Promontory 2019 Napa Valley

Falstaff
100 punten
Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the edge. Delicate floral nuances of candied violets, fresh blackberry confit, fine herbal savouriness, a hint of old wood, candied orange zest. Juicy, fruit texture, ripe cherries and plums, firm tannins, finely structured, pleasant nougat note in the finish. Mineral and fresh, salty finish, already shows great length, will only benefit from further bottle ageing; great future. (2030-2070).

Jeb Dunnuck
100 punten
Lastly, the 2019 Promontory matches the perfect 2016 from this estate and is legendary stuff. Ripe black fruits, chocolatey, lead pencil shaving, roasted herbs, and tobacco are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible finish. It doesn’t get any better. This has the class of a First Growth from Bordeaux paired with a Napa sense of texture and fruit. It will evolve for 40-50 years.

Decanter
99 punten
Beguiling scents of wild flowers, dark bramble fruits and some aniseed notes on the nose. Textured and fleshy, full and bright, but sleek and lean too, the tannins have real bit and angles giving this a little bit of an austere frame. Nothing overdone or too ripe about this though and in a sene atypical, but I love the finesse on show and the reigned-in sense to the flavours. Well shaped, well constructed, deep and layered, so dark and finely knitted. Not seductive but almost sultry in a severe way. I love the energy, the focus and the overall expression. Almost hands off, great acidity, piercing with pristine fruit. It's such a young wine that it's really hard to see it in its full glory right now but I love the dark spices; liquorice, aniseed and clove. Totally gorgeous. At this price it should knock your socks off and it does. But this will require patience.

James Suckling
99 punten
Purple-fruit, dark-licorice and conifer aromas follow through to a medium to full body with firmness and a linear flow that goes on for minutes. Racy tannins and focus. Give this until at least 2028.

Vinous
98+ punten
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.

Jane Anson 
98 punten
Classic mountain Napa with fragrant underbrush, mint leaf, sage, bay leaf, slate and pummice stone, a ton of fresh acidities that bounce under the tannic structure. So good, drawn out, intense, with personality and freshness, a highlight of one of my favourite recent Napa vintages. 12ha of steeply-sloped vineyard, Harlan family, David Cilli winemaker, director Will Harlan.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 
97 punten
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.

Jancis Robinson 
19/20 punten
Pencil shavings! This is textbook for classic Cabernet aromas. Incredible openness and complexity at five years old, and incredibly tempting to drink now – the fruit is so amazing. It really tells a story: there's such layering and interest. And length, too, a fine example of what persistence can really mean.