Promontory
About Promontory
Promontory was founded by the Harlan family within the western hills of Napa Valley, on the border between Oakville and Yountville. The land is a hidden, untamed territory originally discovered by H. William Harlan in the early 1980s, and finally captured by the Harlan family in 2008.
The 30 hectares of vines are laid out in a patchwork and planted on steep and rugged slopes within 340 hectares of forest and wilderness. Promontory is aged in large Austrian oak casks, and released more than 5 years after harvest. The wine is characterized by the metamorphic geology: fresh forest and wet stone aromatics; on the palate a linear drive, mineral focus, and the feeling of an almost weightless structure.
Promontory has one of the best winemaking teams in California and takes a no expense spared approach to produce some of the best wines in the world. This wine is being elevated to the level of Screaming Eagle, Pétrus or Le Pin in terms of cult status, unbelievably quality and scarcity.
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(3x75cl) 2009Vinous (94)
The 2009 Promontory is just beginning to show the early signs of aromatic development. Sweet tobacco, licorice, menthol and new leather are all laced throughout. A classically proportioned wine, the 2009 Promontory finds more freshness and aromatic lift with time in the glass. Dark red cherry, plum, rose petal and mint develop nicely, but as always, Promontory is a wine of structure above all else. Still somewhat tannic in feel, the 2009 will only benefit from further time in bottle. Once again, the comparison between the 2009, the second vintage off the property, and more recent wines, is illuminating.$2,645.00 -
(3x75cl) 2010
Wine Advocate (98+)
The 2010 Promontory appears to be a killer wine. It ratchets up the level of concentration, but does not reveal as much of the La Mission Haut-Brion personality as the 2009. It exhibits more creme de cassis, sweet earth, truffle, new saddle leather and background vanilla and barbecue notes. Full-bodied, rich, pure and multidimensional, this wine is a kissing cousin of the great Harlan Estate located five to six miles due north on a similar latitude in the lower Mayacamas Mountains overlooking the Oakville Corridor, whereas Promontory overlooks Yountville. This is another 25-30-year wine from the winemaking team of Harlan Estate and Bond.$2,990.00 -
(3x75cl) 2011
Vinous (95)
Soaring aromatics and beams of tannin give the 2011 Proprietary Red its signature feel. The 2011 is never going to be a huge wine, but it is vivid and exceptionally beautiful. A host of pine, menthol, tobacco, licorice and savory herb nuances lift to this soaring, exquisite hillside Cabernet Sauvignon.$2,505.00 -
James Suckling (100)
This is incredibly complex and complete with white and black-truffle aromas, as well as wet earth and blackcurrants. Then, it changes to tobacco, cedar and wild forest fruit. Dazzling complexity in both the nose and palate. Full-bodied, yet tight and harmonious. The tannins melt into the wine. Drinkable now, but one for the cellar. This estate could one day rival Harlan, which shares its ownership.$2,230.00 -
Wine Advocate (99)
The best wine so far (although I suspect the 2015 may ultimately enter the picture as well) is the nearly perfect 2013 Promontory Estate. It is simply richer and fuller, with greater integration of tannin, and tastes spectacular. With an opaque, dense purple color and notes of graphite, wet rocks, blackberry and blueberry fruit, some charcoal, and again, loads of spice and loamy soil nuances, the wine has great intensity, a full-bodied texture, and finely grained, sweet tannin. This is a stunner and again, accessible, but its best days are probably a good decade away, as this could very well turn out to be a 40- to 50-year wine.$1,885.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)
The 2014 Promontory has aged impeccably. Dark cherry, plum, leather and lavender are all pushed forward. A wine of density and power, the 2014 shows the richer, more overt style that was in place here ten years ago. I loved this wine on release, and it is still both very special and incredibly young. The 2014 represents a point of transition. It was aged 70% in cask and 30% in small French oak barrels. Today, Promontory is aged exclusively in large-format oak.$1,410.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)
The 2014 Promontory has aged impeccably. Dark cherry, plum, leather and lavender are all pushed forward. A wine of density and power, the 2014 shows the richer, more overt style that was in place here ten years ago. I loved this wine on release, and it is still both very special and incredibly young. The 2014 represents a point of transition. It was aged 70% in cask and 30% in small French oak barrels. Today, Promontory is aged exclusively in large-format oak.$656.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)
The 2014 Promontory has aged impeccably. Dark cherry, plum, leather and lavender are all pushed forward. A wine of density and power, the 2014 shows the richer, more overt style that was in place here ten years ago. I loved this wine on release, and it is still both very special and incredibly young. The 2014 represents a point of transition. It was aged 70% in cask and 30% in small French oak barrels. Today, Promontory is aged exclusively in large-format oak.$1,840.00 -
(1x75cl) 2015Vinous - Antonio Galloni (99)
The 2015 Promontory is just as magnificent as it has always been. Tasted next to current releases, the 2015 shows the riper style of the year, and also a bit more oak influence from the new casks the estate was moving to during this era. Dark-hued fruit, graphite, leather, dried herbs, lavender and a touch of oak open with a bit of coaxing. More than anything else, I am so impressed with the quality of the tannins, by far the biggest challenge the Harlan family faced in the early days of making wines from this rugged hillside site. If I think back to the 2008, the first vintage here, and wines I tasted prior to release, the progress made at Promontory in under a decade is nothing short of remarkable.$955.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (99)
The 2015 Promontory is just as magnificent as it has always been. Tasted next to current releases, the 2015 shows the riper style of the year, and also a bit more oak influence from the new casks the estate was moving to during this era. Dark-hued fruit, graphite, leather, dried herbs, lavender and a touch of oak open with a bit of coaxing. More than anything else, I am so impressed with the quality of the tannins, by far the biggest challenge the Harlan family faced in the early days of making wines from this rugged hillside site. If I think back to the 2008, the first vintage here, and wines I tasted prior to release, the progress made at Promontory in under a decade is nothing short of remarkable.$2,805.00 -
The Wine Independent (100)
Deep purple-black colored, the nose of the 2016 Promontory starts a little sluggish and broody before positively erupting with powerful scents of plum preserves and crème de cassis, followed by exotic hints of cardamom, Indian spices, and sandalwood, plus wafts of fertile loam and crushed rocks. The palate is full-bodied, rich, and velvety, intertwining opulence and minerality with wonderful vibrancy and gravitas, finishing with an epically long-lasting array of earthy sparks. Now starting to shut down as it heads into a slumber, give it a good 4-5 more years in the cellar before broaching, then drink it over the next 30+ years.$2,585.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Blackcurrant, tar, lead pencil and dark fruit. Full-bodied with resin, dark-berry and redwood undertones and firm, fine tannins. Salty. Leaner than some, but so long and bright. Vertical elegance here. Needs three to four years to soften and open.$4,270.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Blackcurrant, tar, lead pencil and dark fruit. Full-bodied with resin, dark-berry and redwood undertones and firm, fine tannins. Salty. Leaner than some, but so long and bright. Vertical elegance here. Needs three to four years to soften and open.$2,990.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)
Packed full of vivid (there really doesn't seem any other word for it) cassis and blueberry fruits, floral, textural and nuanced. Cabernet Sauvignon signature mix of crushed rocks, mint, crayon and slate, just a brilliant wine and a reflection of its exceptional site. This is elegant and precise while still delivering muscular, powerful flavours. I first tasted it at the property last November, and it's reassuring to see it make exactly the same impression when retasted back in Bordeaux, away from the awe-inspiring landscape. Harvest September 10 through to October 23. David Cilli winemaker, director Will Harlan.$1,120.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)
Packed full of vivid (there really doesn't seem any other word for it) cassis and blueberry fruits, floral, textural and nuanced. Cabernet Sauvignon signature mix of crushed rocks, mint, crayon and slate, just a brilliant wine and a reflection of its exceptional site. This is elegant and precise while still delivering muscular, powerful flavours. I first tasted it at the property last November, and it's reassuring to see it make exactly the same impression when retasted back in Bordeaux, away from the awe-inspiring landscape. Harvest September 10 through to October 23. David Cilli winemaker, director Will Harlan.$2,485.00 -
The Wine Independent (100)
The 2019 Promontory has a deep garnet-purple color. It is quite closed at the moment, needing a little swirling to reveal notes of crushed rocks, garrigue, iron ore, and lavender, leading to a core of black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and fresh blackcurrants, with a hint of mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is so tightly wound, delivering multi-layered black and red berries with mineral and earthy sparks, supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and fragrant.$3,100.00 -
(3x75cl) 2020The Drinks Business (100)
(Napa Valley; 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; 13.5% alcohol). Utterly beguiling. Gracious, calm, relaxed, composed, a little introvert and reticent but exuding class and balance and harmony even in its slight introspectiveness. Delightfully subtle. The delicate floral notes are the first to show – peony and lilac. Then the fruits. Cassis. Blueberries. And there’s a lovely slight stalky leafiness that really brings out the character of the Cabernet. So gracious. So utterly beautiful. Exquisitely balanced. There’s a diaphanous sheen and gloss to this that is so beguiling and it is so much less demonstrative in its intensity and concentration than any other Napa wine. I’m in raptures. Note the low alcohol. This was picked early – so early in fact that the forest fires had yet to begin.$3,153.00 -
(3x75cl) 2016$1,300.00 -
(3x75cl) 2018$1,420.00
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$1,460.00
