excellent Bordeaux blend California wine made from: 

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Malbec
• Petit Verdot
• Cabernet Franc

These Napa wines age 18 months in French oak barrels, and their premium quality drives their price up (with an average price of $400.) 

Today, Constellation Brands and Rothschild own this Napa Valley winery. It is also a famous wine tour destination in Napa wine country.

2. Woodbridge

The Woodbridge winery was founded in 1979 in Lodi by Robert Mondavi to create affordable, high-quality wines that people can enjoy every day. 

These are easy-drinking wines and can be found in local wine shops. 

• Red blends
• Merlot
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• White Zinfandel
• Riesling
• Chardonnay
• Pinot Noir
• Rose Wines
• Sauvignon Blanc

When in Lodi, don’t miss taking a tour of the Woodbridge winery!

3. Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Mr Mondavi founded the Robert Mondavi Private Selection in 1994 in Central Coast to produce premium wines at reasonable prices. 

This Central Coast winery produces the following Napa Valley wines:

• Cabernet Sauvignon (contains a small quantity of Syrah, Merlot, and Petite Sirah)
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir
• Red blend
• Riesling
• Chardonnay

You can also find unique spirits-barrel-aged wines, perfect for replacing your single malt scotch whisky.

• Bourbon barrel aged Cabernet Sauvignon
• Rum barrel-aged Merlot
• Bourbon barrel aged Chardonnay
• Rye barrel-aged red blend

4. Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks

This Mondavi winery makes wine only for restaurants and hotels and is now owned by Constellation Brands.

The Twin Oaks wine portfolio primarily includes varietal wines like:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Shiraz
• Chardonnay
• Zinfandel
• Pinot Grigio
• Sauvignon Blanc

5. International Brands

Mondavi was also a partner in the following international wineries:

• Ornellaia and Luce della Vite (Italy)
• Kirralaa (Argentina)
• Viña Seña (Chile)

6. Continuum Estate

After selling the Robert Mondavi corp to Constellation Brands, Mr Mondavi and his son Tim Mondavi founded the Continuum Estate winery. 

Tim Mondavi continues managing the winery after Robert Mondavi’s death in 2008. The wines produced in this winery are excellent red blend wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.

Add the World’s Finest Wines to Your Collection!

The legendary Robert Mondavi wines are exquisite, high-quality, and come with fascinating taste profiles. All thanks to the fruit sourced from Napa Valleys finest vineyards.

You can invest in an elegant Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon or other iconic red and white wine bottles through a world-class wine investment platform like Vinovest.

So, why not sign up and start buying and selling fine wines worldwide - New Zealand, South Africa, North America, and even Bordeaux!