2015 Promontory Proprietary Red
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Tasting notes
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.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
An early, dry year where Napa Valley received 75% of normal rainfall, giving Promontory an advantage with its mountain location (and helped even further by a four week harvest that saw 54 different passes through the vines). Still young even at six years old, rippling with fresh floral aromatics that balance the concentrated powerful olive tapenade, chocolate and liquorice-soaked berry fruits. Intense from the start, with the juicy elegance of slate, damson and cassis-dominant Cabernet Sauvignon that stretches out in the glass. The Harlan family know exactly how to deliver wines with power and punch. First released on the Place de Bordeaux in March 2021, making this my second tasting this year. First vintage 2009, distributed partly through the Place de Bordeaux since the 2012 vintage.
I was lucky enough to be able to taste a small vertical for this report. Starting with the 2015 Promontory, this is still youthful and unevolved, but wow, it’s nevertheless a brilliant wine. Gorgeous notes of currants, mulberries, and black cherry fruits as well as lots of tapenade and leafy herb notes define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, sweet, polished tannins, and a great finish. It can be enjoyed today but won’t hit prime time for another 3-4 years. It should evolve for decades.
About the producer
Promontory is fast becoming one of the Napa Valley’s most important estates. The property was purchased by Bill Harlan (founder of Harlan Estate) in 2008, with the first vintage – 2009 – released in 2015.