Ratings & Tasting Notes:

100 points James Suckling

Stupendous aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of mint, cedar and pine. Notes of iodine, tobacco and mushrooms. Medium- to full-bodied with solid tannins that spread across the palate and melt into the wine. They frame the wine and give it form and tension, and then the center palate is energized with pure, airy, bright fruit. Available in 2026.

100 points The Wine Independent
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Promontory swans out with gregarious scents of juicy blueberries, fresh blackcurrants, and kirsch leading to suggestions of candied violets, forest floor, black olives, and cardamom with a waft of wet slate. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with electric black and red berry layers, framed by very firm yet beautifully ripe tannins and impactful tension, finishing long and minerally.

99 points Jeb Dunnuck
An absolute legend in the making, the 2021 Promontory is one of the most massive, concentrated, structured wines in the vintage. Coming from a hot, drought year, it has a dense purple/blue hue as well as primary notes of pure cassis, liquid rocks, black olives, resinous herbs, and iron. This carries to a full-bodied Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon that has a dense, layered mid-palate, ripe, building tannins, and flawless overall balance. It’s not going to hit full maturity for at least a decade, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this evolve for 40-50 years if well stored.

98+ points Vinous Media
Just bottled, the 2021 Promontory is captivating. Readers will find a striking, translucent mountain Cabernet Sauvignon endowed with notable tension and delineation. From the very beginning, Promontory has challenged the model of what Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is and what it can be. The 2021 is a total knockout. It’s exceptionally polished and drop-dead gorgeous.

Cult Wines International Notes:

The story of Promontory is one of patient obsession, rooted in a hidden “territory” discovered by H. William Harlan in the early 1980s while he was hiking the southwestern ridges of Oakville. Though Harlan was immediately struck by the site’s raw, untamed beauty—marked by a rare convergence of volcanic, sedimentary, and metamorphic soils—the land remained elusive for nearly three decades until the family was finally able to acquire it in 2008. Now led by the second generation, Will Harlan, Promontory has emerged as a distinct pillar within the Harlan portfolio. Unlike the more lush, opulent profiles of Harlan Estate or BOND, Promontory is defined by its rugged hillside provenance and a “St-Estèphe-like” mineral tension, further refined through aging in large, neutral Austrian oak Stockinger casks that allow the site’s wild, forest-driven character to shine.

The 2021 vintage at Promontory is being hailed as a “redemption” year for Napa Valley, characterized by a return to classicism and profound structural depth. Following a dry winter, the growing season was defined by a significant drought that naturally limited yields and produced small, thick-skinned berries with immense concentration. The weather remained relatively cool throughout the spring and early summer, allowing for a steady, measured development of phenolics without the punishing heat spikes that would define the following year. At the Promontory estate, the harvest began in late August and concluded by mid-September, capturing a wine of “electric” energy. The resulting 2021 release is a monumental expression of the site, balancing ripe blackcurrant and kirsch notes with savory undertones of graphite, wet slate, and wild mountain herbs.

Bottle Size:

750 mL

Storage History:

Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.

Condition:

Perfect.