Michael Mondavi Animo Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
One of the drawbacks of being a wine writer is that you’re sometimes forced to drink wine at a time might be optimal. Sampling a Barolo far too young, for example, or drinking a cadre of crisp whites in the middle of winter so your review will be ready for spring. As such, when our samples of Michael Mondavi’s Animo Napa Cabernet arrived during the dog days of summer, I was disappointed by the timing. It didn’t seem right.
So I cheated. It felt wrong, holding out on the nice publicists who sent this quality juice our way, but letting it relax in my cellar after a cross-country journey was my rationalization. So I waited. And waited. And then, all of a sudden, it was fall. One of those cool, rainy days in the beginning of October when a chill permeates the air as evening sets in that lets you know summer is gone for good. I popped the cork on Animo.
Cheating has never been so rewarding. Right off the bat, my glass emanated the essence of autumn. Warm spices – cinnamon, clove, anise, as well as caramel and toffee, intermixed with that lovely Napa fruit – enveloped my senses like a Snuggie. If there was ever a comforting bottle to pop on a chilly day, this, my friends, is it.
With air, it evolved further, developing savory notes of earth and herbs. The details don’t matter, really. It was both complex and cozy, just like a Napa Cab should be. At age 5, this wine is absolutely ready to drink, kicking ass right on pour (I decanted but started drinking immediately) and continuing to evolve in the glass, but it’ll likely last 5 more years as well.
Every so often there’s a study that comes out in the wine press, claiming that average consumers prefer cheap wine over expensive wine. Animo, which comes with a SRP of $85, probably wasn’t included in any of these studies. I didn’t drink it blind, but honestly, I didn’t need to. It oozes luxury. The velvety mouthfeel, that perfectly integrated oak, tannin and acid, that rich but not overwhelming fruit – this can only come from a wine that cost some coin to produce.
I drank a ~$20 BDX blend (which will remain nameless, to protect the innocent) the night after drinking Animo, and my first few sips were off-putting. This was not a bad wine. It just didn’t have the style or the refinement that Animo had. Animo spoiled my palate. After a while, I got used to the other wine, and was able to appreciate it.
But I didn’t forget Animo.