| Region of production: | Napa Valley AVA |
| Winery Location: | Pritchard Hill |
| Year Established: | 2005 |
Vineyard Holdings
25 ha
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Continuum (60-75% Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) Inaugural vintage 2005 (first vintage entirely estate vineyards is 2012).
- Novicium: Inaugural vintage 2010.
Average Total Production
- 30,000 bottles
Summary
Following the 2004 sale of Robert Mondavi Winery to Constellation Brands, son (and winemaker) Tim Mondavi sought another property with which he could continue his family’s legacy, and purchased a 172-acre estate high on Pritchard Hill. Neighboring Chappellet at 1,300-1,600 ft. elevation, Continuum Estate consists of organically farmed Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. First planted in 1991 and 1992, the Mondavi family added younger blocks after taking control of the property, but the extreme youth of the vines meant that it would be some years before Continuum could release a true estate wine. Continuum’s first three vintages, 2005-2007, were actually produced from To-Kalon Vineyard fruit–valley floor rather than mountain wines. In 2008, 70% of the wine was sourced from the estate’s own mountain fruit, and in 2012 Continuum’s flagship was finally a sole product of the estate’s red clay loam vineyard soils. As a nod to Pritchard Hill’s terroir, Cabernet Franc has continued to play a significant supporting role to Cabernet Sauvignon in the wines. In 2010, Mondavi added a second wine, „Novicium,“ a product of vines that are too young for the top cuvée, and in 2013 completed an onsite winery. The winery is very much a family operation: Tim is joined by his sister Marcia and children Carissa, Carlo, and Dante in stewardship of the estate.
While making wines in the 1990s at Robert Mondavi, Tim may have struggled to consistently impress the critics of the day, but the young Continuum Estate has already been hailed as one of a handful of „Top Producers“ of California Cabernet in Jon Bonné’s The New California Wine.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Continuum is a vintage-dependent changing blend of Bordeaux varieties, with yields typically under 2 tons per acre. Fermentation occurs in large French and redwood oak casks, or concrete tanks. Macerations are lengthy; typically lasting between 30-50 days. The wines generally spend 18-20 months in French oak, and the amount of new oak has been reduced from 100% for the first three vintages to 70-80% in more recent years.
Producer Website: Continuum Estate