alright….now lets see how these wines taste!

4th

Tim seems on a misson..
well Tim controlled this show………….
SUPER INTERESTING! If the Mondavi’s hadn’t sold, I WOULD HAVE bought this wine.

great stuff GV. Good Q’s from U. CLASSIC STUFF!! OHHH !!! Carissa Speaks!!! Hallelujah! Why was she there, U have to ask urself!! 😉

Qotd: Doesn’t matter, DUDE!

BUT, although I got a little over-agressive,,, This IS A CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn It! 😉

Tim where’s the dirt under your nails, your obviously well spoken and all, but c’mon, man. Bob Mondavi knows.

Great stuff and FINALLY A FRIDAY SHOW!!! I really appreciated the concentration in the format. A lot of wine-talk and history were shared and I was almost taking notes!

QOTD1: Single vineyards sites are of extreme importance when you are dealing with the upper echelon in wines. Sourcing the fruit and having an understanding of where the grapes are growing can tell you so much of what to expect in the wine.

#2: Having a dedicated team is paramount in creating a great wine in any vintage, being able to understand what to do in cold/wet seasons or when to harvest in the HOT ones. Nothing beats knowledge.

#3: I am just a baby in the wine world (as evinced by my wine blog) and cannot afford or justify the big time purchases of Continuum, so I would personally love the opportunity to buy into the lower and easier to afford levels of premium wine. I could see that going badly too with the market becoming watered down for less-than-stellar product but do not believe that would happen, judging by the professionalism and reputation of this family.

Happy Friday!

Gary – great show. Very interesting to hear so much about the evolution of the Californian wine world and the huge contribution to it that the Mondavi’s made. Tim and Carissa seem like great people and are superb ambassadors for Continuum and their new project. Long but very interesting and educational.

QOTD: To me having a strong estate for a premium wine is very important. If the wine is to truly represent the terroir of the estate’s vines and also develop a distinctive identity and taste profile it is a must. I grew up in Europe where I think this is far more common and so that could be why I feel this way. In the “post score era” that we are now entering (as Gary referenced during the interview) I think this is even more valuable. A wine is so much more than a score and having it come from a defined place made by a consistent team in a specific house style to me is what premium wine is all about. Each person can then develop their opinion of the estate and its wine. You may not like it, but at least it has an identity that people can get to know. I think a lower price point “second” wine makes excellent sense. Clearly, the grapes would need to come from the estate like the first wine and be superbly well made to reflect and protect the estate brand but I would definately do it once Continuum has matured sufficiently.

Cheers!

Well stated. I think that is what is stopping me from buying these iconic wines, knowing that between Italy and France I can have a 3:1 purchasing ratio between interesting old world wines against the high-priced collector wines in the US.

With that said, I am still interested in trying Opus One.

Again good part II, very intresting stuff. Glad to see Carissa speak (a little), Overall a Classic show doh. Keep on the good work and tnx for sharing this with us!

The terroir and weather at Pritchard Hill sounds like Washington State, lol.

These two episodes are the best shows ever for me, thank you for hosting the Mondavi family!!! Very interesting and informative. (this stuff is premium content!)

qotd…love the estate concept if you have the location etc, ala Lafite…, otherwise it doesn’t make sense

QOTD; All your eggs in one basket is a great thing.
QOTD2; A great team makes for a great product, I wish I could try some.
Gary plan a remote WLTV from the hilltop, might be a blast.

Very informative and intriguing show esp with this iconic wine family. It was fun to watch Carissa’s quizzical look on her face at times when her Dad was speaking which piqued my interest even more.

QOTD #1: When Tim interjected “these types of wines” then by all means a resounding “Yes” to the question about the importance of being a single estate. It doesn’t matter to me where the grapes come from for my every day quaffing wine but if I’m going to plonk down some serious cash then I want single estate, mis en boutielle if at all possible.

QOTD #2: One would assume even the smallest wineries had a dedicated team. I had no clue (other than co-ops) that a particular site or winery did not already employ their own team. I knew that winemakers such as Helen Turley worked with numerous sites so I guess this is what Carissa was alluding to so to answer, yes, a dedicated team to control quality etc.

Cheers!

Awesome show. I went to Mondavi in 2003 and had a good visit, even if it was organized as part of a tour. Nice to know the family is so down-to-earth and passionate about the final product.

QOTD: I admire them for going with only one wine. Sometimes wineries spread themselves out too much and, hence, quality deteriorates. By focusing on one single wine, they can really put out the best product possible. I only wish I could find one of these bottles on The Rock.

Ok, great stuff. Tim is a bit talkative, but he’s clearly a true intellectual with spiritual passion for the subject, in addition to a redonkulous trove of knowledge.
QOTD: Yes… Basically, if/when I spend more than 35 bucks on a wine, I want to know that it was lovingly, carefully crafted by someone(s) trying to make a) the very best wine they can make, and b) a wine which could only have come from its site, and nowhere else.
Best of luck to the family and their new(ish) venture.

Decisions, decisions: 150 bones for one bottle of Continuum “Art” wine or three top-flight Brunellos. Hmmm

QOTD#1: To me, “estate” means nothing to me. I want the best wine, and don’t really care about a single estate.

SCORES????

GV Thank You, Thank You. I’ve been hooked on Mondavi since my first taste of the 87 Reserve Cab. To me Tim Mondavi is a wine god. To be able to listen to him for an hour was priceless to me. IMHO the best show ever on WLTV.

QOTD: I don’t think it’s silly to produce such a great wine at that price point. Especially when it is made by Tim. That being said, I can’t afford it. I’ve bought many a first growth Bordeaux, back in the day. But now it’s their second wines for me, even thirds “Paulliac by Latour”.
Tim, please make a second wine.

Great show…. Respect to the Mondavi’s……. They have earned it!

QOTD: Price and product. I don’t care if the wine is grown on a roof top in the Bronx. If it’s a good wine at a good price I’ll buy it. All single vineyard or estate says to me is that I’ll can charge outrageously more.

A very interesting show.

I am of two thoughts on the estate wines. Ideally I think that an estate wine is the optimal expression of wine–allowing the grape, terroir and the wine makers skill to shine, or stink. Drinking such wines allows us to taste and appreciate the subtle differences and appreciate the specifics of that place. Unfortunately, in order to do such small scale production usually leads to a much higher price. It seems that estate wines are set the standards that then will influence the more generic varietals that most of us will drink.

I like the direction Continuum is going. Mondavi (the brand) got too diluted with wines that tasted like mass produced beverages – no doubt great for profit margins but sacraficing the quality of the brand. Regarding “estate”, I think that estate wines can be more evocative of the vineyard and winemaker that, in turn, create wines of more distinct character. Granted “estate” and “Napa” typically means $100 + per bottle on the low end but you get what you pay for. Overall, great interview.

seldom score when guests are on, if it is the guest wine…..

Part II rocked…I love hearing about recollections and interpretations of US wine history, especially from the Mondavis’ point of view. Would love to taste Continuum for sure.

QOTD1: For me, since I have had the primary goal of palette exploration, estate wines rarely will be the key factor in wine selection, but as mentioned previously by Matt and DinoJr, I agree on a terroir perspective that it is very important.

QOTD2: Your team in any business is important. They must be passionate about the industry, your company, and the products or services provided. I would bet that the local people would have developed a keen relationship with the land and the vines.

But, won’t the “best wine” have plenty of site specific character. (The Grand Ciel vineyard, for instance.)
I suppose that’s more important than the Estate designation…

I agree.