Winemaker Notes
77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot, the 2009 Proprietary Red is deep garnet colored and leaps from the glass with notes of pure blackcurrant pastilles, preserved black cherries and warm blackberries with hints of wild sage, candied violets and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied and built like a brick house, the firm, grainy tannins nicely frame the taut, muscular fruit, finishing long and mineral laced.
-
Wine Spectator
Sleek and understated, making its mark with firm, dense, tightly wound espresso, dried berry, crushed rock and black licorice flavors, with a finish that emphasizes the loamy earthiness. The tannins are firm and well-integrated. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2014 through 2030.
-
Wine Enthusiast
The '09 Continuum proves the adage that a great winery will produce fine wine even in a compromised vintage—such as 2009, with its cool conditions and rain during harvest. With dense tannins and a solid core of blackberry and spice flavors, the wine shows lovely complexity, with firm and masculine minerality. Still, it's gritty and too young now to enjoy. Cellar it for 6–8 years. Cellar Selection.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.