Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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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+
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.