Winemaker Notes
The beautifully terraced volcanic soil slopes of this property reside in Oakville's western foothills. The 11-acre site faces due east and is the recipient of cool morning sun. Vecina, which appeared with the 1999 vintage in the inaugural Bond release, is always powerful, intense and savory. Vecina's other hallmarks are blackberry fruit, with wild forest floor and mineral associated overtones.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Vecina is pure perfection, with a full-bodied, rich, concentrated, yet ultra-pure style that literally stopped me in my tracks. Cassis, currants, graphite, iron, violets, and spicy oak are just some of the nuances here, and this beauty is perfectly balanced, with that rare mix of richness and elegance. This world-class, regal, incredibly impressive Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and keep for three decades.
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Decanter
An east-facing 4.4ha site, just southeast of Bond winery on Oakville’s western foothills. This multidimensional red teems with energy, giving off a savoury black-fruited nose, turning compact on the palate with muscular tannins, hints of blue-toned fruits, and a host of wild herbs redolent of the surrounding live oaks and chaparral. Finishes with rich terracotta earth notes.
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James Suckling
Blackberry, asphalt, leather and spice with dried flowers. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, layered tannins that are vertical and extremely deep and long. Super fine tannins. Seamless. Lasts for minutes. Graceful and thoughtful. Drink after 2027.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
My pick of the 2019s from Bond is the 2019 Vecina, which originates from a terraced, east-facing vineyard near the Bond winery, in the western hills of Oakville. It offers tremendous complexity on the nose, with hints of bay leaf, dried sage and pine needles set against a core of ripe cherries and raspberries. In the mouth, it's silky and lush, with terrific length and vibrant fruit on the finish. Give it a few years of age, then drink it over the next two decades.
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Wine Spectator
A round, polished style, with a core of warmed cassis and plum compote rolling through, plus a coating of dark licorice and a backdrop of roasted vanilla.
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.