Review: 2014 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Aged in Bourbon Barrels
Whiskey goes into wine barrels, that’s the way it’s always been. Wine into whiskey barrels? Not something that you see. Ever, I mean.
Well, this Private Selection bottling from Robert Mondavi just does that, taking cabernet sauvignon and aging it not in new oak but in used Kentucky bourbon casks. Nutty idea, eh? Let’s see how well this works.
The results here are, well, exactly what you would expect. The nose blends the traditional cabernet-currant notes with vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon, plus some scorched wood tidbits. The body is a cacophonous experience to say the least: cherry cola, intense vanilla, chocolate syrup, smashed raisins. There’s a hugely sweet rush (as you would expect) that is immediately off-putting, the chocolate-cherry note becoming almost overpowering until a brown sugar sweetness overpowers everything else.
The finish is saccharine and quite a bit overbearing. This lightens up as the wine opens up in the glass, but not nearly enough. Even after an hour of trying to figure out the impetus behind this wine, I wasn’t much further along from where I started. Is this a wine specifically built for whiskey fans? I can understand it conceptually, but my palate says no.
C+ / $14 / robertmondaviprivateselection.com
2014 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Aged in Bourbon Barrels
$14
Saw this recently at my local wine shop.
I didn’t think the wine would do well in bourbon casks, but thought it was great marketing for the whisky boom.
Glad I skipped this one. Thanks for the review.
We have purchased several bottles and enjoyed it.
Tried this, and I actually think the flavors work quite well. I get a great medium to full body experience coming from cab itself, with fruit and tannins blaring. There may be some vanilla notes softly in between. Then I get the oak and spice finishing things up. Just intense with flavors, and it works quite well for my palate.
I had it tonight and loved it. I don’t like the brown stuff but this wine is tight and dry.