Earlier this year we were invited by Chatobi and Wine Companions to partake in a masterclass dedicated to the story of Napa Valley’s Continuum Estate, the acclaimed project of the Mondavi family. What followed was an evening that blended history, craftsmanship and deep passion for terroir—guided by firsthand insights and an exceptional line-up of wines. We are delighted to share Continuum’s story with you, along with our reflections on the estate, its philosophy, and the standout wines we tasted.
Wine Companions, the Venlo-based importer and distributor led by Marcel Swaghoven, traces its origins to Marcel’s early career as maître and sommelier at Restaurant Valuas, where he earned the prestigious title of “SVH Meestergastheer”—at the time the youngest to ever achieve it. After founding Wine Companions in 2003 and fully committing to wine in 2017, Marcel built close ties with some of the world’s most renowned estates, including Continuum. His path later aligned with Tobias Camman, whose initiative Chatobi focuses on fine wines from leading producers around the globe. What began as an online side business selling cellar gems developed into a pop-up wine store in the centre of Utrecht in late 2024, created in collaboration with Marcel, whom Tobias now fondly calls his “wine father.”
Among all the great, delicious wines showcased in the Utrecht pop-up, one stood out above all: Continuum. With its gorgeous label depicting a Cabernet Franc vine painted by Chiara Mondavi, its formidable 350-euro tag, and Marcel’s compelling stories about the estate, the wine quickly gained a cult-like status among the Chatobi staff—despite none of them having tasted it yet.
To understand where this fascination for Continuum, comes from we first need to take a deeper look into the Mondavi story and their footsteps in the world of wine.
Today the Mondavi family requires little to no introduction to the general wine lover. With projects under their belt such as Seña, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia and Masseto, Luce and, naturally, Opus One, the Mondavi empire once stretched as far as the eye could see. None of the above still count themselves among the portfolio of Mondavi, but ties with all families at these wineries remain strong.
Originally from the Marche region in the center of Italy, Rosa and Cesare Mondavi emigrated to the United States of America in 1906, in pursuit of a better life in Hibbing, Minnesota, where Cesare found himself occupied as an iron miner. Being from Italy, Cesare had a fine sense of quality food and beverage, which allowed him to benefit from the abolition in 1919, as the regulations contained a loophole through which homemade wine was not forbidden. Cesare sourced grapes from California to make wine in Minnesota to be enjoyed during meals after hard work in the mines, and an empire was born.
During this period of time, Rosa Mondavi gave birth to a child whose name would ring through the world of wines for many decades after his birth in Minnesota, 1913: Robert Mondavi. In 1943, Robert urged his parents to acquire the Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena. After running the estate for over twenty years, Robert traced down his roots to Italy and returned to the US fully inspired by all knowledge he had gained in Europe, eager to apply his newly found ideas and inspiration to his vineyards and winery in Napa Valley. In 1966, Robert Mondavi Winery was erected with a vision to make the grandest of wines in the world. Great names in the world of winemakers, such as Warren Winiarski and Miljenko Grgich, were shown the ropes by Robert and set out to become vinous legends themselves.
After nearly four decades at the helm of their namesake winery, the Mondavi family found that the demands of a publicly traded company no longer aligned with their own vision or unwavering commitment to quality. When the family estate was eventually sold, they turned to Robert’s enduring credo— “this is just the beginning”—as inspiration for a new chapter. Their next venture took root on the dramatic slopes of Pritchard Hill in Napa Valley, where they founded Continuum Estate.
Continuum’s first three vintages were crafted from fruit sourced from the famed To Kalon vineyard on the valley floor, a symbolic bridge to the family’s origins. By 2008 and 2009, the Mondavis secured their first parcels on Pritchard Hill. With these acquisitions, a new legacy began to take shape—one that rose, quite literally, like a phoenix from the ashes.
Situated in the area of Pritchard Hill, the Mondavi family has their precious Sage Mountain Vineyard, located above the fog line at an altitude between 400 and 490 meters with exposure to the west and southwest. One could stand at the top of Pritchard Hill and behold the entire Bay Area, Calistoga and even the To-Kalon vineyard. The infertile soils are of volcanic origin and can be identified as Hambright (stony loam) and Sobrante (loam).
Pritchard Hill’s natural, undulate topography allows for plots to be identifiably distinct from one another, enabling the Mondavis to treat each block separately. The vineyards are surrounded by vegetation such as chamise, bay laurel, scrub oak, manzanita and sage, which influence the wine’s aromas in a Provençal garrigue manner.
With approximately 29 ha under vine, the Mondavis work with about thirty people on their family estate, all of whom are expected to be as precise and focused as the family members themselves. At the cradle of Continuum, the family made the decision to work organically and incorporate some of the most beneficial practices of biodynamic agriculture into the handling of their vineyards. With the utmost respect for nature and their surroundings, Continuum works in a regenerative manner, using all their waste as compost, alongside biochar, to spread out in the vineyard after harvest.
Plantings of the vines were mostly done in 1991, 1996 and 2010. As of now, the vineyards consist of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot. Their laser-like focus shows in the way each plot of about 1 ha differs from the next: spacing between vines, the direction of rows, clones and even rootstocks are tailored to the specifics of each parcel.
Perched above the fog line, Continuum’s vines enjoy conditions where fruit reaches phenolic ripeness more easily thanks to greater sun exposure. Another benefit of the altitude is the temperature difference compared to the valley floor: during heat waves—and in general—temperatures may be about 5.5°C cooler than down below, preventing the fruit from scorching and helping retain acidity.
Heat waves may not be of significant concern on Pritchard Hill, but wildfires certainly are. Smoke taint holds the destructive power to ruin an entire vintage, which happened in 2020. Ninety percent of the work had already been done in the vineyards, with only harvest left on the agenda, when disaster struck in early August. Only one plot remained miraculously unharmed, but the quality was not up to the standard of the Continuum cuvée. The only wine bottled in 2020 by Continuum Estate was a handful of cases under their second label, Novicium.
Present at the masterclass were none other than Carissa Mondavi, eldest of Robert’s grandchildren and David Bantly, their Global Sales Director, who taught us all about the glorious estate and its history. The wines they brought included Sentium 2022 & 2023, Novicium 2019, 2021 & 2022, and Continuum 2019, 2021 & 2022. For the sake of brevity, we will only highlight our absolute favorites of the evening.
Regarding the wines, clarity of focus has always been the instrument for the Mondavis to put forth the greatest of wines. In the vineyards, every single detail regarding the grapes and their ripeness is being monitored with a keen eye. Then, after harvest, each single block is vinified and aged separately, to ultimately form a piece of the incredibly complex puzzle in the final blend. The rigorous attention the Mondavis have for their wines leads to a total annual output of approximately 50.000 bottles at 29 ha under vine, yielding about 12.9 hl per ha. Precision has never been more precise.
2023 Sentium | 92/100 DWA score (MC)
99% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Sémillon
The inaugural vintage of Sentium, one of the new projects of the Mondavi family, was 2021, made by Chiara Mondavi. Having worked for French wineries such as Méo-Camuzet, Château Trotanoy and Château Palmer, Chiara’s style of winemaking is akin to that of the French, which surely is palpable in Sentium. Taking inspiration from Didier Dagueneau from Pouilly-Fumé, mixed with techniques she learnt in Bordeaux, brought forth about 4000 bottles of absolute magic.
The grapes for Sentium were sourced from growers in Mendocino with vines planted in the 1940’s and 1968. All grapes were handpicked and pressed softly. Vinification took place in small batches in equal parts of concrete, stainless steel and old oak barrels. The wine was aged for 9 months on its lees with regular bâtonnage.
Pale yellow and typically expressive on the nose, yet as elegant as the finest Sancerre, with aromas of lemon curd, green apple, beeswax, elderflower and flint. On the palate, round edges that balance out the spiky acidity. Incredibly balanced, with an intensely long aftertaste. Chiara Mondavi’s artistry does not only show through her paintings, but also through her wine.
2019 Novicium | 93/100 DWA score (MC)
76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot
Wholly in the old school Bordelaise style, the second wine of the Continuum Estate – Novicium – comes from younger vines and 2010, two years after putting down base on Pritchard Hill, marks the first year Novicium was released to the public.
Deep, ruby color with an intense nose, showing ripe cassis, black cherries, pencil shaving, cedar, black plums and a hint of nutmeg. The acidity and tannins provide plenty of structure, carrying the wine through the mid palate. A second wine that punches above its weight and that does not deserve to be labeled second.
2021 Novicium | 95/100 DWA score (MC)
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
Novicium 2021 was transitioning from a dark, purple color, to a ruby red wine. On the nose, the wine gave us black cherries, ripe cassis, figs, sage, vanilla, some butterscotch and savory notes. Once again, the element carrying the wine was the structure, given by the medium (+) acidity and plentiful, ripe tannins. The 2021 vintage was an excellent vintage in Napa Valley and Novicium 2021 takes it to the next level. Absolutely superb.
2021 Continuum | 97/100 DWA score (MC)
45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot
After 100 consecutive winemaking years, initiated by Cesare Mondavi during the prohibition, the disastrous 2020 vintage saw smoke taint ruin the entire harvest for the Continuum cuvee. Fortunately, in 2021, Continuum bounced back – putting forth a wine I will reminisce on for the coming years.
Harvested exclusively by hand, the grapes are de-stemmed carefully and transferred by gravity into French oak and concrete tanks. A cold soak of about three days followed, after which pump overs and délestage were performed. From skin maceration of 17 to 30 days to a drainage, followed by a basket press and transfer to barrels with the lees for aging. 21 months are spent in aging vessels, including 60% new French oak, 37% neutral oak and 3% in concrete amphorae.
Continuum 2021 was the absolute highlight of the evening. The nose was shy in the beginning, but after receiving some air, opened up a bouquet of cedar, mint, sage, ripe cassis, blackberries and black cherries. Highly concentrated on the palate, with a tightrope balance to be witnessed, carried by its medium (+) acidity and high, yet soft, tannins. The length went on and on and after being asked what we thought about the wine by Tobias and Marcel, all we could utter was a simple “wow!”.
2022 Continuum | 95/100 DWA score (MC)
45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot
Ripe cherry, red pepper, mint, bay leaf, nutmeg and cassis on the nose. On the palate, the wine seemed slightly less tannic than its 2021 counterpart. Yet again, every single piece of the wine felt in place, forcing one to consider the slightest nuances in ranking the wine against the others. The 2022 vintage of Continuum was a brave contender for wine of the night, but did not have the concentration the 2021 had. Nevertheless, Continuum 2022 is gorgeous and a force to be reckoned with.
Twenty years after being forced to leave their legacy behind, people are still discovering the Mondavis never quit, built their new home on Pritchard Hill and produces some of the greatest wines the world has ever beheld. Whilst already competing at the very summit of the wine world, they still aim for improvement every day. The inexhaustible Tim Mondavi is still at the helm of Continuum, and will most likely continue doing so for a very long time. 2023 marked his 50th vintage of Tim Mondavi as a winemaker and the corresponding Continuum cuvee will fittingly include his slogan “In the blink of an eye” on the label.
After blinking twice, an utterly competent next generation will one day take over, who have been taught all the wisdom and knowledge of their predecessors. Uncertainties aplenty in the vinous world, but one thing is for sure: The Mondavi family with their Continuum Estate will find a way to improve perfection and will please the public with the grandest of wines for years to come.
This article is written by our own Miquel Claase. We would like to thank Continuum Estate (in particular Carissa Mondavi and David Bantley), Wine Companions (Marcel Swaghoven) and of course Chatobi (Tobias Camman) for their invitation, learnings and the great wines.
Continuum’s wines are imported and distributed in the Netherlands by Wine Companions, and available through selected partners.
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