Promontory by Harlan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, 2019

Overview of the Wine
In an unmarked territory, hidden beyond the upper reaches of Oakville’s southwestern borderlands, Promontory looms remote, raw, and replete with uncharted potential. Steeped in history yet largely overlooked in the twentieth century, the scale of this undiscovered territory evokes the impression of a small national park. These lands encompass an entire watershed, and embody all the hallmarks of an unparalleled winegrowing estate - diversity of soil, elevation, exposition, and climate – all within a single and dramatic expanse.

Building a dream of this scale requires a commitment much greater than that of one individual or even one lifetime. It is a pursuit that requires the experience and wisdom of the founding generation, the preparedness and conviction of the current generation, with consideration for the promise of the next.

Promontory extends their pioneering spirit of discovering something that can reveal, just possibly, a glimpse of the sublime.

Produced by Harlan.

Grape / Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon

Origin
Napa Valley, California

Winemaker Tasting Notes
The 840 acre (340 hectare) property, isolated from other vineyards in the region, was purchased by the Harlan family in 2008. H. William Harlan had discovered it in the early 1980s while hiking the ridge but had been unable to acquire it. The fruit had previously been sold to other wineries. There are now around 80 acres of vines split across numerous plots.

Though only one Cabernet Sauvignon wine is made, it is a complicated blend. Because of the variations of soil, exposure and elevation, up to 70 different passes are made through the vineyard to pick fruit in optimum condition. This results in 30 or more distinct component wines being made and aged in barrel for a year before blending.

The blended wine is then further aged for several years. Unusually for the USA, Promontory use large casks from Austrian oak.

A large winery was opened in 2017. It combines industrial practicality with large spaces designed to host visitors and events. This represents a deliberate departure from the less accessible production facilities of Harlan Estate and Bond, the other labels owned by the family.

100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, the 2019 Promontory matches the perfect 2016 from this estate and is legendary stuff. Ripe black fruits, chocolatey, lead pencil shaving, roasted herbs, and tobacco are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible finish. It doesn’t get any better. This has the class of a First Growth from Bordeaux paired with a Napa sense of texture and fruit. It will evolve for 40-50 years.

99 Points - James Suckling
Purple-fruit, dark-licorice and conifer aromas follow through to a medium to full body with firmness and a linear flow that goes on for minutes. Racy tannins and focus. Give this until at least 2028.

99 Points - Decanter
Beguiling scents of wild flowers, dark bramble fruits and some aniseed notes on the nose. Textured and fleshy, full and bright, but sleek and lean too, the tannins have real bit and angles giving this a little bit of an austere frame. Nothing overdone or too ripe about this though and in a sene atypical, but I love the finesse on show and the reigned-in sense to the flavours. Well shaped, well constructed, deep and layered, so dark and finely knitted. Not seductive but almost sultry in a severe way. I love the energy, the focus and the overall expression. Almost hands off, great acidity, piercing with pristine fruit. It's such a young wine that it's really hard to see it in its full glory right now but I love the dark spices; liquorice, aniseed and clove. Totally gorgeous. At this price it should knock your socks off and it does. But this will require patience.

97 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Promontory offers up slightly darker cherries than the red-fruited 2018, couched in a bed of foresty-minty notes and underpinned by crushed stone. At this stage, it looks more intense but otherwise similar to the excellent 2018, finishing long, silky and elegant, with mouthwatering freshness. Collectors should enjoy comparing the two years for decades to come.

Product size: 750ml