Thank the late Milton Eisele who gave me the Norman Mini wines. Typo 1st
Mondavi reserve was 74, I suspect 74 Reserve was the last wine Mini worked
and Mondavi never really topped the 2 70 bottlings or the 74 Reserve--the 74
normale was a good value. I think Mini was a large part of the early
Mondavi program. The Padrone and his son's got credit for the winemaking. I
suspect a lot of the hands on stuff was either done or supervised by
Mini...The history of Mondavi family is better than fiction as is their
Italian partner Frescobaldi. Robert was constantly in dire straights,
finding backers, losing backers becoming a public company. I doubt if the
man ever glanced at a ledger sheet. His split with brother Peter, his
romance with wife #2. Interfamily squabbles and like William Randolph
Hearst, he got to see his empire sold off. No wonder he founded Copia. in
his 90s he still needed to stay in the limelight and be pro-active. A salut
Don Roberto!
"Hunt" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, says...
> >
> >Hunt: My guess is that your right about Mondavi, I think when he opened
up
> >it may have fume blanc, chenin blanc & gamay rose as he first commercial
> >releases. I have a wine guide to California that mentions some of the
wines
> >of the 60s. It was a paperback by Signet, I also have a book by Bob
Thomson
> >from the early 70's coffee table style that dealt with the first wave I
> >remember Yverdon and Cuvaison was in it. If i'm not mistaken 75 was
> >Mondavi's first cab Reserve--although the 1970 came in Unfiltered &
Unfined.
> >71 & 72 were so years and people like Chapallet made good 73s but 1974
was a
> >break out year. I thought 70 was the better vintage. When I visited
> >California, I'd hit all the wineshops & built a nice stock of cabs from
> >66-74 for tastings, other than Diamond Creek, I had about everybody worth
> >having. The best wine in those tastings was the 70 BV, then three wines
from
> >Milton Eisele were terrific; the 1971 Ridge Eisele, the 1974 Conn Creek
> >(made by a bankrupt Lyndhurst) and a wine made for Mr Eisele in 1971 by
> >Norman Mini who was employed by Mondavi. Starting 1975 Phelps had the
> >Eisele until it went to Arrujo. Mini made Eisele wine for their
household
> >until his death in 1975 or 76. A small winery in Berkeley, Travis Fretter
> >then made Mr Eisele's wine as as his own cab. Eisele was a Kaiser exec
and
> >Fretter a typical laid back "hippie" yet side by side Fretter's Eisele
did
> >well not as good as the Mini or Phelps bottling. Fretter did sell some
> >Eisele cab commercially with a Napa Valley designation.
> >
> >More then you ever wanted to know............
> >"Hunt" > wrote in message
>
> Never! Your mention of the Eislie and Phelps, made be take a look in the
> cellar. I still have a few of those from the end of that era, plus some
older
> Backus/Phelps. I see that he's back with Backus fruit, but I have not
tried
> the newer ones. Thanks for the info.
>
> Hunt
>