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