Winemaker Notes
Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2011 Continuum is fabulous, just as it has always been. A wine of uncommon depth and volume, the 2011 shows just what was possible at top-tier sites at elevation in this challenging vintage. Layers of black cherry fruit, spice, lavender and gravel infuse this potent Cabernet with tons of intensity and pedigree. The 2011 is a wine that totally changed my perception of what Napa Valley is. It continues to be a deeply impressive wine. At the time, Continuum was in its early days and transitioning to a pure estate wine. The 2011 includes a drop of Petit Verdot from Mount Veeder.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Proprietary Red is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it features fragrant earth, wet slate and bay leaves notes over a core of crushed blackberries, redcurrants and cassis with hints of pencil lead, iodine and beef drippings. Medium-bodied with a firm, chewy frame, it has lovely restraint and a long, earthy finish.
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.