Growing Season
After five years of drought, the winter leading into vintage 2016 brought with it generous and much- welcomed rainfall. Budbreak at Promontory began on March 15th, and the growing season proved highly favorable; mild temperatures were punctuated by a few stretches of more marked warmth throughout June and July. The comparatively cool temperatures at the territory—in conjunction with the dynamic movement of fog, interspersed with sunshine throughout the late-summer months—extended ripening, making 2016 one of the longest seasons to date. A healthy amplitude in diurnal temperatures gently coaxed the fruit towards vibrancy and ripeness, with harvest beginning on September 12th. The 2016 harvest consisted of sixty-four distinct passes, with the upper ridgeline blocks ripening first, followed by those planted on metamorphic soils further down our east-facing slope.
Tasting Notes
Initially subtle, aromas of wet rock along with native flora and lichen emerge vividly, mingling with airy notes of the forest canopy. Wrapped in extremely fine tannin, the structure of this vintage evokes the image of a cathedral: intricate stone, cool to the touch, draws attention upward to soaring arches filled with light. The flow over the palate is elevated by this luminous, detailed structure, to where the wine feels almost weightless. As we are finding to be typical of Promontory, a mineral drive sustains and focuses its path into a lasting finish. Even now, the 2016 vintage achieves a natural elegance, while its energy and stature promise a long and storied lifetime ahead.
