Robert Mondavi Winery's Arch & Tower

In 1966, Robert Mondavi launched his iconic Robert Mondavi Winery adjacent to the esteemed To Kalon Vineyard on Highway 29 in the heart of Napa Valley’s Oakville region. This was the first winery built in the Valley since the start of Prohibition in 1920 and has welcomed millions of adventurous visitors ever since. It’s unique design featuring the familiar arch and tower edifice is familiar to all and remains one of Napa’s most familiar sites.

However, last year, the winery embarked on a massive multi-year remodel and anyone driving the route on Highway 29 through Oakville is familiar with the chain link fence and artistic panels that decorate the once familiar entrance and the sea of idle fermentation tanks just behind. No doubt, the winery is undergoing change. But what to do about the thousands of visitors who clamor to Mondavi’s door for the educational and all-encompassing visitor experiences?

Enter the Borreo building in downtown Napa and its historic connection with the town and the Valley beyond. Built of stone quarried from the Stone Canyon area by the Borreo family in 1877, this Historic Landmark building is Napa’s second oldest. It housed the grain and feed department of Thompson Beard and Sons and was once an auto dealership. The city of Napa acquired the property in the 1970s and it remained vacant for decades.

Last year, Robert Mondavi Winery leased the building and began an extensive renovation of the interior to launch its first “off-site” tasting room and event facility. Director of Hospitality Philip Hansell recently commented on the new site in reference to the winery’s history: “Robert Mondavi was a huge supporter of downtown Napa, an innovator, and the consummate host himself, so I think he would be proud of what the team has created at Arch &Tower,”

Hansell and his team has it right, if the introductory Guest Chef Dinner held at Arch & Tower I attended last month was an indication of what’s to come with the Mondavi popularity and this historic edifice. The Guest Chef Series reflects the winery’s long history of celebrating the intersection of fine wine and culinary arts. It is itself an homage to the very successful and widely acknowledged achievement of Robert’s late wife Margrit Biever Mondavi and her legendary Great Chefs Series she founded in 1976.

The evening’s event began in the lobby tasting room and terrace overlooking the Napa River. We were delighted with small bites of bacon wrapped fried shrimp on skewers, petite Washington State oysters and potato puffs with crème and salmon roe. To pair with these treats we enjoyed sips of 2021 Sparkling Rosé and 2021 Red Blend – a classic blend of all five Bordeaux varieties from the estate’s To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville.

We then ventured upstairs with majestic views of the river and city of Napa beyond. Phil Hansell and Mondavi Director of DtC [Direct to Consumer] and Brand Management Euming Lee introduced the menu and chefs for the evening. To the enjoyment of all, Midwest-raised and James Beard Award winning Chef Chris Shepherd was the event’s Guest Chef and quickly brought his gregarious “Texas” personality to the forefront.

Chef Shepherd was instrumental in altering the Houston dining scene since opening Underbelly in 2012 where he focused on his smoked cuisine. He gained support of the local community by buying locally and drawing inspiration from the city’s people and culture. He was assisted by Mondavi/Arch & Tower Executive Chef Jeff Mosher who has been in his role with the winery for more than a decade.

Director of Winemaking Kurtis Ogasawara was on-hand to mingle with the guests and introduce each wine. I met Kurtis during the reception and was seated at his table for the dinner. He was quite open in sharing his history and winemaking goals adding greatly to the overall experience.

Each course of the festive dinner was served family-style with multiple selections and paired to complementary Robert Mondavi wine(s). The vinous and culinary delights continued with the first-course of two salads – a Spring Vegetable Panzanella with an assortment of fresh/delectable spring veggies and a Steakhouse Slice, Chef Shepherd’s interpretation of the classic iceberg wedge.

This course featured the 2021 Fumé Blanc Oakville from the famed To Kalon Vineyard but not designated as such. While enjoying the freshness and complexity of this wine, Kurtis shared this is one of the five Sauvignon and Fumé Blancs in the Mondavi portfolio

Robert Mondavi was a lover of Sauvignon Blanc but felt the varietal name was too cumbersome in the consumer world at the time. In a risky marketing decision, he decided to name his Sauvignon, “Fumé Blanc” with a reference to France’s Loire Valley Pouilly-Fumé Appellation that was, and remains, a highly respected bastion of the grape. It worked and the Mondavi Fumé Blanc became a success. During our conversation, Kurtis mentioned that the Sauvignon Blanc labeling has now been introduced for two of the winery’s five Sauvignon-based wines.

I was able to taste through all five of these wines last week with Kurtis and notes on that experience are included below.

Our second-course featured a 2019 Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon alongside a 2000 Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon in a 6.0L Imperial bottle paired to a broad selection of entrees and sides. We enjoyed a hearth roasted 44 Ranch ribeye with Chef Mosher’s take on “A-1” sauce, Texas Brisket, roasted local black cod, woodfired roasted mushrooms and fingerling potato tostones with BBQ aioli.

The 2019 Stags Leap Cabernet exhibited a deep crimson hue of youth. The nose offered a balance of red and blue berries with a hint of chocolate leading to a deeply structured palate and inviting mouthfeel with fine-grained tannins and a long-layered finish. A wonderful wine in its youth but promises far more to come with time in the bottle.

The 2000 was enlightening as the vintage was challenging and generally dismissed early-on by the critical press. This example from a 6.0L format exhibited the expected amber hue of age but displayed an explosive nose of red fruit and spice leading to a bright palate with youthful acidity accompanied by red and blue fruit accents. The finish was long and did not fade with time in the glass. A real treat drinking at its prime from this large format.

For dessert, we enjoyed a 2018 Sauvito from Oakville. This is a late-harvest wine modeled after Bourdeaux’s Sauternes appellation with a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from the To Kalon Vineyard. The Sauvito was an enjoyable dessert wine on the lighter side to pair beautifully with a strawberry shortcake, Panna Cotta with rhubarb compote and lemon tarts with toasted meringue. A beautiful and nimble ending to a complex menu.

Compliments to Chefs Shepherd and Mosher along with Winemaker Ogasawara and the Arch & Tower hospitality team. Together they produced an incredible evening of vinous and culinary delights. I’m looking forward to future Arch & Tower events and Guest Chef Dinners.

As I mentioned above, I was able to taste through the five-label range of Mondavi’s Sauvignon and Fumé Blancs with Director of Winemaking Kurtis Ogasawara earlier this month at Arch & Tower. Together we sampled each one with a special bonus of 2018 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve To Kalon Vineyard. As Kurtis said, “we can’t taste the Mondavi wines without a Cab.” Glad he felt this way! As broad as the range of Sauvignon Blancs is, so too, is the range of Cabernets within the portfolio.

Two primary grape sources are the Estate’s To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville and a prized vineyard in the neighboring Stags Leap AVA (American Viticultural Area). Two adjacent growing areas with very different terroir driven personalities. Kurtis feels strongly that his winemaking role is not just to produce quality wines but far more important to him is, “To showcase a sense of place from vineyard to glass.”

The sense of place was on full display for both the Cabernets and Sauvignon Blanc examples I enjoyed at the dinner and tasting. Kudos to Kurtis for following his mantra and consistently delivering on his expression of the vineyard.

Our Sauvignon journey began with the 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley that is a blend of the Oakville (To Kalon) and Stags Leap vineyards – today’s adaptation of the original Fumé Blanc introduced by Mondavi.

Bright lemon/lime citrus with tropical notes showcased this entry-level version when compared to the others.

Stepping up to the 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Stags Leap that morphed into a grapefruit-citrus character with floral notes on the nose and an accent of peach on the palate. A more complex and complete expression of the variety.

The 2021 Fumé Blanc Oakville (non-designated To Kalon) was the wine we also enjoyed at the dinner. This entry was a turning point in the progression of stylistic expression in the Sauvignon range. The straight-forward citrus of the earlier wines was replaced by a more seasoned green apple expression complemented by a richer mouthfeel and added complexity through a layered finish.

On Kurtis’ suggestion we tasted the final two wines together to decern the subtle differences of each coming from different blocks on the To Kalon vineyard. The power and density of the Reserve was a counterpoint to the elegance and linear appeal of the “I” Block.

The 2021 Fumé Blanc To Kalon Reserve hit a high note and instantly reminded me of the classic Pouilly-Fumé single vineyard selections from the legendary Didier Dagueneau. The nose, palate and finish are intriguing and complex with a dense character of being the “adult” in the room. A magnificent wine expressing the centuries-old traditions of the Old World with a modern twist.

The finale – 2020 Fumé Blanc I Block – then took everything to the next level. I recall in the late 1990s sharing the original release of 1995 Fumé Blanc I Block at the winery with Tim Mondavi. That release celebrated the 50th anniversary of the vineyard and the vines (planted in 1945) are now nearing their 80th birthday and going strong. The block is one of the highest in the To Kalon vineyard and divided into four parcels with some younger replacement vines. It is picked in five passes (each parcel and the younger vines) and usually represents the first Sauvignon harvest.

The 2020 Fumé Blanc I Block displayed a blend of delicacy and grace with an underlying unspoken sense of grip with green apple acidity and an engaging textural presence. It checked all the boxes of structure, balance, mouthfeel, youth and complexity. The wine will continue to mature and be a worthy dinner companion for years to come.

Kurtis summed up the Mondavi experience and his ability fulfill his winemaking goals as, “Being able to make wines that are distinctive and express each vineyard site’s personality. That’s what makes winemaking fun. At Robert Mondavi, I thankfully have the opportunity to make wines with this in mind and am able to share them with wine lovers across the globe.”