Winemaker Notes
Wines from hillsides of Promontory reflect the many aspects of the territory: the native forests, the moisture of the ephemeral fog, and the minerality of the geologic underpinnings. These disparate facets in symphony provide a natural balance of freshness, energy, and tannin.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Stupendous aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of mint, cedar and pine. Notes of iodine, tobacco and mushrooms. Medium- to full-bodied with solid tannins that spread across the palate and melt into the wine. They frame the wine and give it form and tension, and then the center palate is energized with pure, airy, bright fruit. Available in 2026.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Flat-out awesome, the 2021 Promontory continues to show brilliantly and will most likely merit a triple-digit rating in a decade. Cassis, graphite, crushed stone, black olives, and violets define the aromatics, and it has a liquid, rock-like minerality. It's full-bodied on the palate, remarkably well-balanced, with ultra-fine tannins, integrated acidity, and a great finish.
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Vinous
The 2021 Promontory is fabulous. It shows all the natural intensity of a vintage defined by intense drought. Dark-toned fruit, graphite, new leather, spice and chocolate all meld together in this powerful, structured wine from Promontory. Potent tannins need time to soften, but there's a ton of underlying finesse here. Readers should be in no rush.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Matured entirely in large-format oak (foudres ranging from 1,000 to 4,600 liters in capacity), the medium-bodied 2021 Promontory remains quite taut and tannic; it definitely needs another few years in the bottle to become approachable. Concentrated tart cherries are joined by hints of bay leaf and gentle sandalwood notes, while the mouthwatering finish shows great intensity and length.
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.