Continuum celebrates the ongoing legacy of the Mondavi family's proud history in Napa Valley. It represents a new beginning, and reaffirms their longstanding commitment to winemaking excellence. At the helm is Tim Mondavi who led the winemaking team at Robert Mondavi Winery for 30 years. He is joined in guiding the vision and direction by his sister Marcia, his children Dante, Carlo and Carissa Mondavi. Carissa, Dante, and Carlo are the fourth generation to join the winery. Carlo and Dante have since shifted focus to their own project called Raen which we highly urge you to check out as well.
The wine comes from the family's vineyard atop the Vaca Mountains that run along the eastern side the Napa Valley. This mountainous region is home to other illustrious wineries such as David Arthur, Ovid, Bryant, Chappellet, and Gandona. This year's blend is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. The wine was bottled with fining or filtering, to preserve much of the complexity of the wine.
JEB DUNNUCK 99 POINTS - "Looking at the 2023 Proprietary Red Wine, it shows the purity and finesse of the vintage with an almost Lafite-like sense of finesse and elegance. Based on 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot and aged 22 months in 56% new French oak with 43% neutral French oak and 1% concrete amphora, it offers cassis, freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and savory tobacco and floral nuances. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, has a flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It brings just a hint of that classic mountain-like terroir in its concentration, yet the purity, finesse, and sheer class are truly exceptional. Give it 4-6 years, and this will keep for 30 years or more. Drink 2029-2054."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 98+ POINTS - "A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot (tweaked slightly from what was reported last year), Continuum's 2023 Proprietary Red looks to have the potential to age and develop positively for upward of 30 years. The nose is classic: pencil shavings, dried sage, black cherries and black currants. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, concentrated and silky-smooth, finishing long, elegant and complex, with powdery tannins and lingering echoes of crushed stone. Taste it in 10 years and tell me if I'm being stingy."
ANTONIO GALLONI 97 POINTS - "These current and upcoming releases from Continuum show an estate that is really hitting its stride. Tim Mondavi and his family continue to focus on giving the wines more textural finesse through gentler winemaking and a greater emphasis on Cabernet Franc, a variety that does so well in this part of Napa Valley."
"The 2023 Continuum Sage Mountain Vineyard is one of the most polished, sophisticated wines I have tasted here. Floral overtones meld into a core of red/purplish fruit, blood orange, cinnamon and rose petal. Fine, silky tannins further reinforce an impression of total finesse. This is really such a different style for Continuum. It will be interesting to see if that is the vintage or the overall direction."
The wine comes from the family's vineyard atop the Vaca Mountains that run along the eastern side the Napa Valley. This mountainous region is home to other illustrious wineries such as David Arthur, Ovid, Bryant, Chappellet, and Gandona. This year's blend is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. The wine was bottled with fining or filtering, to preserve much of the complexity of the wine.
JEB DUNNUCK 99 POINTS - "Looking at the 2023 Proprietary Red Wine, it shows the purity and finesse of the vintage with an almost Lafite-like sense of finesse and elegance. Based on 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot and aged 22 months in 56% new French oak with 43% neutral French oak and 1% concrete amphora, it offers cassis, freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and savory tobacco and floral nuances. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, has a flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It brings just a hint of that classic mountain-like terroir in its concentration, yet the purity, finesse, and sheer class are truly exceptional. Give it 4-6 years, and this will keep for 30 years or more. Drink 2029-2054."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 98+ POINTS - "A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot (tweaked slightly from what was reported last year), Continuum's 2023 Proprietary Red looks to have the potential to age and develop positively for upward of 30 years. The nose is classic: pencil shavings, dried sage, black cherries and black currants. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, concentrated and silky-smooth, finishing long, elegant and complex, with powdery tannins and lingering echoes of crushed stone. Taste it in 10 years and tell me if I'm being stingy."
ANTONIO GALLONI 97 POINTS - "These current and upcoming releases from Continuum show an estate that is really hitting its stride. Tim Mondavi and his family continue to focus on giving the wines more textural finesse through gentler winemaking and a greater emphasis on Cabernet Franc, a variety that does so well in this part of Napa Valley."
"The 2023 Continuum Sage Mountain Vineyard is one of the most polished, sophisticated wines I have tasted here. Floral overtones meld into a core of red/purplish fruit, blood orange, cinnamon and rose petal. Fine, silky tannins further reinforce an impression of total finesse. This is really such a different style for Continuum. It will be interesting to see if that is the vintage or the overall direction."
