This is a vintage of patience and durability. 2021 began as the second year of a severe drought followed by a mild growing season. Continuum is a form of refined concentration with plenty of concentration and enduring vibrancy. This vintage is a layered wine with floral, black cherry and wild berry aromas. Sage and bay aromas are indicative of the surroundings of Sage Mountain Vineyards. 2021 is a wine of incredible complexity and ripe for aging. Decanting
To experience the best conditions, we recommend decanting the wine to let it breathe before serving. Decanting awakens the wine's pure aromatic expression and makes it supple. Continuum can be enjoyed immediately upon release, but it will become even richer with longer aging. The 2021 vintage is the second year of a severe drought, with 320mm of rainfall during the growing season, only one-third of the average. Great attention was paid to both the soil and the microorganisms to improve the resilience and longevity of the vines. Temperatures remained average during April, with 50% buds forming on April 2, two days later than average, but warm weather continued in May, with 50% flowering on May 21, six days earlier than average. The average yield was 2.4 tons per acre. The result was a very mild growing season, with only six days reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Harvesting began slightly earlier than usual, on September 14th, 124 days after flowering, and continued at a steady pace, finishing on September 27th. Continuum is an estate wine made from 100% grapes from our own Sage Mountain Vineyard. Located on the Pritchard Hill hills in the mountains east of Oakville in Napa Valley, overlooking Napa Valley and San Francisco Bay, the vineyard has low yields due to rocky volcanic soil, allowing the vines to focus their energy on producing fruit with depth and complexity. The 2021 Continuum is made from grapes from our own 38 acres of mature vines planted in 1991 and 1996, then in 2004 and 2010, with vines averaging 20 years old. The vineyards are divided into 42 plots, each with its own unique characteristics. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot are grown on west-facing and south-facing plots with slight north-easterly slopes at an altitude of 396-487m. This altitude and slope keep the temperature moderate. The diverse vineyards planted on this volcanic soil produce the complex flavors of Continuum. Continuum is an estate wine made entirely from grapes grown on the estate, and all vinification and bottling is done in-house. The grapes are hand-picked at night while checking the condition of the bunches, and are further selected before and after destemming, and transferred to French oak barrels and concrete tanks without resisting gravity. The wine is left to soak for three days in cold soak before fermentation, with 3-4 pump-overs per day and 2-3 delestages during the most active fermentation period. The wine is left in the tank with the skins for 17-30 days, after which the wine is drained, the bunches are basket pressed, and the wine is transferred to barrels with the lees for malolactic fermentation and aging. The 2021 Continuum was aged on the lees for 21 months in 60% new French oak barrels, 37% used barrels, and 3% concrete amphorae. Each lot from the vineyard was carefully tasted many times for the 2021 blend. The potential of each lot was proven in the final blend, and we are very happy with the results. After blending, the wine is aged slowly over time in a low-temperature aging cellar, carefully racked, and bottled unfiltered and unfined. Continuum Estate was founded in 2005 by Tim Mondavi, who served as winemaker at Robert Mondavi Winery for 20 years, his sister Marcia, and their father, the late Robert Mondavi. The only red wine from our Pritchard Hill estate, located in the mountains east of Napa Valley, at the end of a winding mountain road, is a wine of passion born from a deep respect for the 100 years of Mondavi family history. The label features a silhouette of a Cabernet Franc vine created by Tim Mondavi's second daughter, Chiara Mondavi. Continuum comes from the Latin "continuus," which means "continuation, succession." The winery is located on Pritchard Hill above Lake Hennessey on the east side of Napa Valley. The views from the 172 acres are spectacular. It is also perfect for rich, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. The low vitality red volcanic and argillaceous soils mixed with andesite boulders make for a spectacular hillside vineyard. The vineyard has two soils. The soil is Rock Hambright Loam (85%) and Sobrante Loam (15%). The area receives 550-700 mm of precipitation per year, and has a fairly mild climate for Napa. Although there are occasional cold winter winds, summer temperatures rarely exceed 100°F (about 38°C). In July and August, daytime highs are about 30°C, and nighttime lows are about 9°C. The area is at an elevation of about 410-490 m, facing southwest to west with a slope of 5-20%. Currently, wine is produced from grapes planted on 41 acres (about 17 ha). In 2010, the remaining 20.5 acres (about 8 ha) will be planted with grapes, and the area is expected to eventually be planted to 60 acres (about 24 ha). The best grapes currently being harvested were planted in 1991-1992 and are Cabernet Clone 7. The vineyard is planted with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 11% Petit Verdot, and 4% Merlot. Organic farming is practiced, but not certified. In order to produce a unique wine that reflects this wonderful land, the rootstocks, ridge direction, and vine training are determined from the perspective of the diverse soils and slopes. The long growing season at high altitude, stable temperatures without frost damage, and low-vital mineral-rich stony soils - these three wonderful conditions are the best environment for producing a single-vineyard red wine called "Continuum" that can rival the world's finest wines. Continuum uses a variety of winemaking techniques to make its wines. We use manual punchdown as in Burgundy, automatic pumpover, lees stirring, and batonnage, which are often used in Bordeaux. Maceration is followed by aging in French oak for up to 40 days. In 2013, the winery, designed by architect Howard Backen, was completed and Continuum is now a fully estate wine made from 100% grapes from Pritchard Hill's own vineyards and bottled on the same property.