2005 Continuum Proprietary Red
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Vintages 2005 through 2007 include some fruit from To Kalon, a vineyard which also supplied fruit to Robert Mondavi winery and Opus One. Tim Mondavi wanted to ensure he was doing something decidedly different to those wines. They both included Merlot, so for these vintages he chose not to use it in his Continuum wines. The 2005 vintage was released in the spring of 2008. 87% To Kalon fruit, 13% Stag’s Leap fruit. 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 19% Petit Verdot. Aromas lift from the glass with pleasing tertiary notes of sautéed mushroom and a light mix of desert herbs as well as hints of spice and a graphite element. The palate is stimulating, expressive, and consistent with the nose. An open weave in the mouth offers a pleasing mouthfeel and abundant acidity carrying into a lengthy finish. Tannin here is fine-grained and supple. As the wine opens with air it reveals notes of cooked mushroom, wet tobacco leaf and spiced, lightly dried red and dark fruits. This is a lovely wine with charm and depth. It has aged beautifully and is a pleasure to drink now. It does not have the concentration or sophistication of later vintages but there is good energy, juiciness and a lot of length. Succulent texture. (ECB)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2005 Proprietary Red is mainly sourced from the To Kalon vineyard and is composed of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc and 19% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-brick in color, it features a wonderfully spicy nose of fenugreek, cumin seed and cloves over a core of blackberry and plum preserves, tobacco and dusty soil with a hint of dried rosemary on roasted lamb. The palate is full-bodied, rich and seductive with plush tannins and wonderfully exotic spices on the long finish.
Bright, full ruby. Cassis, truffle and smoky oak on the nose, along with a fleshy carnal quality. Fat, plush and sweet, with a touch of graphite minerality giving lift to the dark berry fruit. Not as complex or refined as later vintages of this wine but easygoing and sweet, with no rough edges. The strong tannins similarly dust the palate without leaving any impression of dryness. Finishes with very good lingering ripeness.
Tim Mondavi's first solo vintage? Very sweet and rich – almost cocoa-like. Bt the 2007 vintage the wine seemed to have taken on more finesse. This has just a hint of drying oak tannins underneath all the gloss and seductive fruit. A noble attempt at displaying a bit more complexity than its peers but it doesn't seem that distinctive to me. (JR)
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.