After the sale of Robert Mondavi Winery a few years ago, Tim and Marcia, along with Robert, regrouped and formed their own company, which goes by the name Continuum to reflect their family's ties to wine and their ongoing passion for it. The way Tim sees it, he''s merely starting over, just like his father did when he launched Robert Mondavi Winery in 1966 after being ousted from Charles Krug winery (which his family owned). The vision for Continuum is to be a single red wine estate to stand in the company of the great wine estates of the world, i.e. be identified as a first-growth California estate.

The Continuum grapes are sourced from two vineyards: the famed To-Kalon Vineyard in Oakville and the Continuum Estate Vineyard on Pritchard Hill in St. Helena. The base wine is Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), with Cabernet Franc (22%) from old vines contributing fragrance, sweetness in the mouth and length, and Petit Verdot (18%) bringing richness, muscularity and density to the wine. The Petit Verdot helps age the wine in a fleshy, wonderful way.

Continuum 2007 although very similar in quality to the 2006 vintage, which achieved a 96 rating from Robert Parker, should score even higher. We tasted a luscious fruit-filled mouthful of a wine that is exceptionally well-balanced. The tannins are present, but they are smooth and silky enough to allow enjoyment of the wine in the near-term and solid enough to age gracefully for two decades or more. This is a wine in the same tier as the "cult" wines from Napa Valley. We have a limited allocation of this classic beauty. The suggested retail price is $142.00 each. The Duke has a special introductory price of $129.99 per bottle.

This wine is certain to become one of the top wines in California in the next few years. Add it to your collection now!