PROMONTORY 2015

Promontory 2015

“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.” 98/100, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

VARIETIES: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
REGION: Napa Valley, California, USA
AGEING: Cement, oak and stainless steel fermentation tanks. Blended and aged in large (31 hl, 18 hl, 10 hl), neutral, Austrian oak barrels
GUARDING POTENTIAL: Enjoy now or will cellar well up to 20 years
SERVE: Serve at 16 – 18ºC
CRITICS SCORES: 98/RP, 98/JD, 96/D, 95/WS
VIVINO: Average 4.7 ★★★★✰

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2015 | Vintage | Promontory

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. We believe these traits, in wine, are the building blocks of great vitality and long life.

Growing Season

After a dry and unusually warm winter, budbreak occurred in the third week of March, indicating an early beginning for the 2015 growing season. Colder weather during flowering led to lower fruit set, which, along with minimal rainfall throughout the previous three years, resulted in small yields. In late summer, several heat spells nudged temperatures above 100 degrees. These incidences were particularly challenging during August and September, and so the vines needed to use all available resources to maintain a regular ripening path. Harvest began very early—September 8th—but the cool climate of the territory tempered trajectories, allowing us to continue harvesting for four weeks. Nearly fifty-four harvest passes were completed, resulting in forty distinct vinifications. The wine showed generosity and balance from the beginning, while maintaining the innate drive so typical of Promontory.

Tasting Notes

Deep red in the glass, the 2015 Promontory exhibits luminous nuance along the rim. Vivid on the nose, fresh notes of red fruits are surrounded by the characteristic scents of our territory: wet stone, graphite, lichen, and subtle laurel. The entry is gentle and elegant, building naturally into a lively and generous mid-palate. Tannins are voluminous yet gain definition as they flow along the palate, lending strength and length to the wine. Despite its youth, the wine allows itself to be appreciated without hiding its latent potential—a promise for future decades.