2010 Proprietary Red Blend

Promontory appears to really have its stride over the last few years, as the wines get better and better with each passing vintage. The team has begun to hone on in the personality of this rugged, hillside that lies not too far from Harlan Estate. The wines are precise, sculpted and energetic in style, which means they usually need at least a few years in bottle to truly open up. As has been the custom every time I have tasted here, Bill Harlan and his team presented five years of their work, which provided a great opportunity to check in on some of the earlier vintages. One day Promontory will equal Harlan Estate and BOND. That day might not be too far off, as these wines make abundantly clear.

It has been fascinating to watch the evolution of Bill Harlan's Promontory over these last few years, as the wines continue to get better with each passing vintage. It is also quite clear that these wines benefit from time in bottle, as some of the earlier efforts have begun to shine only recently. While Harlan Estate and BOND have very well established protocols, it seems to me Harlan and his team are willing to take more chances at Promontory. Among other things it is pretty clear that these are Cory Empting's wines and that he is doing a fabulous work.

Bill Harlan spent over 25 years scouting the land he now owns at Promontory. Harlan describes the core of Promontory as an unusual combination of volcanic and sedimentary soils not found anywhere else in Napa Valley. After seeing a large portion of the site last year, it seems pretty clear that Promontory is best described as a collection of hillside sites, many of them with unique exposures, not to mention a wide range of other variables. Promontory will initially offer two wines; a main label and a second wine. I tasted the main label in vintages 2009, 2010 and 2011. It appears likely that as the Harlan team becomes more familiar with the land that single-parcels from within the property will begin to emerge, although I wouldn't hold my breath, as that development may take as long as a decade, perhaps longer. I also tasted the 2008, the first wine made at Promontory by the Harlan team. That wine, which was frankly not terribly impressive a few years ago, has actually developed far better than I ever expected. Today it is totally beautiful. The Harlan team purchased Promontory in 2008 and therefore did not control farming throughout the season. The inaugural vintage at Promontory will always be regarded as transitional in nature. Still, there is no denying how far the wine has come over the last two years.