Robert Mondavi

It would not be an overstatement to claim that Robert Mondavi has been the single biggest influence in Californian wine in the last 34 years. His family owned the Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena and Robert worked there for many years. After a family row he left the company in 1966 and created his own winery in Oakville. The company is now run by Robert`s two sons, with Michael as chief executive and Tim as winemaker.

It produces a wide range of wines but is probably best known for its benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon and in particular its Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes for the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, which are sourced from the To-Kalon vineyard at Oakville, are barrel fermented and the wine is then aged in French barriques for 18-20 months. It possesses considerable depth and power as well as being supremely well balanced and is consistently one of California's greatest red wines.