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Continuum Proprietary Red Sage Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley 2018

Reviews

100 -James Suckling -

This has incredible nuances and delicacy with power. It’s full-bodied with lots of gentle tannins that spread across the palate. The character is full of blackberry, blackcurrant and lead pencil. Some conifer and pine needles. Sage at the end, too. Savory. So long-lasting and layered. Such purity. It’s so complex and changes all the time in the glass. Goes on for minutes. 54% cabernet sauvignon, 31% cabernet franc, 9% petit verdot and 6% merlot. Organically grown grapes. So drinkable now, but will age beautifully.

99 -The Wine Independent -

A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, and 6% Merlot, with all the fruit estate grown from Sage Mountain Vineyard on Pritchard Hill, the 2018 Continuum has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a lot of swirling before bright red fruit, floral notes, tea, and cassis come through, plus wild sage and crushed rocks. Full-bodied and firm, the palate has amazing tension, with fine-grained tannins, and is very minerally and tightly knit, with a long finish. It needs time!

97+ -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -

Still vibrant, youthful and fresh, the 2018 Proprietary Red features floral scents alongside sage and bay leaf nuances, all adding remarkable complexity to the cassis and black cherry notes. A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, it's full-bodied and silky in feel but turns dusty and tannic on the long finish. This one needs time.

97+ -Jeb Dunnuck -

Coming all from the Sage Mountain Vineyard on Pritchard Hill, the 2018 Proprietary Red Wine is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot. This is classic 2018 with its dense, concentrated, slightly backward, yet full-bodied and incredibly impressive style. Offering lots of ripe black (black cherry, currant) fruits, scorched earth, graphite, and chocolate-like aromatics, it has terrific concentration, ripe, building tannins, a terrific sense of freshness, and a great finish. It's going to need 5-7 years of bottle age but will have upwards of three decades of overall longevity.

94 -Wine Spectator -

Fresh and vibrant, with a welcoming blast of cassis, cherry puree and plum reduction flavors, laced liberally with red licorice, sassafras and floral notes and a hint of singed vanilla. The long finish is harnessed by fine-grained structure. Approachable, but no rush. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Drink now through 2038. 4,500 cases made.

-Vinous -

The 2018 Proprietary Red Wine Sage Mountain Vineyard is another magnificent wine from the Mondavi family. Soaring and regal in its intensity, the 2018 possesses breathtaking aromatic presence and tons of the pedigree that have made wines off this site so compelling pretty much since the beginning. Vibrant dark fruit, lavender, sage, mint and mocha build into an impossibly long, silky finish. The 2018 is a flat-out stunner.

Technical Details

Blend 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot
Winemaker Tim Mondavi
Country US
Region California
Sub Region North Coast
Appellation Napa Valley
Vineyard Sage Mountain Vineyard
Farming Method Organic Practices
Oak aged in a combination of 63% new French oak barrels, 35% once-used French oak barrels & a single concrete amphora
Aging / Cooperage 22 months
Alcohol 15%
Production 4,500 cases

Continuum Proprietary Blend Napa Valley 2018

Name: Continuum Proprietary Blend Napa Valley 2018
Brand: First Bottle
SKU: 1002896
Price: 219.95 USD
Availability: InStock

Proprietary Blends | California

JS100, TWI99, WA97+, JD97+, WS94

Organic Practices

$350.00

$219.95

750ML

37% OFF RETAIL!

#6 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2021!

“An absolute head-turner, this 2018 is all that and then some.” -- Wine Advocate. This is probably the greatest vintage of Continuum ever produced and the first receive a perfect 100-point rating. Our first parcel of this sold out in minutes and we received a small second and final allocation today!

It has taken years for this incredible property on Pritchard Hill to come of age as the younger vines on the property start to hit their stride and they continue to dial in everything from farming to winemaking with each passing year. We've been following this wine from the very first vintage and we can confidently say that the 2018 is the best we've ever tasted.

We have four final 6-packs that just arrived...while they last!

PAIRING IDEAS: Drinking it on the young side? You need a serious beefy and/or cheesy dish - bolognese or osso bucco or even a badass burger. Drinking in 20 years? Make perfect fresh pasta, with a shaving of black or white truffle and a sprinkle of the finest Parm you can find.

MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: Gotta go Jimi Hendrix on this -- “Crosstown Traffic” is a personal fave!

About The Producer

Four generations of the Mondavi family have grown and produced wines among the world's finest. Cesare Mondavi was the first to bring wine to the table but it was his son Robert's passion for excellence, which inspired both his family and the world. Tim and Marcia Mondavi, along with their children, maintain this continuum of excellence, innovation, and tradition at their estate, high on Pritchard Hill.

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