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  • Country ranking ?

    219
  • Producer ranking ?

    10
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    now to 2040
  • Food Pairing

    Skirt Steak with Pomegranate Sauce

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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate / 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. Rating: 98+

 

The appearance is deep violet in color and brilliant along the meniscus. The nose, full of subtlety, carries notes from dark bramble fruits, graphite, wet stones, to an array of extremely fresh spices. Vibrant acidity defines the entry; this nerve is intertwined through a fleshy and dense mid-palate, evoking an impression of juiciness that is resonant through to the finish. The tannins are perhaps the most detailed part of the wine. They have richness and volume, yet you can perceive the individuality of each fine grain, almost as if it were chiseled apart from the whole. Though intensely enjoyable now with five years of age, this wine has a very long life ahead. Its precise balance of acidity, tannin and fruit would seem to render it immortal. We expect that it should drink beautifully over the next 50+ years.

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The Story

Wines from hillsides of Promontory reflect the many aspects of the territory: the native forests, the moisture of the ephemeral fog, and the minerality of the geologic underpinnings. These disparate facets in symphony provide a natural balance of freshness, energy, and tannin. We believe these traits, in wine, are the building blocks of great vitality and long life.

In an unmarked territory, concealed in the southwestern hills bordering Oakville, lies PROMONTORY - remote, raw, and replete with uncharted potential.

The quiet quest of a quarter century, the lands of Promontory manifest the hallmarks of an unparalleled winegrowing estate, diversity of soil, elevation, exposition and climate, all within a single and dramatic expanse.

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Wine Information

The first week of April marked the beginning of a long budbreak that didn’t conclude until April 17th. This was followed by one of the coolest growing seasons in over a decade. Fortunately, there was not an over-abundance of rain in the period from bloom to harvest, allowing for a very balanced and even ripening season. Harvest began on October 2nd with the highest elevations first. Over the next 25 days, we were able to pick each block deliberately at its moment of ripeness. When all was said and done, we had identified and brought in 70 sovereign areas. In the cellar these became 30 distinct fermentations which, once complete, were aged separately for one year before blending. Ultimately twenty-one of those were selected to represent the virtues of the 2010 vintage. Together in concert we believe they harmonize the multi-faceted nature of Promontory’s character.

 

 

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

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Written Notes

A big, explosive wine, the 2010 opens with a captivating mélange of graphite, smoke, licorice, gravel and crushed rocks. Firm, incisive tannins give the 2010 much of its sense of gravitas and pure, unbridled energy. The 2010 still needs a few years to soften, as it remains massively structured and tannic, but it has long been a personal favorite.

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Information

Origin

Oakville, Napa Valley

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Inside Information

This is the newest project of Harlan Estate's Bill Harlan. I did not visit the 80-acres of land that includes vineyard parcels at 500 to 1,100 foot elevations. It is situated in rough country that is accessible only by a fire trail, and the vineyards are located up from and behind the vineyards of Dominus and Blankiet, thus qualifying as part of the Yountville appellation. The soils are primarily volcanic and sedimentary. Ever the perfectionist, Bill Harlan has already made six vintages, but has not yet decided when to release any of them, although it would appear from our discussions that 2009 will be the initial release of this Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend. I think readers should plan on placing Promontory's Proprietary Red in the same context as the Harlan Estate. Most Napa wine connoisseurs are certainly aware that Harlan Estate is one of Napa Valley's most iconic wines, and a true first-growth if such a thing existed in Napa. One thing for sure, these wines will not be inexpensive, but the quality is extremely promising.

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