If you were to capture Napa Valley's wine history in a flash, two names would likely emerge at the forefront: the late Robert Mondavi and Cabernet Sauvignon. Mondavi was widely credited for catapulting Napa Valley — renowned for its rich, age-worthy Cabernets — into the global spotlight. His namesake winery, Robert Mondavi, was the first post-prohibition Napa winery to launch in 1966. His decision to label wines varietally—distinct from the European nomenclature of naming the wine by region — helped set the global marketing standards for New World wines. Now, his youngest son, the 73-year-old silver-haired Tim, carries that legacy forward, not under the Mondavi name, but with his wine brand, Continuum, which tells a different story of perseverance and evolution.
THE SHIFT IN CABERNET DOMINANCE
“Everyone projects onto Napa Valley a singularity of purpose,” Mondavi remarks. He refers to the dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa’s king grape, which has long defined the region. From Harlan Estate, Opus One to Dominus Estate and more, the grape makes up the lion's share of many iconic bottles.
But Mondavi sees a shift on the horizon. Napa’s winemakers are now working on distinguishing terroir differences between the valley floor, mountains, and hillsides and recognising lesser-known grapes like Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
“Our region favours the cabernet family varietals”, he states, noting how Cabernet Sauvignon excels on the valley floor while Cabernet Franc thrives on the hills, where the soils are thinner and deliver smaller vines and small berries with better concentration. “I am increasingly confident that Cabernet Franc and Merlot do so much better in the hillsides than the valley floor,” he says, comparing the hillside terroir to St Emillion in Bordeaux, where these varietals have flourished.
This story is from the March 2025 edition of The PEAK Singapore.
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This story is from the March 2025 edition of The PEAK Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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