2012 Promontory Penultimate

Community Tasting Notes (6) Avg Score: 95.3 points

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  4/7/2023 - csimm wrote: 94 Points

  A few days in Napa with fellow CT'r Cristal2000: I get that the idea is to drink this on the more ‘now’ side of things while your precious big daddy Promontory are resting peacefully in some dark corner of the world somewhere, but right out the gate I felt like the linear and somewhat primary presentation of the fruit on this wine could still use some time. Sure, you can drink this now with a healthy decant and not be the least bit displeased in your life. However, the tension merits even more time, with a grip that eases off just at the right places, but is certainly omnipresent throughout consumption. Comparatively, it is indeed chewier and “rounder” than its king colleagues; black cherry, plum skin, unripe blackberry, and a hint of spice. Though others may disagree here, I say give this to age 15 before cracking the next cork.

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  10/1/2022 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points

  This was really good alongside the regular bottling. Thought it does perform I’m just not sure it does for the price. Good acidity but the complexity is like a baby Promontory as you’d expect.

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  5/19/2022 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Very fun to have this right alongside big brother 12 Promontory. Penultimate is from the young vines. At age 5, they graduate into this bottling, and then at age 12, they move up to the big boy. Every year 3-5% of the vines are replanted at the vineyard, and so the circle is created.
  
  Being their first ever vintage and given the youth of the vines, I didn't expect a lot, but boy was I proven wrong. Had all the beautiful hallmarks of the 12 vintage, with a gorgeous nose of blackberries, plums, hints of tobacco, spice box and tilled soil. The fruit is super expressive with enough acidity to keep it fresh, while showing great energy and tension. Displays sweet fine grained tannin, excellent crushed rock and mineral driven notes and a savory long finish. The only thing that really stood out as different vs the 12 Promontory was the overall depth and concentration of the Penultimate, which couldn't quite keep up in that respect. Nevertheless, what a great wine, and one to drink now or in the next 5 or so years.

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  2/9/2022 - Tridaddy wrote: 98 Points

  Opened, poured half a glass 90 minutes prior to consuming with a prime rib eye.
  
  Before drinking think about what this wine is... the first vintage of Penultimate, made from the first vines planted by the Harlan team in Promontory vineyard. This wine is made from vines not ready for Promontory and are 1-4 years old (I believe). This first vintage was made in a rented facility in St. Helena.
  
  Tasting the wine reveals a depth, balance and Promontory wildness that blows the mind. Then you realize just how special this piece of land and the people who work it are, it is amazing.
  
  This is amazing right now, I will reluctantly hold a couple of years before the next bottle, my favorite wine maker told me the 2016 is the best of the lot, but I have not tried.
  
  If Harlan is like Cary Grant and Promontory like John Wayne, Penultimate has to be young Clint Eastwood.

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  1/1/2022 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 98 Points

  In the first morning of 2022 while having breakfast we discovered a quarter of a glass still inside the bottle we drank the night before. OMG was the expression of my girlfriend and I do agree with her. This wine simply needs time in the cellar or a very long slow-ox, next time I will open the bottle the night before and maybe a quick double decant prior consumption...

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