Moscato d’Oro (2013)

About this wine

This 2013 Moscato d’Oro from Robert Mondavi Winery is made from 100 percent Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, also known as Muscat Canelli. () It is a low alcohol, sweet style at about 8 percent alcohol, with a gentle spritz that makes it feel lively rather than heavy. () Aromas lean strongly floral and fruity, with jasmine, orange blossom, white peach, and lychee, plus a candied citrus note. () On the palate the sweetness is noticeable but not cloying, thanks to firm acidity and that light carbonation, and the flavors echo peach, tropical fruit, and citrus zest with a clean, perfumed finish. () For this bottling, the fruit has been noted as coming from Mondavi’s Wappo Hill Vineyard in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. () The winery has described using chilling to stop fermentation early, a technique that helps keep alcohol low while preserving grapey aromatics and a touch of natural sparkle. ()

About the grape

Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is one of the oldest recorded Muscat grapes, traced by ampelographers back to ancient Greece, and it is valued for its naturally high aroma compounds and its small berried, tight clustered fruit. In California it is often called Muscat Canelli, and growers manage it carefully because it tends to bud early, can be sensitive to mildew and rot in tight clusters, and rewards long, gentle ripening with strong perfume and sugar. For the 2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Moscato d’Oro, the wine is made entirely from this grape, sourced from Mondavi’s Wappo Hill Vineyard in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District. The variety is used here in a classic modern Moscato method, with cool, slow fermentation and an early stop to keep some natural grape sweetness while preserving the grape’s varietal character.

Quick facts

• 🫧 It is intentionally low alcohol at about 8%, made by chilling the wine to stop fermentation early, which keeps natural grape sweetness and a gentle frizzante sparkle.
• ⛰️ The Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains here is often labeled Muscat Canelli in California, and for this bottling Mondavi has sourced fruit from Wappo Hill Vineyard in the Stags Leap District.
• 🍾 Moscato d’Oro is famously packaged as a 375 mL half bottle for easy, pop open enjoyment, the 2013 is widely sold in that smaller format.
• 🥇 The name “d’Oro” nods to the Italian word for gold, a playful clue to the wine’s sunny, golden style and Mondavi’s Italian heritage.
• 🏛️ Mondavi has been making this sweet, lightly sparkling Napa Moscato style since the 1970s, a fun counterpoint to a winery founded in 1966 as Napa’s first major post Prohibition winery.

Palate profile

Producer

Robert Mondavi founded Robert Mondavi Winery in 1966 in Oakville, Napa Valley, launching one of the first major post‑Prohibition wineries in the region with the goal of making world‑class California wines. He established the estate around the renowned To Kalon Vineyard and popularized techniques such as aging Sauvignon Blanc in oak to create Fumé Blanc, which became a signature style. Over the decades the winery became a leader in promoting Napa’s quality and international reputation, while also developing notable hospitality and educational programs. The estate has continued evolving under different ownerships and recently underwent renovations to modernize facilities while preserving its historic vineyards and winemaking legacy.