Winemaker Notes
The name refers to the Latin word for many, and was chosen to signify the various facets involved in creating a fine wine: from the sun, soil, and climate of a vineyard, to the team of people who guide a wine through its evolution. A breathtaking mountainous 7-acre site with steep exposures to the north, east and southeast, the soil is comprised of volcanic bedrock. Pluribus, which debuted in the 2003 vintage, is defined as a bold, rich and concentrated wine; elements of dark plum, roasted coffee, and scents of cedar are inherent throughout the vintages.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another perfect wine from this incredible team is the 2019 Pluribus, a darker, richer, concentrated, yet still seamless 2019. Cassis, red plums, bouquet garni, tobacco, and assorted lead pencil and graphite notes all emerge on the nose. Full-bodied and utterly perfect on the palate, it has ultra-fine tannins, a multi-dimensional, layered mouthfeel, and remarkable purity of fruit. It doesn’t get any better. As with the Vecina, hide bottles for 5-7 years if you can. It’s going to evolve for 30 years.
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James Suckling
Blackcurrants, flowers, crushed stones and some licorice. Sappy, Roasted coffee, too. Full, very structured and tannic with firmness and length. Fine, chewy tannins. Stone interface to the fruit. Great length. Highlights the greatness of Spring Mountain. Try after 2028.
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Decanter
Vines rooted in Aiken loam soils on Spring Mountain are surrounded by conifer and redwoods. It is the ripest of the Bond wines, very compact, only hinting at black fruit aromas and forest floor notes. Rich, black, satiny fruit, olive and dark chocolate are framed by long, sappy tannins and crisp acids. Dark, brooding and muscular. Delicious now, with decades to go.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Pluribus originates from a site 1000 feet above sea level on Spring Mountain. East facing and planted in 1998 on Aiken clay loam, it's wonderfully sappy and herbal on the nose but balances those notes with ripe cherries. It's medium to full-bodied, not as rich or lush as some of the other Bond wines, but silky, suave and elegant, with a long, lingering finish laced with dried herbs and softly dusty tannins.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe, sleek and polished in style, with inviting boysenberry and blackberry puree notes that meld with black tea, melted licorice, singed wood spice, sage, menthol and a late tug of bittersweet cocoa.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.