2016 Promontory Proprietary Red
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Tasting notes
Will Harlan describes the 2016 vintage as one of the first wines that they felt allowed them to compete on a global stage. Still incredibly youthful, it’s somehow almost approachable yet has significant structure behind. There’s a plush richness to the fruit, a firmness and depth to the tannins that needs time, yet a vibrancy too. It’s just starting to become more supple, yet the phenolics grip onto the finish, drying it out very slightly. The fruit is starting to mellow, mingling with savoury tones. Significantly more weight than the other vintages.
Deep garnet in colour, the 2016 Promontory reveals delicate aromas of forest floor and freshly crushed blackcurrants. The palate shows great textural depth and precision with notes of cedar, spice and black cherries. Medium to full-bodied, the wine has great mineral qualities that are very pronounced, and silky tannins that are both fresh and refined. This latest iteration of Promontory feels more pared back than in recent years – a clear progression on the 2014 and 2015 vintages.
Critic scores
Average Score
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
This has the kick of black pepper, green pepper, mint leaf and eucaplyptus that takes you slap bang into Cabernet Sauvignon territory. As things limber up on the palate, everything is held in place by structured, slate-textured tannins that keep you pinned you in the heart of the wine. Plump blueberry and raspberry fruits, grilled almond, cloves and gunsmoke, with fresh sage notes that place you with a vineyard planted at altitude. The vines range in age from 7 to 50 years old, covering 32ha, with the wine aged in large-sized oak casks for three years, extremely unusual in Napa, and then typically held back for a further year in bottle before release. Promontory is all about precision, ageing-ability and carefully-hewn tannins, and this is great stuff from winemaker David Cilli and director Will Harlan. 2016 is the 4th vintage on the Place de Bordeaux (the US release for the 2016 vintage came in late 2021, with March 2022 marking the release for the rest of the world).
The 2016 Promontory is every bit as magnificent as it has always been. A wine of dimension and breadth, the 2016 is so captivating in the way it engages all the senses. Unlike many Napa Valley Cabernets, Promontory, especially in structured years like 2016, really benefits from aeration. That time brings out striking floral and mineral nuance while releasing the fruit as the tannins gently melt. Hints of sage, lavender, graphite and mint lend brilliance to this beautifully sculpted, taut Cabernet Sauvignon. What a wine.
The 2016 Promontory is every bit as magnificent as it has always been. A wine of dimension and breadth, the 2016 is so captivating in the way it engages all the senses. Unlike many Napa Valley Cabernets, Promontory, especially in structured years like 2016, really benefits from aeration. That time brings out striking floral and mineral nuance while releasing the fruit as the tannins gently melt. Hints of sage, lavender, graphite and mint lend brilliance to this beautifully sculpted, taut Cabernet Sauvignon. What a wine. (AG)
About the producer
Promontory is fast becoming one of the Napa Valley’s most important estates. The property was purchased by Bill Harlan (founder of Harlan Estate) in 2008, with the first vintage – 2009 – released in 2015.