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| Internationally renowned winemaker
Robert Mondavi and his wife, Margrit, have teamed
up with his daughter, Marcia, center, and son, Tim,
in a new winemaking venture, Continuum. Tim’s
daughter, Carissa, right, is also part of the Continuum
team. |
Continuum is a Bordeaux blend made in the Mondavi tradition
from the red grape varieties that have made Napa Valley
world famous."
We wanted a name that would tell the story...a continuation
of the legacy," said Mondavi's youngest son. Continuum,
Tim pointed out, not only speaks to "continuing
the family tradition" but also "the cycle
of winegrowing, and wine's place in the meal."
Continuum focuses on "the best of what our family
stood for. We have a single red wine (made from grapes
harvested) from a vineyard we've worked with for a long,
long time. The first vintage is 2005 and I feel it's
one of the finest wines I've been associated with."
While the blend will change from year to year, the
2005 Continuum is 60 percent cabernet sauvignon, and
equal parts cabernet franc and petit verdot. The majority
of the fruit is from Oakville.
Production of 2005 Continuum is small, just 1,500
cases, considering the large volume production Tim shepherded
just a few years ago.
He revealed that Continuum will grow slowly, with
emphasis on quality. Working on such a small project
is "a huge change," he added. "But we
do own our equipment, like the small oak fermentation
tanks, basket press and the 100 percent new French oak
barrels used for aging. We'll continue to experiment,
to incorporate the latest technology and thinking,"
which he acknowledged has been a hallmark of Mondavi
winemaking since the '60s.
http://www.napavalleyregister.com
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