Promontory - A typical investment wine in the 1st cru class
About 20 km north of Napa, specifically in Oakville, is the famous Harlan Estate winery, which was founded in 1984 by William Harlan. In 2008, the family acquired a promontory, in English called Promontory, not far from the Harlan Estate. William Harlan gave responsibility for the land to his son Will Harlan and his winemaker Cory Empting
The distance between the vineyard and the Promontory is not long, but the land itself in the two places is like night and day. Here we are talking about a dramatic landscape, which most of all resembles a jungle, with dense vegetation, different soil types, large differences in height and even wild animals.
Despite these difficulties and feeling forward without any experience of such a landscape, Harlan and Empting have succeeded in producing an extraordinary wine that all wine reviewers are beyond excited about.
The grapes for Promontory's wines consist of Cabernet Sauvignon, a little Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.
Often the area is shrouded in morning fog. A morning fog that helps to create a very special microclimate, perfect for this particular wine. Just 10% of the land is used to grow wine, while the rest lies unexplored.
It has taken almost 6 years to complete Promontory, which today is one of Napa's finest wineries with all the latest technology.
The aging period and the development of the wine extends over 6 years. The first 12 months are in French oak barrels. The final blend is then made on the basis of as many as 30 different cuvées.
The wine is then aged for 24 months in large Austrian casks, and finally, after bottling, to age a further 36 months in bottle.
Promontory is a muscular, dense and tannic wine in 1st cru format. Notes of blackcurrant, plum, clay, crushed stone, leather and tobacco are prominent.
The prices are also of the 1st cru format, but definitely a wine that we believe will cost quite a bit more when Promontory first becomes really well known.
We look forward to following the house in the future.