The Second Act of Mondavi
Tim Mondavi holding a bottle of his Continuum in Hong Kong at local importer Links Concept’s office
At age 30, Robert Mondavi convinced his father to purchase Charles Krug Winery in 1943 and later developed it into one of the most renowned wineries in Napa Valley along with his family. However, Robert left the family business in 1965 after a fistfight with his brother, Peter. Undeterred, a year later he founded the eponymous Robert Mondavi Winery the following year, a venture that would not only redefine Napa Valley’s place in the wine world but also establish Robert himself as a pioneering figure and a true lodestar in the global wine industry.
Robert was a trailblazer in Napa Valley, “changing the way people think about the possibilities of wine,” said Tim admirably while chatting to us in Hong Kong at its local importer Links Concept’s office. Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, 11 years after the winery went public, it was sold by the board to Constellation Brands for US$1.36 billion in November 2004.
Twenty years later when we met with Tim far across the Pacific in Hong Kong, the feeling of loss still tugs. Now fully silver-haired, he described the transaction as “heartbreaking,” attributing the failure to the family’s loss of control over the financial situation.
“When we went public in 1993, the rules changed. We effectively lost control of the company, and the outside directors overused my father’s good name to the detriment, pursuing quarterly results that don’t work for fine wine.” Tim recalled, reflecting on those bitter moments. “They said that we had no idea about the finances and the balance sheet of the company. If they had understood wine better, they wouldn’t have done it. They wouldn’t have pushed us.”
Life goes on, with the transaction serving as a semicolon, not a full stop, in the Mondavi journey. “We did have the capability to begin again, and Continuum carries on that dream at the highest level,” Tim said, referencing the Latin root of the name, which signifies continuity—in this case, the continuation of the Mondavi family legacy.
The connection with Robert Mondavi remains strong, even after his passing, and this sentiment is beautifully captured in the label design of the 2013 vintage – the centenarian vintage commemorating Robert Mondavi’s birth. The front label of Continuum Wine features a shadow painting of a Cabernet Franc vine, created by Chiara, Tim’s daughter.
On the Continuum 2013 label, a dove hovers above the vine, symbolizing Robert Mondavi as an angel watching over the vineyard and the family. In the bottom-right corner, three numbers appear: 1, 40, and 100. The “1” represents the first vintage that was 100% grown, produced, and bottled from the Continuum estate; “40” signifies the number of years Tim dedicated to the family’s winemaking; and “100” commemorates Robert’s 100th birthday in 2013.
“My father was very important to my children. He was rarely there, but when he was, he was very focused on them,” Tim shared, remembering his father as a busy yet caring grandfather.
Continuum and Novicium, the King and Prince
Sage Mountain Vineyard is the site chosen by Tim for Continuum, situated on Pritchard Hill on the eastern side of Napa Valley. Perched on a slope at a high elevation ranging from 1325 to 1600 feet, it sits above the fog line that rises from the California Current, which brings a cooler temperature with less fluctuation between day and night.
“For the best wines, the Premier Cru and the Grand Cru, they are all on the sides of the hill,” Tim explains. The soil here on the hillside is a red, rocky volcanic type that is rich in minerals but low in fertility, resulting in smaller grape production and more complex flavors.
Of the 173 acres owned by the estate, only 71 acres are planted with vines, divided into 44 parcels. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for approximately 55% of the planted area, followed by Cabernet Franc at 35%, Petit Verdot at 10%, and Merlot at 5%.
Continuum, the grand vin made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, was for a long time the singular focus of Tim Mondavi, who learned from past experiences not to dilute brand identity.
“My father, when he began, was very clear and focused and very successful,” Tim said. However, this strategy changed with the influence of outside directors. “I learned from my grandfather and my father to have clarity of focus, so we did not have a second wine initially.”
“We had absolute clarity because I had to answer the question, ‘why is it that Robert Mondavi Company went wrong?’,” he asked, drawing on his past lessons.
“But all of these experiences live on. And the lessons live on too,” he paused, before continuing, “so clarity of focus is fundamentally important. Aspirations for the best and persistence.”
A few years after Continuum was launched, Novicium debuted with the 2010 vintage. Novicium is 100% sourced from the winery’s own estate.
“It is a proud second wine, 100% from the estate, in the highest expression of what the first growths of Bordeaux particularly used to do,” Tim described Novicium. “Continuum is the king of the property; it is always the first. Novicium is the crown prince, treated with the utmost reverence and care by our team.”
Focusing on the “king and prince,” the Continuum team invested their time in gaining a deeper understanding of the smaller soil blocks in the vineyard. “Over the decades, you get to understand the personality of each block, then you can manage them to celebrate their best,” Tim said, “Bit by bit, in the vineyard, in the cellar, and in our blend, all of that is an ongoing learning experience.”
“I’m a huge believer that nature is endlessly fascinating. It is incredibly complex. We will never, ever know all of its secrets.” He continued.
Starting a winery and generating profits takes time, especially for Continuum, which emphasizes quality and focuses on a limited range of products. “Fine wine is not measured in quarters, or even years or decades. It is measured in generations,” Tim said, “I will never see a financial return from Continuum. Hopefully, my children will. But, in the meantime, we have a wonderful life.”
Good Wine Good Life
Wine is a lifelong career for Tim, and he takes great pride in it. “I feel very fortunate to be in the rare group of people in America who have been in fine wine,” he said. For him, wine is far more than just a means of making a living; “there is something special about wine and money is just money.”
For Tim and the Mondavis, wine is essential for well-being. “Wine is central to a meal, and a meal is central to life,” Tim said, “A meal is the most important social institution in life. When you enjoy wine with it, it elevates it to a celebration of life. I think that wine and food are meant to be together.”
Tim shared a portion of Robert’s writing, reflecting the family’s understanding of the role of wine: “Wine has been with us since the beginning of civilization. It is the temperate, civilized, sacred, romantic mealtime beverage recommended in the Bible. Wine has been praised for centuries by statesmen, philosophers, poets, and scholars. Wine in moderation is an integral part of our culture, heritage and gracious way of life.”
Harm to health is a primary concern regarding wine. In 2023, the World Health Organization published a statement indicating that alcohol consumption at all levels is detrimental to one’s health.
“It seems that every ten years, there is a movement to ban caffeine, or chocolate, or butter, or wine,” Tim responded to the criticism, “But if you look around the world, there are many areas where wine is an integral part of a meal and the gracious way of life, and these areas also demonstrate great longevity and health.”
As Tim believes, the key is to maintain balance and avoid excessive alcohol consumption. It’s important to make decisions based on one’s individual health conditions and to take responsibility for one’s own well-being.
“I am very happy to be in wine. I don’t think it is going to be out of fashion.” Tim concluded.
Source: https://vino-joy.com/2024/12/12/the-second-act-of-mondavi/