One wine, one vision. Some 30+ years ago the Mondavi family created one of the first single wine estates in the Napa Valley. The wine bore no varietal nomenclature, merely the name of the wine itself, Opus One. A lot has happened in the Napa Valley since that time, but Opus One has endured as something of a symbol of the region to the world. We affectionately refer to the Mondavi’s new project as ‘Opus Two.’ Are the wines similar? Only in that they are created in a similar manner to be a single name that defines the expression of the vineyard and the winemaking philosophy.There are no Bordelais connections here as there were with the original project. But the chateau concept is clearly alive and well. A singular purpose to create the best wine that they can and have it be identified only by its name. Continuum began in 2005 under the supervision of Tim Mondavi, his sister Marcia, and the late Napa Valley icon Robert Mondavi. Tim had been making wine for over 30 years with the majority of his tenure at Robert Mondavi Winery (1974-2004), with Marcia overseeing the education programs. With a stamp of approval from Bob Mondavi himself, this "new project”, as Robert Parker put it, “continues to display exceptional promise."
In our minds, Continuum is ‘there’. Oh they will continue to tweak and improve. Talk to Tim Mondavi and you know that this is his new passion. We would also point out that this is the family’s singular focus. Make no mistake, Continuum is already among California’s elite bottlings. Currently this wine is mainly sourced from their vineyards on Pritchard Hill (82%), which sits high above Oakville. The remainder of the fruit are sourced from Diamond Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Saint Helena. The composition of the rich volcanic soil on Pritchard Hill provides iron and other minerals for the vines, giving the wine structure and longevity. But there is also an unmistakably Napa, distinctly Continuum flavor profile that is a product of uncompromising attention, a clear sense of purpose and a unique set of vineyards. As it is with such things, quantities are limited.
