Wine Advocate (100)

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Petrus gives up glorious scents of preserved plums, redcurrant jelly, dried rose petals, blackberry compote and mulberries with touches of licorice, Chinese five spice and fragrant earth. Full, rich, plushly textured and oh-so-decadent, it reveals layer upon layer of spice box, black fruit and ferrous notions, finishing long and fragrant.

Wine Advocate (100)

I don't think I've ever tasted a wine more recently bottled than the 2014 Pingus, which was bottled in the morning and I tasted it that very same evening! Peter Sisseck compares this to the 1995, the first vintage ever produced, when he learned that when you have such perfect grapes, you should do very little to the wine. He's been trying to replicate that first vintage, but there's nothing you can do to force it, as it has to be the natural conditions of the vintage that bring those grapes. What he also learned with the 1995 was that with wines like that, you need a long and slow aging in oak; so for the 2014, he decided to do a little longer élevage—three winters in barrel—but in 100% used barrels, something he started in 2012. If it would have been new oak, as in the past, it would have been impossible to have such extended aging without marking the wine too much and possibly forever. The wine was quite tannic to start with, but it was racked every six months, and in that way they have managed to tame those tannins without getting the wine tired, as the aging itself was quite reductive. The nose is quite harmonious and open, but maybe not very expressive, a normal thing considering the extremely short bottle age it had (hours!), but it should gain precision in bottle. In instances like this, you have to guide yourself by the palate. And it's precisely on the palate where you find that texture that is almost unique to Ribera del Duero when it's as perfect as this. It's very different from other zones, a velvety mouthfeel and a surrounding sensation of comfort, incredibly long. The tannins are ultra fine and with that subtle chalkiness of the limestone soils, which also added to the tastiness and the supple aftertaste. In short, I cannot think of a way of improving this Pingus other, than getting a magnum instead of a regular bottle! Congratulations, Peter Sisseck! 4,800 bottles were filled on January 16th of 2017, a slightly shorter production than the average, because part of the vines were hit by hail and didn't make it into the final blend. Now stay tuned for 2015 and 2016.

Wine Advocate (100)

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Pontet-Canet is a little shut down to begin, but with coaxing this baby is soon firing on all cylinders with a full-throttle nose of chocolate-covered cherries, crème de cassis, boysenberries and spice cake plus tons of kirsch and cranberry sauce sparks and a beautiful undercurrent of emerging tertiary characters: cigar box, sandalwood, chargrill, truffles and cast iron pan. Full-bodied, rich, multilayered and completely seductive, the palate is charged with incredible energy, with a firm backbone of velvety tannins and seamless freshness providing solid grounding and promising a very long life ahead. It finishes with an incredible display of epically long-lasting flavor fireworks. Wow!

Wine Advocate (100)

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Pontet-Canet is a little shut down to begin, but with coaxing this baby is soon firing on all cylinders with a full-throttle nose of chocolate-covered cherries, crème de cassis, boysenberries and spice cake plus tons of kirsch and cranberry sauce sparks and a beautiful undercurrent of emerging tertiary characters: cigar box, sandalwood, chargrill, truffles and cast iron pan. Full-bodied, rich, multilayered and completely seductive, the palate is charged with incredible energy, with a firm backbone of velvety tannins and seamless freshness providing solid grounding and promising a very long life ahead. It finishes with an incredible display of epically long-lasting flavor fireworks. Wow!

Wine Advocate (100)

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Pontet-Canet is a little shut down to begin, but with coaxing this baby is soon firing on all cylinders with a full-throttle nose of chocolate-covered cherries, crème de cassis, boysenberries and spice cake plus tons of kirsch and cranberry sauce sparks and a beautiful undercurrent of emerging tertiary characters: cigar box, sandalwood, chargrill, truffles and cast iron pan. Full-bodied, rich, multilayered and completely seductive, the palate is charged with incredible energy, with a firm backbone of velvety tannins and seamless freshness providing solid grounding and promising a very long life ahead. It finishes with an incredible display of epically long-lasting flavor fireworks. Wow!

Vinous (100)

I knew it was only a matter of time before Davide Cilli would make a wine at Promontory that would represent the maximum expression of this rugged hillside site. The 2014 Promontory has been exceptional in the past, but it has also gained another gear or two over the last year, which is pretty much now standard for these wines. Stunningly delineated and precise, with tremendous purity and exceptional balance, the 2014 Promontory dazzles from start to finish. This is an especially translucent style, one that is more about persistence and balance than power alone. Stated simply, the 2014 Promontory is towering achievement from one of Napa Valley's most talented young winemakers. Kudos to the Harlan family and the winegrowing team led by Bob Levy and Cory Empting for creating the framework that allowed Cilli to craft this exquisite, riveting Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vinous (100)

I knew it was only a matter of time before Davide Cilli would make a wine at Promontory that would represent the maximum expression of this rugged hillside site. The 2014 Promontory has been exceptional in the past, but it has also gained another gear or two over the last year, which is pretty much now standard for these wines. Stunningly delineated and precise, with tremendous purity and exceptional balance, the 2014 Promontory dazzles from start to finish. This is an especially translucent style, one that is more about persistence and balance than power alone. Stated simply, the 2014 Promontory is towering achievement from one of Napa Valley's most talented young winemakers. Kudos to the Harlan family and the winegrowing team led by Bob Levy and Cory Empting for creating the framework that allowed Cilli to craft this exquisite, riveting Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vinous (100)

I knew it was only a matter of time before Davide Cilli would make a wine at Promontory that would represent the maximum expression of this rugged hillside site. The 2014 Promontory has been exceptional in the past, but it has also gained another gear or two over the last year, which is pretty much now standard for these wines. Stunningly delineated and precise, with tremendous purity and exceptional balance, the 2014 Promontory dazzles from start to finish. This is an especially translucent style, one that is more about persistence and balance than power alone. Stated simply, the 2014 Promontory is towering achievement from one of Napa Valley's most talented young winemakers. Kudos to the Harlan family and the winegrowing team led by Bob Levy and Cory Empting for creating the framework that allowed Cilli to craft this exquisite, riveting Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine Advocate (100)

A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, is the 2014 The Absurd, basically a choice of their finest barrels, or as winemaker and owner Benoit Touquette says, “The crème de la crème.” This is another perfect wine equaling their incredible 2013. Yet the 2014 is slightly more forward and showy, as many 2013s are just beginning to shut down. There are 250 cases of this majestic wine that has an opaque purple color, extraordinary nose of spring flowers, blueberry, blackberry, creosote, charcoal, toast and spice. The wine has unbelievable fruit on the attack, midpalate and finish, compelling purity, texture and a finish of close to a full minute. It is (as advertised by the winery) a “showcase of the best of Napa Valley with the freedom of expression that results from no rules.” Drink now-2035.

Wine Advocate (100)

A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, is the 2014 The Absurd, basically a choice of their finest barrels, or as winemaker and owner Benoit Touquette says, “The crème de la crème.” This is another perfect wine equaling their incredible 2013. Yet the 2014 is slightly more forward and showy, as many 2013s are just beginning to shut down. There are 250 cases of this majestic wine that has an opaque purple color, extraordinary nose of spring flowers, blueberry, blackberry, creosote, charcoal, toast and spice. The wine has unbelievable fruit on the attack, midpalate and finish, compelling purity, texture and a finish of close to a full minute. It is (as advertised by the winery) a “showcase of the best of Napa Valley with the freedom of expression that results from no rules.” Drink now-2035.

Wine Enthusiast (100)

Ethereal aromas of peach nectar, apricot preserves, orange zest and candied almonds waft from the glass. Full texture and luscious flavors of caramelized pineapple, orange marmalade, honeycomb, ripe summer peach, and Turkish delight. Its extreme sweetness is held in check by vibrant but not overpowering acidity. Drink through 2059.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Possibly the wine of the vintage is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon which is a more elegant, seamless wine compared to the more brooding and backward 2015. Exhibiting a deep purple color and utterly heavenly notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, white flowers, and graphite, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, insane purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannin, and a finish that won’t quit. While a big, powerful wine, it’s the purity of fruit and tannin quality that sets this incredible wine at the top of the pyramid. Drink it anytime over the coming 2-3 decades. Hats off to winemaker Celia Welch!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Possibly the wine of the vintage is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon which is a more elegant, seamless wine compared to the more brooding and backward 2015. Exhibiting a deep purple color and utterly heavenly notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, white flowers, and graphite, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, insane purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannin, and a finish that won’t quit. While a big, powerful wine, it’s the purity of fruit and tannin quality that sets this incredible wine at the top of the pyramid. Drink it anytime over the coming 2-3 decades. Hats off to winemaker Celia Welch!

Sam Kim Wine Orbit (100)

No tasting note available.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2014 La Muse (2,800 cases ) is a legendary effort. The wine offers an opaque purple color and a gorgeous nose of lead pencil shavings, blackberry, incense, Asian spice, cocoa, plum, and a touch of chocolate and barrique. On the palate, more cassis and blackberry come to the forefront. The wine is unctuous, with adequate acidity and a stunning energy underneath the massive fruit and body. This is a spectacularly fragrant and, at the same time, dense wine, with enough structure (somewhat surprising in this vintage) to last 35-45+ years. The final blend was 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec.

James Suckling (100)

This is a wine that had extreme intensity of electrifying tannins and acidity, with supercharged fruit. Full-bodied, yet agile and lively. It touches every taste bud on your palate. Chocolate mousse and fruit. I am lost for words. Legendary 1950 all over again. Try it in 2020.