2016 Continuum Proprietary Red
Buying options
Tasting notes
100% estate grown and made. 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 18% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot. A nice mix of citrus blossoms, orange zest, a touch of pink grapefruit, and even some bergamot lift from the glass. These carry into the palate for the most citrus-expressive vintage of the tasting so far. Desert herbs and a graphite character remain as does a back note of dark chocolate. But the 2016 vintage is decidedly lifted and aromatic with a lot of mouth-watering freshness and all the pleasures of bitter citrus. The wine is still young and will benefit from decanting, though the tannin is fine-grained so avoids any aggressiveness. This is refinement, expressed through mountain character, that is intriguing and a pleasure. (ECB)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Proprietary Red Wine Sage Mountain Vineyard may very well be the single greatest vintage made here thus far. It is quite simply a stunning wine and a towering achievement from the Mondavi family. Powerful, ample and sweeping in stature, the 2016 boasts breathtaking intensity in all of its dimensions. I see the pure, vibrant fruit of the 2013, but with more finessed tannins that add to the wine's feeling of real sensuality. Bright, precise and finely sculpted with remarkable persistence and perfectly integrated tannins, the 2016 is positively stellar - not to mention one of the wines of the vintage.
Super aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants and blueberries. Hints of fresh herbs and tobacco. Iron and ink. Full-bodied, very tight and powerful, yet not too heavy. Lightly chewy and polished. So much nerve and intensity. Super length and depth. Drink after 2025, but a joy to taste now.
The 2016 Proprietary Red is blended of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 18% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it emits an incredible array of seductive floral notes—violets, lavender and rose hip tea—with a core of warm cassis, redcurrant jelly, dark chocolate, cigar box, tapenade and crushed rocks plus hints of bay leaves, beef drippings and yeast extract. Medium to full-bodied, the palate explodes with vivacious black fruit sparked by red fruit, herbal and mineral accents. It is framed with a rock-solid line of firm, grainy, super ripe tannins and finishes with fantastic fragrance and freshness. Wow!
About the producer
Created by Tim and Marcia Mondavi, Continuum is a Napa project that continues the Mondavi family legacy. Based in Pritchard Hill, this estate winery produces elegant, mineral Cabernet blends from hillside fruit.