Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Chardonnay 2015
Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Chardonnay 2015 is a 14.5% ABV, 750mL Napa Valley Chardonnay from the winery that defined modern Napa — 99% Chardonnay with 1% Semillon, sourced mainly from the cooler southern end of the valley around Los Carneros with fruit from Wappo Hill in Stags Leap District. Seventy percent was fermented in French oak barrels (16% new) and the balance in stainless steel, with partial malolactic fermentation and nine months aging on the lees with regular stirring before bottling in November 2016. The 2015 vintage, from Napa's drought-era run of small, concentrated harvests, is drinking in a mature, golden register now. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 14.5%
- Size: 750mL
- Vintage: 2015
- Blend: 99% Chardonnay, 1% Semillon
- Sourcing: Napa Valley — led by Los Carneros, plus Wappo Hill (Stags Leap District)
- Winemaking: Whole-cluster pressed; 70% French oak fermented (16% new), balance stainless; partial malolactic
- Aging: 9 months on the lees with regular stirring (batonnage)
Napa's Founding Winery, a Mature Vintage
Robert Mondavi founded his Oakville winery in 1966 with the conviction that Napa could stand with the great European regions, and Chardonnay was one of the grapes he proved it with. The 2015 follows the house's classic protocol as reproduced from the winery's own notes: fruit picked cool and whole-cluster pressed, most of it fermented in French oak, part of it held in stainless and part of the malolactic fermentation withheld, so the finished wine keeps a line of freshness under its creamy lees texture. A decade on, the vintage's youthful fruit has deepened into the honeyed, nutty register that only bottle age gives Chardonnay. See the house on the Robert Mondavi vendor page, or browse more white wine and the wider wine shelf.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Juicy pineapple and ripe pear with warm apple pie and toasted hazelnut, per the winery's own notes. Palate: Rich and creamy in texture, lifted by refreshing acidity — green apple, vanilla and a creme brulee character in independent 2015 reviews. Finish: Rich and long, in a mature style.
How to Enjoy
Serve at cellar-cool, around 52°F — too cold and the bottle age nuance disappears. Pour it with roast poultry, pork with apples, or a mushroom risotto, and drink it now: this vintage is in its window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 2015 Mondavi Chardonnay still good to drink? Yes — a well-made Napa Chardonnay with nine months of lees aging develops honeyed, nutty complexity with bottle age; the 2015 is in its mature drinking window now and should be enjoyed rather than cellared further.
What does aging on the lees mean? The wine rests on its lees — the spent yeast from fermentation — with regular stirring (batonnage), which builds a creamy texture and brioche-like flavour. Mondavi aged this 2015 on the lees for nine months.
Where is Robert Mondavi Winery? In Oakville, in the heart of Napa Valley, founded by Robert Mondavi in 1966 and centred on the famous To Kalon Vineyard. This Chardonnay's fruit comes mainly from the valley's cooler south, around Los Carneros.
A founding name, a mature vintage — order Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Chardonnay 2015 from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.