2019 Promontory Proprietary Red
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Tasting Notes
What a stunning, well-structured wine. A perfumed and floral explosion of aromas on the nose. Notes of vanilla, sour cherries, rose petals and orange peel with chalky minerality. The palate shows intense but very well-balanced opulence, with sweet, fleshy, beautifully integrated tannins. This is a ripe, very plush and rich wine, with hints of red fruits such as pomegranate and cherries, alongside cassis and mint. Quite taught with wonderful acidity, great energy and tension. It is long and generous with intense minerality. Muscular and complex. A real showstopper but will need time.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2019 Promontory is just as impressive as it always has been. Vertical in structure, with tremendous depth, the 2019 possesses notable textural intensity and tons of volume. Black cherry, plum, licorice, mocha, new leather and espresso are all amplified. Time has softened some of the Promontory edges. The 2019 is still very young, but it has come together very nicely.
The 2019 Promontory has a deep garnet-purple color. It is quite closed at the moment, needing a little swirling to reveal notes of crushed rocks, garrigue, iron ore, and lavender, leading to a core of black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and fresh blackcurrants, with a hint of mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is so tightly wound, delivering multi-layered black and red berries with mineral and earthy sparks, supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and fragrant.
The 2019 Promontory offers up slightly darker cherries than the red-fruited 2018, couched in a bed of foresty-minty notes and underpinned by crushed stone. At this stage, it looks more intense but otherwise similar to the excellent 2018, finishing long, silky and elegant, with mouthwatering freshness. Collectors should enjoy comparing the two years for decades to come.
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.