99 Mondavi Napa Cab et 99 Napa Merlot

[Auburnwine]

These two Robert Mondavi Napa wines were marked down to $20 at the grocery, so I picked up one of each.

Wuz it money well spent?

They also had the 99 Mondavi Napa Pinot Noir for $16.

[This message has been edited by Auburnwine (edited 09-25-2003).]

[winoweenie]

Look for meeny more goodly buys in the next 6 months. Love the Napa. Don' know about the Pinot. WW

[eskinnyc]

Interesting. Mondavi wines are so widely carried they make a good benchmark for determining a given stores general pricing policy (over MSRP, at, or under).

But I've noticed something recently, and thats the prices of Mondavi Napa Cab & Merlot are dropping. A few years ago I could expect a store to sell the Napa Cab at anywhere from $27 to $32 (in NY at least). But now a price of $21 to $26 seems more typical. Same thing with the Beringer Knights Valley series. This doesn't seem to be a California-wide trend, most other producers seem to be more or less level, just the mega-producers like Mondavi.

I don't know if the price drops are the result of a conscious decision by Mondavi & Beringer to re-price their wines, or if its simply market forces of supply & demand at work, but Mondavi prices are definitely on the way down.

[eskinnyc]

I just realized I didn't really answer auburnwine's question.

Among certain types of wine lovers, its become fashionable to turn one's nose up at Mondavi. I remember asking about the Napa Cab at one upscale Manhattan wine shop and being told very brusquely "We don't carry any Mondavi wines!" At the $30 price point, I'd have to agree that the QPR wasn't all that great. But at $20, you've got yourself a fair deal on a decent bottle of wine. Enjoy!

[wondersofwine]

I would second the kudos for the Napa Cab. Haven't had the Merlot. Hope the cab sells for $20 in my market!

[winoweenie]

Interesting article in this edition of the Speculator on Mondavi. I agree with some but not all, naturally, of the article. Still think their Napa cab is a superior wine and at 20 beanies, one whale of a buy. ww

[Bucko]

Mondavi has been taking it in the shorts because they aren't making those big, fat, over-extracted, high alcohol wines that certain writers are promoting as the second coming. Their wines are more lean and food-friendly. I say kudos to Mondavi.

[Thomas]

The price drop is likely a combination of a glut of grapes in CA., plus less expense in production (leaner means less wood time or none at all--less costly oak and aging).

eskinnyc, you have yet to make that long trip downtown to is-wine, but if you ever do you will find that we do not sell Mondavi either--we sell no commonly known brand names, a philosophy that has little to do with the wine's quality and more to do with the fact that brand names are already well established and well represented. Our aim is to offer what you will have trouble finding, and still offer good value wines.

We dare to be different as well as challenging. We don't even have a television in our store, so when a customer arrives he or she is not interrupting our sleep...

[wondersofwine]

Mondavi wines are carried at the Sullivan Steak House in Raleigh and perhaps at other restaurants in the Sullivan chain. The cabernet sauvignon goes nicely with the steaks and doesn't have to be a ten-year old vintage to be enjoyable. I have tried the 1999 Merryvale c.s. in a restaurant, and while I think it will be a fine wine eventually, it was at present too tannic for me to enjoy with the meal.

[Tyrrell]

It might be a little late to enter the conversation with a "me too" but I'm doing it anyway.

I think that the Mondavi Napa cab is a very good deal at $20. (I haven't had the merlot)

[This message has been edited by Tyrrell (edited 10-02-2003).]