Continuum

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continuumContinuum  Proprietary Red wine napa valley, 2014 – organic

(we also have some 13 and 12 in stock if you’d like to add on)

Continuum was founded in 2005, and is a partnership between members of the Robert, Marcia and Tim Mondavi families. In essence, it was borne out of the sale of the famed Robert Mondavi winery to Constellation, where winemaker Tim was soon to be out of a job. He took the expertise that he gained as winemaker at both Mondavi and Opus One, and created a new wine, destined to be one of the world’s great Napa reds.  

The family purchased vineyards high on Pritchard Hill, thinking that the future of great Napa wines lay on hillsides. Early vintages were made with Toka-lon and Opus fruit, but as the Pritchard vines matured, more and more home estate fruit was used.  2012 marks the 1st vintage of 100% Pritchard fruit, and the results are stunning.  

Winery Notes: “Four generations of the Mondavi family have grown and produced wines among the world’s finest. Cesare Mondavi was the first to bring wine to the table but it was his son Robert’s passion for excellence, which inspired both his family and the world. Tim and Marcia Mondavi, along with their children, maintain this continuum of excellence, innovation and tradition at their estate, high on Pritchard Hill.”

“One purpose, one estate, one family. Continuum is an opportunity for our family to realize our ongoing passion for excellence in winegrowing by creating a singular wine recognized among the finest in the world. Continuum truly is the culmination of our family’s four generations in wine and Tim’s four decades as a winegrower. Tim’s been very fortunate to work in some of the best wine regions and vineyard sites around the globe. We know that this property is a great estate. Our quest is to realize this potential and to create a new First Growth.”

2014  Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Petit Verdot, and 5% Merlot

99 points, James Suckling:   Fabulous aromas of blueberries, blackcurrants, sage and mint. Lead pencil and graphite, too. Full body and ultra-fine tannins that are slowly transformed to ripe and beautiful fruit. Super polished and textured. Great finish. Drink in 2022, but it’s hard not to drink now. This harkens back to the great Mondavi reserves of the 1970s in texture and construction.
97 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate:  The 2014 Proprietary Red is comprised of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it is still very primary and comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant crushed blueberries, black cherries, blackcurrants and violets notes with suggestions of dark chocolate, cast iron pan, lavender and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, firm, very finely crafted and possessing great finesse, it finishes long and layered.

2013:  Winemaker Notes:  The 2013’s dense purple robe and vibrant violet rim lead to aromas of cassis, cardamom, espresso and graphite. A full-bodied wine, with a supple palate and finely sculpted tannins, 2013 showsdamson plum, black cherry and roasted coffee notes and a long, complex finish. Our finest vintage yet, 2013 is a wine to savor and enjoy through all the seasons of its opulent, and ageworthy life.
Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot.

98+ Antonio Galloni, Vinous The 2013 Proprietary Red Wine is a magnificent, grand Napa Valley wine endowed with superb depth, freshness and energy. The 2013 is so vital, so nuanced and so pure. Bright red cherry, plum and pomegranate fruit flavors literally burst from the glass. The purity of the flavors is just immense. I would prefer to cellar the 2013 for another few years, but it is utterly captivating, even in the early going.

99 points, James Suckling: “Impressive purity of fruit and definition with black currant, oyster shell, blueberries and slate. Graphite too. Very complex yet subtle. Full-bodied, very chewy and powerful yet polished and gorgeous. Muscular, well-formed tannins. Electric style. Best ever from here.”

98 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate:  Blended of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot, the 2013 Proprietary Red is deep garnet-purple colored and displays a bold, rock-star nose of crème de cassis, Chinese five spice, iron ore, sage and bay leaves with grilled meat and tilled soil nuances plus a waft of wood smoke. Full, super concentrated, rich and powerful, this opulent beauty is built like a brick house with a solid frame and a long, mineral-laced finish.

2012: Winemaker notes: “a great year, where extreme care and attention to detail in both vineyard and cellar produced a fabulous wine, 100% grown on our Pritchard Hill estate. Sumptuous yet brilliantly balanced the 2012 Continuum is flush with black cherry and mulberry fruit with complex flavors of graphite and espresso. Full bodied and opulent, 2012 is polished, supple and harmonious; delicious today or cellar to enjoy its evolution for decades to come. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon 11% Cabernet Franc 6% Merlot 5% Petit Verdot”  

96 points James Suckling – “There’s clarity and vivacity to this wine with dark fruits, dark chocolate and a mineral undertone. Full body, firm tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Powerful and long yet balanced and bright. Drink or hold.”

96 points Vinous / Antonio Galloni – “Ripe, silky tannins wrap around the palate in the 2012 Continuum. Bright red cherry, plum, spice, menthol and hard candy meld together effortlessly in the glass. The 2012 captures the polished, refined side of the vintage. This is perhaps the most refined wine I have ever tasted from Continuum. The flavors are bright and focused, while the new oak has been decidedly toned down, both of which allow the personality of these breathtaking hillsides sites to shine. The 2012 is the first Continuum to be made entirely with estate grown fruit.”  

94 points Wine Spectator – “A Pauillac-like expression of fresh-cut flowers, gravelly tannins and rich, graphite-laced currant and dark berry flavors. The tannins flex their sinewy strength, leading to a gutsy melted black licorice accent on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030.”  

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