Continuum: Its pedigree

A small group will be embarking on a Continuum tasting in the near future and I have set myself the task of collecting relevant background material. I will provide these learnings herein in a series of blog posts. 

The sale of Robert Mondavi to Constellation left the family members wealthy but adrift. Michael and Tim had been co-Managing Directors prior to the sale, and Marcia (their sister) had been a partner, but the only family member retained by Constellation was Robert; in the role of Brand Ambassador.

Like their father and uncle before them, Tim and Michael had squabbled the business into a tight spot. The father and uncle had seen individual success once unyoked from the bounds of co-management. Hopefully the same would hold true for Tim and Michael. And they both hastily set about to accomplish that goal.

Although it is not a part of our story, Michael, with the help of his children Rob and Dina, went on to launch Michael Mondavi Family Estate, an entity focused on wines from Atlas Peak and Howell Mountain. He also founded Folio Fine Wine Distribution Partners, an import and distribution business focused on wines from producers such as Frescobaldi, Bruno Giacosa, Masseto, and Palacios Remondo.

Tim is our story because he, along with his sister Marcia, Robert and Margrit, launched Continuum, an estate whose name was meant to evoke memories of the family's ties to wine and an ongoing passion for all it entails. The depth of the estate's pedigree is illustrated in the chart following the picture below. The picture is one that I took at Premiere Napa Valley 2011 and shows Tim discussing Continuum wine in the Barrel Room prior to the wine auction.

Tim Mondavi at PNV 2011

While Tim's later days at Mondavi found him leaning towards more food-friendly wines, Continuum was slated to deliver "delicious, ripe, rich-styled wines" to the market.

But who exactly is Tim Mondavi. He is Robert's youngest son but, in addition:

• He is the winemaker of record at Continuum
• He had worked at Robert Mondavi every summer until he joined the winery full-time in 1974
• His first full-time position at Robert Mondavi was working in the Lab for the winemaker Zelma Long when he was 22 years old.
• He helped produce the wines at Robert Mondavi until it was sold to Constellation
• He had been involved in creating the initial Opus One. He helped to blend the first vintage (1979) with the help of the then Mouton-Rothschild winemaker.

I have written extensively about the To Kalon Vineyard and this vineyard not only served as the background music to Tim's growth as a wine professional but also provided a link to his new endeavor. I will explore that link in an upcoming post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Fattorio Romeo del Castell: “One of the first-wave modern Etna producers”

I recently posted pictures on social media of a 2007 and a 2008 Etna Rosso wines that I had recently acquired. 

I posted the image because older editions of Mt Etna wines are relatively scare on the retail market. Brandon Tokash, my good friend, and go-to resource on all things Etna, reminded me that I had met the vineyard owner at my first Contrada dell’Etna which was held, then, at the Graci winery on Mt Etna. With this memory jogger I recalled this slight woman telling me the story of a lava flow from a Mt Etna eruption almost totally destroying the farm but changing direction before consuming it entirely. That woman was Chiara Vigo and the spared farm was Fattorio Romeo del Castell. I will discuss both in this post.

 Brandon describes Chiara and her estate thusly:

A small in stature young lady who wrote an interesting book on wine labels 18 or so years ago. One of her vineyards finishes up against a 10-foot wall of lava that came down some years ago. It is quite a sight with her 120-year-old vines pictured against the lava wall.

Fattorio Romeo del Castell — helmed by Chiara and her mother Roseanne Romeo — traces its history back to Chiara’s great grandfather who produced wine therein during the first half of the 1900s. Prior to a 1981 eruption of Mt Etna, the farm occupied a surface area of 60 ha. This was reduced to 30 ha by the wall of lava that traversed the land and whose remnants still serve as a testament to the land’s encounter with this force of nature.

One of the attributes that sets the estate apart from other Mt Etna vineyards was also the feature that had wrought the original destruction: the lava wall. The wall creates a unique microclimate for the estate in that it affects wind flows and, in so doing, (i) affects how the wind hits the vines and (ii) modulates the temperature behind the wall.

The current edition of the farm sits at 700 m asl at the confluence of three parks: Etna Park, dei Nebrodi, and Alcantra River Park. Soils on the farm are volcanic ash and sandstone and they serve as the underlying support for 14 ha of vines and olive, pear, chestnut, and oak trees. Thirteen ha of vines fall within the Etna DOC territory and these are planted to Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. The vineyard boasts 3 ha of centenary vines; the remainder were planted in 2004. The vineyard is certified organic.

Subsequent to the winemaking exploits of Chiara’s great grandfather, the estate sold its grapes. Chiara had left the farm to pursue her studies, returning after obtaining her PhD. In conversations with Salvo Foti, the renowned Etna wine guru made her aware that her vineyard was truly a gem. She decided to make wine from the estate’s grapes and enlisted Salvo’s assistance in the endeavor. Salvo mentored her by having her work with members of his iVigneri construct and, in the early years, served as her oenologist.

The first vintage produced by the estate was 2007. It utilized fruit from the centenary vines and was named Vigo in honor of Chiara’s Dad. Both the 2007 and 2008 were fermented in stainless steel and aged in barrel. The wines produced currently are shown below.

Characteristics	Etna Rosato Vigorosa	Etna Rosso Allegracore	Etna Rosso Vigo
Varieties	Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Capuccio	Nerello Mascalese	Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Capuccio
Soil	Volcanic	Volcanic	Volcanic
Farming Technique	Biodynamic	Organic	Organic
Training	Alberello	Alberello	Alberello
Vine Age	100 Years	Planted 2004	Up to 100 years
Harvesting	Hand	Hand	Hand
Fermentation Vessel	SS tanks	5000l tanks	5000l tanks
Fermentation	Macerate for a few hours; indigenous yeasts	Fermentation and maceration 15 - 20 days; indigenous yeasts	12 days; indigenous yeasts
Aging Vessel	SS tanks	SS tanks	Barriques
Aging	4 months	12 months	MLF then aged ifor 12 months in barrique; 6 months in bottle

There have been a number of substantive changes since those initial vintages:

• Chiara has taken over responsibility for all aspects of wine production
• The base Etna Rosso wine is called Allegracore (2009) and is made with grapes sourced from the vines planted in 2004
• The Vigo wine continues to be sourced from the centenary vines but is only produced in outstanding vintages.

Tasting the Wines

I tasted 2007 and 2008 vintages of the Vigo but was so put off by the difference between the two that I ended up tasting three separate bottles of the ‘07 in order to find one equivalent to the quality of the ‘08.

The 2008 was pleasant on the nose with a savory note, grass, earth, sweet red fruit, and a bit of beeswax. On the palate ripe tamarind, spice, good acid levels, and a long, lingering finish. Palate-enveloping mouthfeel with fully resolved tannins.

The initial 2007 was smoky on the nose with red fruit, granny’s attic, and metallic minerality on the palate. Still structured with full resolution in the offing. Markedly different from the ‘08 so I opened another. This showed olives, red fruit, potpourri, and red pepper on the nose. Wood and coal tar on the palate. Still some freshness but astringent. Needs time?

The third bottle of 2007, drunk a few days later, had a portiness on the nose along with black pepper spice. Broad. Slight green on the palate along with non-silky tannins and coal tar. Unimpressive finish.

The wines utilized in this taste test were acquired from EatalyVino in New York City. There are differences between the 08 and 07 vintages which may be weather-related or winemaking-related and the differences within the 07 vintage may be due to a number of factors to include batch differentials, transportation, storage, etc.

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Brandon had described Chiara as being among the “first wave of modern Etna producers,” placing her in the company of breakout stars such as Andrea Franchetti, Marc de Grazia and Frank Cornelisen. Her wines have not attained the acclaim of the wines of these giants; why?

These producers all have great plots but, according to Salvo Foti and Brandon, so does Chiara. These guys are all marketing and promotion geniuses with attendant innovative winemaking skills. Chiara depended on Salvo Foti for her early wines and was not in the same ballpark as regards marketing and promotion. According to Brandon, Chiara had a lot of different interests and never really dedicated herself to wine and winemaking. Finally, these first-movers were most likely better capitalized than Chiara.

I have tasted the early wines of the estate herein. I will follow up with a comparison of some of the more recent vintages in a future post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Tasting selected Constellation Brands' To Kalon Wines

I have tasted all of the estate wines grown in the Collective To Kalon Vineyard, and a number of the wines made from fruit purchased from Beckstoffer To Kalon, but have not tasted any of the Constellation To Kalon wines. I sought to partially address this shortcoming by organizing a tasting of the following wines:

1. Robert Mondavi The Estates Fumé Blanc 2021
2. Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
3. To Kalon Vineyard Company Eliza's 2019
4. To Kalon Vineyard Company H. W. C. 2019
5. To Kalon Wine Company Highest Beauty 2019
6. Robert Mondavi The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
7. Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.

The lineup -- tasted from right to left

The tasting team

Robert Mondavi The Estates Fumé Blanc 2021 -- Fumé Blanc was the name that Robert Mondavi bestowed on dry-fermented, high-quality Sauvignon Blanc in a period when most Napa-built SBs were sweet. His inspiration was the Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire Valley. The 2021 version of this wine was made from fruit sourced from two blocks of the I-block clone and is mostly Sauvignon Blanc with "a dash of Semillon."

The wine presented as older than its actual age. Earthy, with tropical fruit notes, faded lychee, and crushed-stone minerality on the nose. Medium weight with great acidity and a lengthy finish.

Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 -- Introduced in 2001 as a Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée with fruit drawn from top Napa Valley sites, the wine was placed on hiatus in 2016. It was brought out of cold storage in 2018 using To Kalon fruit.

The 2021 version was fruit-forward and dominated by notes of dark berry fruit, chocolate, cassis and spice. On the lighter side. Disappointing finish.

To Kalon Vineyard Company 2019 Eliza's -- Named after Elizabeth Yount, the widow of George Yount, the founder of Yountville. The 2019 edition of this wine was a 63%/37% blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The winemaker at To Kalon Vineyard Company was Andy Erickson from the inception to 2022. In 2022 he shared winemaking responsibility with Tony Biagi, the torch-bearer for subsequent vintages.

Complex; especially apparent when following the Double Diamond. Broad-based with red and blue fruit, smoke, forest floor, and spice on the nose. Rich and thick on the palate but with a soft mouthfeel. Ripe fruit. Lengthy finish.

To Kalon Vineyard Company 2019 H.W.C. -- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon named after the original founder of To Kalon Vineyard. Sourced from Heritage clones originally planted by Robert Mondavi. 

Intense red and black fruit, smoke, baking spices, and neutral shoe polish on the nose. Rich on the palate with good length on the finish.

To Kalon Vineyard Company 2019 Highest Beauty -- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit from the 2016 harvest constituted the first wine of this label.

Rich black fruit and baking spices on the nose with a full body and velvety tannins on the palate. Long finish.

The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has historically included 10% - 15% fruit from Macdonald Vineyard. The 2015 version is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, and 2% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. That vintage showed dark fruit on the nose along with plum, tobacco, cedar, and baking spices. Lengthy finish. The 1988 edition showed dark fruit, dark chocolate, graphite and leather on the nose. Fully resolved tannins and a long finish.

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I was excited to taste these wines because I have come to the conclusion, based largely on the Detert and Macdonald wines, that To Kalon wines are some of the most tasty in the Valley. I was not blown away. With the exception of the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons, the wines tasted were relatively young and will probably show more of their pedigree with the passage of time. That being said, the To Kalon Company wines stand in the shadow of the MacDonald Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Constellation Brands: The "Bigfoot" of To Kalon Vineyard

The title of this post refers to Constellation Brands as the "Bigfoot" of To Kalon Vineyard and the relative size distribution of the various players in this space, illustrated in the chart below, is one factor that bears out this characterization.

Another factor was the legal decision handed down by the courts in the Vineyard House Winery suit to allow its use of the To Kalon name on its labels. One of Vineyard House Winery's claims was that To Kalon was a place name and, as such, not "trademarkable." Constellation, which had received the To Kalon (registered by Mondavi in 1988) and To Kalon Vineyard (registered by Mondavi in 1994) trademarks as part of the proceeds of the Robert Mondavi purchase, contested this claim vigorously.

In the decision handed down in January 2021, the judge ruled that Constellation could use the term To Kalon both as a brand and " a reference to all of their alluvial fields in Oakville." In addition, a permanent injunction was granted preventing non-Constellation use of To Kalon without the trademark holder's permission.

Hence ...

Background

I have detailed the history of the To Kalon Vineyard elsewhere; a summary is provided in the chart below.

Constellation Brands came into the To Kalon frame with its purchase of Robert Mondavi in 2004. The Mondavi family had sold 2.5 million shares in the company to the public on June 10, 1993 but retained a controlling interest post the transaction. At this time Michael and Tim were co-Managing Directors, Marcia (their sister) was a partner, and Clifford Adams was the COO. 

The now-public company flourished until it experienced slowing business performance in the early 2000s. The board thought that a reorganization which sold off the high-end portfolio (Mondavi Winery, Ornellaia, and its ownership stake in Opus One), while retaining the inexpensive offerings (Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, Robert Mondavi Private Selection) would return the enterprise to profitability. Constellation countered this reorganization plan by offering to buy the enterprise for $970 million, an offer which the Board members seemed to ignore. Shareholder lawsuits, and a sweetened offer of $1.03 billion) from Constellation, resulted in the Board considering -- and accepting -- the offer. The deal, closed on 12/22/04, resulted in the separation of the Mondavi family from the business, with Robert retained as a Brand Ambassador.

Constellation's Leveraging of the To Kalon Vineyard

Constellation bought Schrader Cellars on June 16, 2017. This company's brand was, according to Tim Carl, "built on the marketing prowess of Schrader, the winemaking reputation and skills of Thomas Brown, and the quality of fruit and name recognition of the Beckstoffer Vineyard." Subsequent to the purchase, Constellation has introduced two new wines under this eponymous label: Heritage Clone To Kalon Vineyard and Monastery Block To Kalon. The latter, first released with the 2017 vintage, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 169 from the vineyard's Monastery Block. The former, initiated with the 2018 vintage, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 39 from Block N2S of the vineyard.

Schrader has a second label called Double Diamond which it had placed on hiatus in 2016. This label was first introduced in 2001 as a Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée which drew its fruit from top Napa Valley sites. With access to To Kalon fruit, the label was brought out of cold storage with the 2018 vintage as an Oakville cuvée with the bulk of its fruit sourced from the home vineyard.

In May of 2019, Constellation announced its Fine Wine Division's launch of To Kalon Vineyard Wine Company, a label helmed by Andy Erickson and using fruit sourced from the To Kalon Vineyard. The initial offering -- named Highest Beauty (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) -- utilized fruit from the vineyard's 2016 harvest.

Subsequently, To Kalon Vineyard Wine Company has introduced two additional wines: (i) H.W.C.  Cabernet Sauvignon (Initials of the To Kalon founder; 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Clone) and (ii) Eliza's Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc blend named after Elizabeth Yount, the widow of the founder of Yountville). The 2019 edition of this wine was a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Cabernet Franc.

Beginning with the 2022 vintage, the winemaker of To Kalon Wine Company will be Tony Biagi. He will share that responsibility with Andy Erickson for that vintage and will then have sole responsibility going forward.

Organic Certification

The Constellation Brands portion of Collective To Kalon has been farmed sustainably for a number of years under the Napa Green certification regime but the company has been hard at work over the past three years readying To Kalon Vineyard for organic certification. Constellation currently manages 497 acres of the combined historic To Kalon Vineyard plus the non-Opus portion of the Stelling Extension and, of this, a total of 331 acres have attained organic certification. Younger vines and buffer blocks remain uncertified at this time. The first vintage of organic fruit will come with the 2023 harvest.

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I have tasted, and written about, all of the estate wines from Collective To Kalon, as well as selected wines from Beckstoffer To Kalon, but have not so treated the Constellation To Kalon wines. I recently organized a tasting to address that shortcoming and will report on it in a follow-up post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme