Norman

9.1

Great nose. Out of the bottle it’s vibrant with strong flavors but there is no tannins hitting the cheeks or finish. Both wines tonight are fine but just not exciting enough to make you want another glass. Goes with the steak and pasta but not enhancing it. — 5 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Continuum – Novicium – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2016
Napa Valley AVA – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
From Tim Mondavi’s Continuum Estate, this 2016 Novicium Cabernet Sauvignon represents one of the estate’s rarest bottlings, crafted in very small quantities. Sourced from the dramatic slopes of Pritchard Hill, the wine is a bold, concentrated expression of Napa Cabernet, carrying the unmistakable Mondavi family signature of precision, structure, and longevity.

Aromas & Flavors
Explosive aromas of blackcurrant, ripe plum, and cassis, interwoven with cedar, graphite, espresso bean, and subtle dark chocolate. A hint of tobacco and violet adds extra layers of intrigue.

Mouthfeel
Dense, powerful, and structured with firm yet polished tannins. Full-bodied with remarkable depth and intensity, balanced by a fine backbone of acidity that promises longevity. The finish is long, layered, and memorable.

Food Pairings
Perfect alongside prime ribeye, braised short ribs, venison, or a truffle-infused mushroom risotto. A wine made for bold dishes and serious occasions.

Verdict
Outstanding and superb, a powerhouse Cabernet Sauvignon that epitomizes Napa Valley’s potential at its highest level. Bold, concentrated, and age-worthy, it’s a treasure worth savoring now or cellaring for the future.

Did You Know?
Continuum Estate, founded by the Mondavi family on Pritchard Hill, is considered one of Napa’s “Grand Cru” terroirs thanks to its elevation (1,300–1,600 ft) and its red volcanic and loamy soils. The name Novicium hints at “novice” or “beginning,” yet this bottling is anything but, it’s an insider’s gem from one of Napa’s most pedigreed sites. Cheers!

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
Among the finest Napa reds I’ve had in recent memory. This bottle left a lasting impression, truly impressive in its balance of concentration, elegance, and power. One of those wines that instantly reminds you why Napa sits among the world’s great Cabernet regions. — 8 months ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Inspire Napa Walk Around Wine Tasting with:
Bryant Estates
Chappellet
Continuum Estate
Cliff Lede Vineyard
Eisele Vineyard
Favia Wines
Ferren Wines
Futo Wines
Harlan Estates
Keplinger Wines
Morley Family Vineyards
Rudd Estates
Staglin Family Vineyards
Vine Hill Ranch — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Bruce Dunbar

9.0

The 2019 Napa Petite Syrah is inky purple with a huge nose right out of the bottle. Smooth and low acid, it hits with cassis and dark cherry and is wonderfully peppery on the back end. The alcohol was running a bit hot on this youngster — I’d expect a year or two in bottle will make this excellent. And a real bargain on the price/quality/ready-to-drink continuum relative the the single vineyard PSs Turley puts out. Update 7/25: as hoped the slightly ‘hot’ nature of this wine has mellowed without any loss of the great balance of flavors. Drinking wonderfully now. Raised score. — 5 years ago

Colin McCartney

9.6

This is so plush and well balanced...the nose is restrained with light tea leaves and pencil lead, followed by silky dark fruits, menthol, and delicate spice that flow seamlessly across the palate...finishes long with tannins that grip just enough to let you know they are there, but not so much to disrupt the satisfying continuum of flavor.... — 6 years ago

Gunja Gargeshwari

9.7

It was a split vote for WOTN Moonracer against Continuum. If we open the same bottles in 5 years - I think the Moonracer will be a clear winner. — 6 years ago

with Amit, Eric and 1 other

Maggie Harrison

9.7

gorgeous. mineral backbone. under ripe lemon. alight viscosity. — 2 months ago

Paul J

9.6

1hr+ decant. Dark red color with some garnet. Very similar to the Continuum from the prior night. Great fruit integrated with sweetness and cedar. Juicy wine, with nice depth and medium finish. — 5 months ago

with Brooke

Russ Bus

9.5

Closed and disjointed at opening but came together nicely after a 4 hr decant. Well balanced density and acidity - notable lift. Secondaries showing nicely, tertiaries developing well, perfectly integrated tannin. This is a great time to drink. Aging further may benefit tertiary flavor development and there’s certainly sufficient acid to carry it through, but may have notable textural decline. Of the four wines tasted (Scarecrow 12, Promontory 14, Continuum 13) it was second favorite and most closely aligned stylistically with Scarecrow. — 2 years ago

Paul J

9.7

2010 blind wine tasting! Colgin, Continuum, Insignia, Montrose, Pape Clement, Smith Lafite. As expected I preferred the Bordeaux’s! — 5 years ago

with Steve

LM Segal

9.7

Tobacco and loamy earth, saddle leather. Cedary dark red fruit and some Asian spice. Black cherry. Long, long finish. Outstanding bordering on profound. — 5 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

Nice bottle thats not over extracted, first time having this 👍🏼
Parker 94
$50.00 on K&L. Normally $75-80.00

Winery Notes: "Blueberry, black current, fresh herbs, talcum and mint are the primary components with lesser notes of iron and violets. Vibrant freshness in the mouth with full, supple tannins. Composition: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon & 8% Petit Verdot. Fruit is sourced from Stagecoach Vineyard, Coombsville, Mount Veeder & Spring Mountain. Aged for 21 months in French Oak (50% new). Winemaker: Kurt Niznik (Ex-Continuum). A total of 536 cases were produced. — 6 years ago

Michael Seely

9.4

2007 expressive Brunello with many years left in its continuum — 6 years ago

with Jeff and Joe

Joe Flo

9.7

Still as good as the first one — 3 months ago

Nathan Renfro

9.7

Incredible! In a great sport right now. Perfectly balanced. BlackBerry, cassis, some blueberry, tobacco, licorice. Great mouthfeel. Supple, yet expressive tannins. Nice finish. Drinking so well! — 5 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Inspire Napa for Alzheimer research Wine Seminar at Round Pond Estate

Moderator: Ray Isle, Wine Editor, Food & Wine
Panelists:
Antonio Galloni, Vinous founder
Carissa Mondavi, Continuum Estate
Michael Silacci, Opus One Winery
Jason Lede, Cliff Lede Vineyards
Jason Smith, Schrader Cellars

WINES: wines that inspired each person
1977 Mondavi cab reserve...Carissa birth yr
2018 Rinaldi Barolo Brunate...Antonio
2022 Hirsch Estate chard.....Jason Smith
2017 Mas Doix Costers de Vinyes..Jason Lede
2005 Mario Bazan cab....Michael Silacci
2018 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill...Ray Isle — 2 years ago

with Brenda

Paul J

9.5

1hr+ decant. Dark red color. Lively nose and wine with baking spices, dark fruit, graphite, and a little tobacco/cigar box. Finish was a little short, but had a lovely texture. Very similar to the ‘10 Continuum we had as well. I loved both! — 5 years ago

with Brooke

Ian Hamel

9.2

2021/4/3 with steamed rock oysters and tagliatelle with baby scallops. This poured a deep yellow, and opened with rather nutty aromas. The inevitable reaction is to agonize over premature oxidation. But, with air and time, youth crept back - as it so often does. There were pungent minerals, buttery pastries and creamy stone fruits. And after all, this is a villages wine from 2005. In the end, I didn’t think was “prematurely” oxidized and enjoyed it a lot. As usual, oxidation (or maturity) is on a continuum. And at this point, I’d rather focus on actually savoring every last bottle of Burgundy I have from the great villages and producers, because the way things have gone with prices, I don’t know how many more I’ll get to enjoy. — 5 years ago

Mike R

9.7

Oh baby and I don’t mean maybe - winner winner chicken dinner - with the WNH gang on a Sunday night Italian IGT tasting via super Tuscan - this wine became commercially available wine in 1968 and since then it has risen quickly in fame - the 2015 as well as the 2016 are getting ridiculous scores from critics - like Bordeaux first growth scores - 97 plus from all - yes it a baby and as such I double decanted - i have more and I have much older vintages so this was my attempt to see what the hype was

Well the hype is real - patience is rewarded - 4 hour decant and every glass got better - in hour six this was incredible and went from a 9.5 to the 9.7 I gave it - 85% cab with 15% CF - reminds me of a great Bordeaux or great Napa blend like Continuum maybe a 2010 vintage as far as taste but leaves there and goes further - chiseled tannins integrated in a rich supple deep ruby color pushing red blue and black fruits elegantly- this could easily go another 30-40 years - and it will get better - in ten years this is 9.8 or higher - my face is broken from smiling so much! — 6 years ago

with Shawn, Joe and 3 others

Jimmy Vo

9.4

Fantastic wine... very balanced ... beautiful property — 7 years ago