Promontory - Napa Valley 2015
| Producer | Promontory |
 | |
| Country | USA |
| |
| Region | California |
| |
| Subregion | Napa Valley |
| |
| Varietal | CABERNET SAUVIGNON |
| |
| Vintage | 2015 |
| |
| Sku | 25902 |
| |
|
James Suckling: 99 Points
Insane aromas of lavender, blackberries, wet earth and ripe yet fresh fruit. Full body with very deep fruit, pine needles and hints of chocolate and cedar. Very long and wonderfully polished. This has wonderful depth and focus. Release in 2021. Better after 2024
Jeb Dunnuck: 98 Points
I was lucky enough to be able to taste a small vertical for this report. Starting with the 2015 Promontory, this is still youthful and unevolved, but wow, it’s nevertheless a brilliant wine. Gorgeous notes of currants, mulberries, and black cherry fruits as well as lots of tapenade and leafy herb notes define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, sweet, polished tannins, and a great finish. It can be enjoyed today but won’t hit prime time for another 3-4 years. It should evolve for decades.
Wine Advocate: 98 Points
The 2015 Promontory has recently been released in the domestic market and is due for international release in spring 2021. Deep garnet-purple in color, it has sprung to life since I last tasted it, prancing out of the glass with showy red currant jelly, black cherry compote and warm cassis notes plus hints of cinnamon toast, wilted roses, unsmoked cigars and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, the palate is rich and impactful, featuring layer upon layer of red and black fruits with loads of mineral sparks. The structure is rock-solid with firm, rugged tannins that are beginning to come into line with the flamboyant fruit, finishing with great length and a lively lift.
During a visit to Promontory in December, I tasted the four latest vintages with winemaker David Cilli, Cory Empting and Will Harlan.
The current release is the 2015 vintage, recently offered on the domestic market with the international offer coming out this spring.
It was an absolute joy to taste the perfect 2016 Promontory again, a wine that Cilli mentioned "so clearly shows the characteristics of Promontory."
Of the 2017 (now in bottle), Cilli said, “We were not able to pick the last few Promontory blocks because of the fires, so it was a very small harvest this year. We had picked a few lots just after the heat spells, and we were able to maintain that freshness in the wine." - RP
