Promontory Estate Red Wine Napa Valley 2017

Each vintage, ACME is provided with the opportunity to share our treasured Harlan, BOND, Mascot, and Promontory allocations. These wines bear greatness and stature that allow us the sensation of assured satisfaction for our role in connecting these liquid works of art with you. There is a mystical allure to everything Bill Harlan creates; from the discovery and exploration phases to the completed masterpieces, every intricacy weaves itself into the glorious and captivating dénouement. And the 2017 Promontory is no exception in its ninth vintage.

After an early September heat spike, the vineyards re-balanced in sugar levels and maintained higher acidity than previous vintages. Harvest began in mid-September, and thankfully, 75% of the crop made it safely to the winery before the devastating wildfires started. However, the winemaking team kept the remaining quarter harvested after the fires separate and left this portion out from the final blend. This necessary yet difficult decision resulted in a much smaller production but profoundly complex wine.

Tasting notes from winemaker David Cilli, "The 2017 Promontory shares with predecessors an elusive scent of wet stones—though here, a minty, herbal note also rises from this mist. Subtle hints of red fruit cloak the wine's finely articulated structure, overlaying a spine of acidity and chiseled tension. Energy livens the midpalate, almost like an electrical impulse, as the tannin—tightly coiled at first—gradually unwinds to reveal on the finish the delicate complexity of its many component strands. Although the 2017 is among the more introverted vintages to date, the patient listener is soon drawn into the entrancing interplay of the wine's translucent layers."