Continuum Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2018

100 Points - limited                                           Continuum is the new tiny production Cabernet from the Mondavi Family. Extremely limited. 100 Points Robert Parker: "Composed of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple 2018 Proprietary Red has a fantastically fragrant nose of candied violets, red roses, Morello cherries and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of wild blueberries, red currant jelly, iron ore and forest floor, plus a waft of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely packed with tightly wound black and red berry layers, framed by firm, ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with incredibly persistent and evocative floral and mineral layers. An absolute head-turner, this 2018 is all that and then some. Tim Mondavi mentioned that this is due to be bottled in just a few weeks—mid-August—meaning this barrel sample I tasted is pretty close to being a finished wine. With the estate vineyard turning 10 year's old in 2018, here's where we see how incredibly special this singular Pritchard Hill site really is....  ..I was super-impressed with the wines I tasted from Continuum Estate, Tim Mondavi’s new venture on Pritchard Hill, not far from Chappellet and Bryant Family.  Mondavi is gradually moving towards 100% estate fruit, but these early vintages include some fruit from vineyards in Oakville and Stags Leap. Continuum is distinguished by a fairly large presence of Cabernet Franc. This is one of the most exciting new properties in Napa Valley." Brix26 Inside Scoop:  After the sale of the Robert Mondavi winery, winemaker Tim Mondavi chose to focus on one wine and one varietal: Continuum is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Sourced from Continuum's Estate vineyard on Napa Valley's Pritchard Hill, one of the priciest Cabernet regions in all of California with neighbors like Colgin, Bryant Family and Chappellet.  It's a beautiful site and judging from the Continuum 2013 Cabernet will be among Napa's most coveted collector wines. 

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