Continuum Estate 2011

Continuum Estate 2011 — Napa Valley

This Continuum Estate 2011 embodies a rare, elegant and profoundly refined expression of Napa Valley’s great red wines. From the high-altitude terroirs of Pritchard Hill, this wine combines the nobility of Cabernet Sauvignon, the depth of Bordeaux varieties and the freshness of a more classical vintage, in a style that is precise, structured and less solar than the most opulent years: cassis, blackberry, blueberry, black plum, black cherry, cedar, graphite, cocoa, blond tobacco, liquorice, sweet spices, violet, black mint, noble earth and a long mineral finish.

Continuum Estate is one of Napa Valley’s great contemporary signatures, recognised for wines of depth, balance and strong ageing capacity. The Estate cuvée seeks an expression of Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varieties that is powerful, precise and elegant, with particular attention to structure, freshness and persistence. The 2011 vintage, cooler and more demanding in California, gives here a more taut, classical and nuanced profile, where elegance takes precedence over opulence.

Terroir: Napa Valley, Pritchard Hill and the precision of Bordeaux varieties

The high-altitude terroirs of Pritchard Hill, in Napa Valley, are renowned for producing wines of great structure, mineral intensity and remarkable depth. Poor, stony and well-drained soils encourage limited yields, natural concentration and an expression that is dense, fresh and persistent.

Continuum Estate is distinguished by an approach that combines Californian power with Bordeaux refinement. Cabernet Sauvignon brings cassis, structure, cedar, graphite and longevity, while the other Bordeaux varieties contribute complexity, spice, roundness and balance. In 2011, the freshness of the vintage highlights the wine’s tension, precision and mineral dimension.

Tasting notes

Appearance: deep garnet with purple and dark ruby reflections, bright, dense and still well sustained. The colour reflects the wine’s concentration, the freshness of the 2011 vintage and a gradual evolution towards more tertiary nuances.

Nose: deep, fresh and expressive, with cassis, blackberry, blueberry, black plum, black cherry, ripe black fruits, cedar, graphite, cocoa, blond tobacco, liquorice and sweet spices. With aeration, nuances of violet, black mint, precious woods, fine leather, noble earth, sweet pepper, dried herbs and light truffle may appear.

Palate: broad, fresh, structured and finely velvety, with precise black fruit carried by more pronounced tension than in solar vintages. Flavours of cassis, blackberry, plum, blueberry, cedar, graphite, cocoa, tobacco, liquorice and spices unfold with depth, supported by ripe, polished and persistent tannins. The finish is long, mineral, spicy and fresh, with an impression of controlled power, classicism and great elegance.

Expression of the 2011 vintage

The 2011 vintage in Napa Valley produced wines that are cooler, more structured and often more classical than very solar years. The best examples favour tension, aromatic freshness, tannic finesse and a gradual evolution towards notes of cedar, tobacco, fine leather, graphite, spices and noble earth.

Today, this Continuum Estate 2011 is entering an interesting phase, where the depth of black fruit begins to mingle with more evolved nuances of fine leather, tobacco, cocoa, cedar, graphite, truffle, melted spices, dried herbs and noble earth. Measured aeration allows its complexity to be revealed while preserving balance and freshness.