2021

Name: Continuum 2021
Brand: Continuum
SKU: WRW7056AD
Price: 14000 THB
Availability: InStock

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SKU:WRW7056ADIn stock

JS99

WA96

WS95

Renowned

Rated 99/100 by James Suckling (top 3% of their reviews).

From our sommelier team

A Napa Valley Bordeaux-style blend from a high-elevation Pritchard Hill estate, built around Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with structured, age-worthy ambition.

Continuum is the single wine produced by Continuum Estate, grown on Pritchard Hill above the Napa Valley floor. The estate blends the classic Bordeaux red varieties grown on site, led by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc alongside smaller amounts of Merlot and Petit Verdot, with the exact proportions shifting from vintage to vintage rather than following a fixed recipe. Fruit is hand-harvested and hand-sorted, fermented using gravity rather than pumps, and aged in French oak barriques (roughly two-thirds new) for 20-22 months. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. The vineyard sits at an elevation of roughly 1,300 to 1,600 feet on what is now called Sage Mountain Vineyard, with yields kept low (around 2 tons per acre). The house style favors density and structure suited to extended cellaring over immediate approachability, consistent with the family's stated aim of building a wine that could stand alongside Bordeaux's most serious estates.

Producer history

Continuum was founded in 2005 by Tim Mondavi together with his father Robert Mondavi (founder of Robert Mondavi Winery) and sister Marcia, as the family's next chapter after the sale of the Robert Mondavi Winery brand to Constellation Brands in 2004. The family purchased the Pritchard Hill property, combining what had been two existing vineyard sites, in 2008; estate fruit was first incorporated that year, and by the 2012 vintage the wine was made entirely from estate-grown grapes. Early vintages (starting 2005) were sourced from other Napa vineyards while the estate property was being developed. A winery building on the site opened in time for the 2013 harvest. The project is explicitly framed by the family as a continuation of over a century of Mondavi involvement in California wine, aiming for a wine of First-Growth caliber grown at altitude on volcanic soils.

Signature pairings

Dry-aged ribeye steak — The wine's firm tannin structure and dark fruit need the fat and char of a well-marbled, dry-aged steak to soften and integrate; the char also echoes the wine's oak-derived roasted notes.
Herb-crusted rack of lamb — Classic Bordeaux-blend pairing: the gamey richness of lamb stands up to firm tannins, while rosemary and thyme echo the wine's herbal, cedar-box undertones.
Massaman beef curry (แกงมัสมั่นเนื้อ) — Massaman is a mild, warmly spiced (cinnamon, cardamom, tamarind) rather than chili-forward curry, so it doesn't clash with the wine's tannin the way a hot chili dish would; the slow-braised beef and sweet-savory sauce work with the wine's dark fruit and moderate acidity.

Continuum Estate sits on the eastern slopes of Napa Valley's Pritchard Hill, a site defined by volcanic soils and afternoon sun exposure that concentrates phenolic ripeness while maintaining acidity. The 2021 vintage blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot in proportions adjusted annually to reflect vintage character—a practice that distinguishes this producer from fixed-formula neighbors.

Fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled open-top wooden vats, with extended maceration to extract tannin structure. The wine ages in French oak (approximately 85% new) for 18 months, building complexity while the hillside fruit's natural acidity prevents over-extraction. Malolactic fermentation completes in barrel, softening sharp edges without obscuring site definition.

The 2021 expresses the vintage's ripe fruit character—dark plum and cassis dominate—while Pritchard Hill's elevation (1,200+ feet) preserves mineral tension and fine-grained tannin architecture. Drinking window extends 15–25 years from release, with current bottle showing mid-palate density and structural clarity typical of the estate's house style.