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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 96.9 pts. and median of 97 pts. in 37 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Ltim BE on 4/7/2024 & rated 96 points: 8h decant. The wine was simply stunning. (409 views) | | | Tasted by EM_MB on 3/15/2024 & rated 95 points: 5 hour decant and it was ready to go. Drinking very well now but still more upside to be had. Drink with lots of air of hold. (500 views) | | | Tasted by toppcats@aol.com on 9/15/2023 & rated 96 points: Opened with a dinner gathering of family/friends. Mid-neck level, cork removed intact with deep purple staining about 15% up the cork, no evidence of seepage beyond that point. Given about a 3 hour decant prior to pouring; minimal sediment noted. Beautiful fruity/floral aroma noted. In glass, opaque deep purple coloration. Nose - ripe black cherry, blue/black fruits, pencil, and forest floor. Palate showed predominantly dark red/black fruit with a silky mouthfeel along with a notable lightness in the texture of this wine. Medium to long finish with mild/fine-grained tannins noted. There was no alcoholic heat or chalkiness noted at any point. While excellent, I will admit to expecting a bit more here. The nose, while focused, was not particularly strong/explosive with fruit and seemed to be missing some elements of complexity (earthiness, spices, pine needles) that were noted in other reviews. Palate complexity and length of finish were two other areas where I also was expecting a bit more. Still, this wine was excellent, well structured, and enjoyed by all who partook. There was a brief discussion of the QPR of the more expensive California cabs and Bordeaux wines. Most at the table felt that while these expensive wines are worth trying, it is a question, though, as to whether they deliver an experience worthy of their price tag. (1582 views) | | | Tasted by jmoon on 7/6/2023 & rated 96 points: From pop and pour Very rich and dense, thrilling and ripe and loaded. After an hour hard graphite notes, some tar. Then 2 hours in all was forgiven the graphite blew off and plush roch deep layered beautiful Napa cab. But very intense style, could still taste it the next day. More a thrill than a great food wine at this stage due to the richness of the fruit. (1881 views) | | | Tasted by WojoWineCave on 1/26/2023 & rated 98 points: This is a wow wine. A rare wine. Yes it’s expensive but it creates a unique experience. With a nice decant it shines. Palate is still tight for 2014 and a long decant but in a good way. It’s not overly ripe or a heavy syrupy fruit bomb, rather its medium body with all the blue fruits present and well integrated. It has structure and fine tannins to age easily another 10-15 years. (2638 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 12/2/2022 & rated 99 points: In the world of plus $500 California wines it’s hard to live up to expectations but this really does deliver. The fruit is laden with ripeness and mineral that is glorious from the start. Tannins are fine but still stick on the finish. I can smell the glass from three feet away but is in no way a heavy bruiser. Cassis, dark chocolate, graphite, plum, blackberry… medium plus body for Napa but still heavier that Harlan in a good way. Very fresh and elegant. Might be a perfect score in the future. 98-100 (2994 views) | | | Tasted by Cristal2000 on 5/19/2022 & rated 98 points: Had this at the winery along with 12, 16, 20 (barrel), 21 (barrel) and 12 Penultimate. For drinking right now, 12 Promontory was the winner but this wasn't far behind and is overall a slightly better wine (16 is the best of them IMO).
Aromas of blackcurrant, baking spices, lead pencil, violets and forest floor. Has a tightly packed palate (especially for a 14), but the layers start to unfurl while in the glass, revealing lovely pure and expressive blue fruit. Still quite firm with chalky powerful tannins, this has a tremendous aging potential but gives you so much right now. Superior concentration, extreme freshness and an insanely long finish leave quite the impression. (5558 views) | | | Tasted by bsumoba on 4/12/2022 & rated 99 points: Spring 2022 Dream Napa Trip; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022: Showing better than the last time I tasted this back in August, followed by 13 and 16. Beautiful fruit, a bit of baseball glove leather on the nose. On the palate, just tons of nuance to this wine, with a long finish. (3950 views) | | | Tasted by WineBurrowingWombat on 4/12/2022 & rated 97 points: Napa Trip - Trying new wines and meeting new people; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022 (Napa): This one came out swinging, beatin' my dead palate awake. This one stood out most to me, even with a shot palate. Nose was quite pretty with red flowers with dark red and black fruits, soft clean oak and minerals. Palate showed much of the same but with an execution of elegance and nice finesse. My favorite out of the entire line up. (4591 views) | | | Tasted by WildeMeeuw on 4/6/2022 & rated 97 points: Kleur: Dieprood Aroma / bouquet: Opvallend expressief, aangenaam en verleidelijk bouquet, minder 'aards' dan de 2011 en meer in lijn met 2015 en 2016. Smaak / Afdronk: BP14 Prachtige volle Promontory, iets minder gepronunceerde zuurgraad, opvallend dik-sappig en geconcentreerd. Aangename, zachte en bijna romig aandoende tannines. Algemeen / potentieel: 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 19 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 97/100
Colour: Deep red Aroma / bouquet: Strikingly expressive, pleasant and seductive bouquet, less 'earthy' than the 2011 and more in line with 2015 and 2016. Taste / Finish: BP14 Beautiful full Promontory, slightly less pronounced acidity, remarkably thick-juicy and concentrated. Pleasant, soft and almost creamy tannins. General / Potential: 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / Bouquet: 14 + Taste / Aftertaste: 19 + General / Potential: 9 = 97/100 (2343 views) | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 3/3/2022 & rated 95 points: Bigger and warmer than the 2016. Not the same depth or precision but absolutely beautiful. Drinking well now. Voluptuous. (95) (2420 views) | | | Tasted by buckeye76 on 12/30/2021 & rated 97 points: Decanted three hours, a young wine that will benefit from further cellaring. Still very deep purple, with lots of black and blue fruits in the nose and flavor. Blackberries, black currents, blueberries, black cherries, and hints of chocolate, licorice, leather, and tobacco. A well structured, elegant wine, very deep and rich, full bodied, perfectly balanced, and a very long surprisingly silky smooth finish. I suspect I will give it a higher score when next tasted in seven or eight years. (1835 views) | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 10/21/2021: Wine Spectator 40th Anniversary; 10/21/2021-10/23/2021 (Marriott Marquis): Just too much. Too big, too much alc, lots of tannins. Maybe if it has a long time? (2901 views) | | | Tasted by parkline_wine on 9/22/2021 & rated 96 points: A bit tightly wound when sampled at Promontory. Looking forward to trying this bottle in 4 or 5 y. Leather, Black fruit, Red Fruit, very precise! (2320 views) | | | Tasted by Niagara on 8/29/2021: Absolute perfection. OUT.STAND.ING. (2336 views) | | | Tasted by bsumoba on 8/24/2021 & rated 98 points: I had notes that mirrored much of what has been said on CT from other users. This wine was…muah! I loved this wine for its mouthfeel. This had an amazingly long finish. This wine has structure, balance, complexity and nuance. Why didn’t this score higher for me? I think it just needs some time and unfortunately it was on the day where it had to go up against the likes of Macdonald and Harlan. This will be a 99-100 point wine. (2676 views) | | | Tasted by Charceesq on 6/30/2021: Amazing (2084 views) | | | Tasted by dnnk88 on 10/15/2020: Imperial Paragon Wine Night + Promontory!: Most anticipated vintage for me tonight. However, similar to the 2013, this was just way too tight and closed up. Black fruits, leather, tar, espresso beans, kirsch, cigar, smoke. I got a glimpse of the potential but it just never quite opened up tonight. This definitely needs more time for me. Hold 92/93 (3763 views) | | | Tasted by ageverett on 6/20/2020 & rated 99 points: Decanted for about 4 hours. Drank over 3 hours.
This is an epic wine. The most standout feature is the mouthfeel. After visiting this winery in 2018 and seeing the process, they clearly are adding amazing layers to the mouthfeel with the multiple barrels, time, etc. this goes through before bottling.
We drank several excellent wines from Napa on the same day as this and the night before (2016 M. Etain and William Cole; 2017 Realm To Kalon and Carter Grand Daddy). This Promontory was on another level. (4616 views) | | | Tasted by eschuldt on 5/17/2020 & rated 99 points: Scored after 6 hours open, clearly the star in a line up of 2011-2014 promontory. Amazing concentration and will be great in 3-5 years. (4210 views) | | | Tasted by Niagara on 2/8/2020 & rated 96 points: seriously good wine. drinking well now but has a long life ahead, if you can stand waiting. (4849 views) | | | Tasted by willfab60 on 1/29/2020 & rated 98 points: In a class of its own. Complex, blue fruit and a very long finish. Wish it was cheaper. (4004 views) | | | Tasted by nmcandrew on 1/24/2020 & rated 97 points: Seductive Sunday Steak Dinner (3205 views) | | | Tasted by msuwine on 1/1/2020 & rated 100 points: This rich, layered, and graceful wine achieves the rare feat of being both incredibly tasty and incredibly unique. I've never tasted a wine like it: there is so much flavor, complexity, and precision - but there is also a rusticity, earthiness, and wildness that are just electric. I enjoyed the 2013 Promontory, but this operates on another level.
Garnet in color and medium in body, the wine explodes with aromas of black cherry, cardamon, lavender, eucalyptus, and dried pine needles. (Really, the nose draws you in: you could be hiking in any leafy and sunny hillside in northern California, and these smells would be there.) If the nose is spicy and herbal, the flavors are more generous, with the rich notes I love in Napa Cabernet (i.e., dense notes of blueberry tart, boysenberry, espresso, graphite) along with an earthy undertone that keeps things - um, kind of literally - grounded (i.e., savory notes of gravel, peppercorn, bay leaf). The finish is lifted and elegant, with fine-grained tannins and a sweet aftertaste (anise?) that goes on and on. 14.8% alcohol.
Call me a caveman, but I enjoy Napa Cabernets that push - but don't exceed - the limits, whether through ripeness, extraction, or power (e.g., Maybach, Bevan). That said, I'm intrigued by those taking the more restrained route - some leaning forward with gusto (e.g., Di Costanzo, Larkmead), some leaning back with asceticism (e.g., Mayacamas, Arnot-Roberts). Like many wines in the Harlan portfolio, Promontory seeks a modern middle ground, but it adds something I've never tasted in a Harlan or Bond: ample fruit, real structure, proper acidity, yes to all that, but there is an unruly underbelly that underlines that you are drinking the result of something that grew somewhere, in the dirt, under the sun, across the seasons.
Of the 1,595 wines I have reviewed over the past five years (?!), only two have received a three-digit score. This is undoubtedly the third. I considered docking this a point for the price, but this is the kind of crazy, ambitious, "off the map" project that is expensive and risky and worthwhile - and because this wine is just that good. I think this has 5-15 years ahead of it, but it is ready to go now. Although my "perfect" wine may be different than yours, I have no doubt that this wine is exceptional. On this night, with this bottle, for this person, it couldn't have been better. Bravo! (5211 views) | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 10/6/2019 & rated 96 points: A fabulous wine. Everything is outsized and exceptional: fruit, weight, tannins, extract, acid, mouth feel etc. Rghtly west coast, there is a blue/black nature to this wine that is seductive. Should age incredibly well but will always have a very strong personality. (96) (3241 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/19/2020)
(Promontory Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Brook
Decanter, Promontory vertical tasting (2/7/2020)
(Promontory, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (11/19/2019)
(Promontory Napa Valley, Red, United States) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley's Incredible 2016s (1/31/2019)
(Promontory Estate Red) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernets (Dec 2018) (12/1/2018)
(Promontory Promontory Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (3/22/2018)
(Promontory Napa Valley, Red, United States) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Brilliance in Napa Valley: 2016 & 2015 Cabernets (Jan 2018) (1/18/2018)
(Promontory Promontory Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, California, Napa Valley: Napa’s Exuberant, Powerful 2015s (12/29/2017)
(Promontory Promontory Estate) Login and sign up and see review text. | By William Kelley
Decanter, 2014 California Cabernet Sauvignon & Bordeaux blends (5/31/2017)
(Promontory, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Decanter and JamesSuckling.com and JebDunnuck.com and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Promontory Producer website
The most recent winegrowing endeavor of the Harlan family—a venture undertaken by the second generation—Promontory is born of a wild territory hidden within the western borderlands of Oakville. From the outset, the quest has been to faithfully reveal the character of this land through the mood of the individual growing season. Each successive vintage has revealed itself with increasing transparency, yet the essence of Promontory remains unaltered: a mineral-driven, weightlessly structured, and linear translation of the place’s intrinsic, untamed splendor.Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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