Tucked into the rugged hills between Oakville and Yountville in Napa Valley, Promontory is one of California’s most enigmatic and ambitious wine projects. Founded by Will Harlan, son of Harlan Estate founder Bill Harlan, Promontory represents the family’s next-generation vision for Napa Cabernet. The site – a remote, wild expanse of land first identified in the 1980s – remained untouched until the Harlans acquired it in 2008. Its distinct geological formations, cooler microclimate, and dramatic slopes set it apart from other Napa vineyards, giving rise to wines of remarkable structure, energy, and longevity.
Promontory produces two wines, made entirely from its estate vineyards and aged in large Austrian oak casks to enhance purity and terroir expression. Since its debut vintage in 2009, Promontory has quickly risen to cult status, earning global acclaim for its depth, restraint, and age-worthy elegance. With tightly controlled allocations and a philosophy rooted in timelessness over trend, Promontory is not just a winery – it’s a long-term proposition for collectors seeking the future icons of Napa Valley.
Oeno Group is proud to offer a limited allocation of the 2021 Promontory Penultimate, a rare and highly anticipated release from one of Napa Valley’s most visionary estates. Produced in exceptionally small quantities, the Penultimate captures the unique character of the Promontory terroir with remarkable precision and purity. As the estate’s second wine, it offers collectors a chance to experience the philosophy and pedigree of Promontory at a more accessible level, while maintaining the elegance, structure, and ageing potential that define the brand. With only a handful of cases available, this is a rare opportunity for discerning collectors to secure a piece of Napa’s future icon.
2021 Vintage
Rain proved as reluctant to fall during this growing season as it had the previous year: from January to March, the Territory received a little more than half its average precipitation for those combined months, though the spring remained cool, especially in May. This colder stretch subsided approaching mid-June, when temperatures peaked on June 17, tipping above 100 degrees. Summer nevertheless progressed mildly, though not without diurnal variation. Days vacillated between the 80s and low 90s, and the nights were cold, often 50 degrees or below. Late August and the first week of September saw the thermometer rise to the mid-90s, bringing many blocks to maturity and condensing the more typically measured pace of harvest. Picking began on August 26th and was completed on September 15th. Yields were modest, due in part to scarce groundwater, but the berries were small and concentrated. The 89 lots were divided among 61 separate fermentations.
Tasting Notes
Despite minimal rainfall, the 2021 growing season rendered a wine of stature and inviting movement. The cool nights appear to have heightened and augmented its aromatic profile, which combines evocative and red-fruit-driven ripeness, with more subdued notes of graphite and seductive hints of the wild herbs that grow in shaded recesses among the lower woodlands. As the wine’s shape broadens, its fabric blankets the palate generously with pleasing body and weight. The wine’s tactile imprint, however, is also dynamic: its lush texture flows forward evenly – without pause or tapering – across the surface of its dense core, toward a softly feathered finish.
As this is an extremely limited allocation for Oeno Group, access to the 2021 Promontory Penultimate will be strictly on a first come, first served basis. Given the rarity of this release and its growing reputation among top collectors, we anticipate swift demand. We encourage clients who wish to secure a case to express their interest as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
