Continuum Novicium 2019 750ml

Continuum is yet another page in the Mondavi family legacy, a “5th beginning”. Founded in 2005, it is a partnership between members of the Robert, Marcia and Tim Mondavi families. It is a rededication and refinement of the family’s longstanding commitment to excellence in winemaking. Continuum’s goal is to produce a single wine that is recognized among the finest in the world.

Novicium is so-named for being the ongoing study of the winery’s Sage Mountain Vineyard. This “novitiate” offers a decidedly different glimpse, giving the winegrowers greater freedom to further explore the myriad of elements that give our Sage Mountain Vineyard distinction.

Novicium displays its predecessors’ signature approachability with a fresh and playful nose of red fruit and candied apple mixed with autumn leaves, bay laurel and the slightest hint of dewy spring peonies. A vibrant and direct wine, it has a plush entry and weighted mid palate of dark chocolate, black fruit, brown spice and tapenade. A vintage character both friendly and powerful, with Sage Mountain Vineyard’s iron core and a brightly expressed structure and finish.

96 points, James Suckling, February 2022 
“Very fruity on the nose with black cherries, blueberries and graphite. Full-bodied with a center-palate of ripe fruit and dark chocolate. Iron, too. Soft tannins and a flavorful finish. Layered. Drink or hold.”