Bond Napa Valley Cult Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Tasting

"By making this wine vine known to the public, I have rendered my country as great a service as if I had enabled it to pay back the national debt."
~ Thomas Jefferson

If only a modern-day politician could contribute as much to the quality of our life as the late great Thomas Jefferson.  He was one of the first advocates of wine in the United States and he is one of the reasons why we have the greatest selection of wines from all around the world in the U.S. today.  So, remember...no matter how bad it gets, we still have great wines here in the U.S. of A.

Speaking of GREAT wines from the U.S.A…. I need a few good men or women to help me drink some really fine wine on this occasion.  Since we just received a few cases of Bond that are in the 15 year old range which to me is the peak time to drink Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon I figured we should pop a few bottles to see what one of Napa Valley’s top Cult Cabernet Sauvignon drinks like when it is fully mature.

What makes a "cult wine"? Do the producers pick the grapes at night under the full moon? Do they make it under a secret oath or while sacrificing a small farm animal? These ultra expensive, hard to find wines from California just have more customers than they do bottles to go around.  The simplest factor in the economy kicks in with these wines, good old supply and demand.  Bob Levy and Bill Harlan have created some of the top labels in the history of the Cult Cabernet since the 1990 vintage whey they started Harlan Estate

Bond winery was an effort to showcase different vineyard sites throughout Napa Valley.  They stared Bond with Vecina and Melbury in the 1999 vintage, then St. Eden in 2001, Pluribus in 2003 and finally Quella in 2006.  We have all Five on the table tonight from both the 2006 and 2007 vintage.  This tasting is limited to 12 tasters and the fee for this event which includes dinner is $425 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Bond - The Ultimate California Cult Tasting
Friday, September 18th, 2020
7:30 PM

2006 Bond Melbury Proprietary Red Napa
2006 Bond Pluribus Proprietary Red Napa
2006 Bond Quella Proprietary Red Napa
2006 Bond St. Eden Proprietary Red Napa
2006 Bond Vecina Proprietary Red Napa
2007 Bond Melbury Proprietary Red Napa
2007 Bond Pluribus Proprietary Red Napa
2007 Bond Quella Proprietary Red Napa
2007 Bond St Eden Proprietary Red Napa
2007 Bond Vecina Proprietary Red Napa

Menu

Cheese and Charcuterie
Angel Hair Pasta with Sweetbreads, Currants, American Sturgeon Caviar, Pickled Ginger and Turmeric
Pork Belly Tacos with Pickled Pearl Onion Confit and Truffle Aioli
Australian Waygu filet Sashimi with black Garlic Soy and Bacon Relish over Black Fermented Bean Cake
Dark Chocolate Bark

Menu

We only have space for 12 wine tasters for this event.  The fee for this tasting is 425+ tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions and chef Toni will be happy to accommodate you.

A bit about Bond:

For just over two decades, Harlan Estate has been committed to creating a California "First Growth" wine estate.  But long before this William Harlan had his eye on the Napa Valley and had been strategically planning his vision of creating a world class wine including 25 years of studying what it would take to create a wine estate that would survive for generations.  Harlan began visiting Napa Valley in the late 1950s while a student at the University of California at Berkeley.  Before he entered into the wine business he first created many successful businesses- most prominently Pacific Union, a holding company whose properties include the Meadowood Resort in Napa Valley.

In 1985, Harlan purchased over 240 acres of natural splendor set in the western hills of Oakville, rising above the fabled Napa Valley benchlands.  The oak-studded knolls and valleys, roughly fifteen percent of which are under vine, planted to the classic varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It is a beautifully designed, immaculately kept vineyard, with neatly contoured rows of vines, some on quite precipitous angles.  But more than that, it is a family homestead; a place of great inspiration, carved from the raw land, built for generations. 

Harlan's exacting nature requires the best vineyard and winemaking team, which he has kept intact for most of the past 30 years.  His winemaker, Bob Levy, has worked with him for 32 years, dating back to their years at Merryvale, where Harlan once owned a part-interest.  Levy, says Harlan, knows the vineyard well and knows how to get the most from its grapes.  Harlan has also called upon the advice and expertise of Michel Rolland, the highly respected Bordeaux consultant.  Through hard work and years of research and development Bill Harlan and Bob Levy have created one of the most sought after wines not only in Napa Valley but the world over!   

Sourced from select hillside estates, the Cabernet Sauvignon wines of BOND vividly demonstrate the range of Napa Valley's finest terroirs. From the more than eighty vineyards we have worked with over the past quarter century, we have slowly and vigilantly selected five sites. BOND became our covenant and shared commitment to produce only the best expression of the land.

By way of this valuable experience, we had the opportunity to identify select properties that we felt had the potential to define the ‘Grand Crus’ of Napa Valley. These small hillside Cabernet vineyards, ranging in size from 7 to 11 acres, became the basis for the wines of BOND.

VECINA is coined from the Spanish word for neighbor. This is our endeavor with the property situated directly southeast of the BOND winery.

The beautifully terraced volcanic soil slopes of this property reside in Oakville's western foothills. The 11-acre site faces due east and is the recipient of cool morning sun. Vecina, which appeared with the 1999 vintage in the inaugural BOND release, is always powerful, intense and savory. Vecina's other hallmarks are blackberry fruit, with wild forest floor and mineral associated overtones.

SOIL: Bedrock overlain with fine grained alluvial wash. Eastern Exposure.
ELEVATION: 221-330 feet

MELBURY originates from a spectacular property on the slopes north of Lake Hennessey, in the hills east of Rutherford.

The name Melbury is in homage to an historic area in London, where the estate owners reside much of the year. Since its debut with the 1999 vintage, the consistent hallmarks of Melbury have been plush red fruits (currants, bing cherries), redolent with spice and the scent of violets. Elegance and a supple texture define the structure of this wine. The particular exposition of this rocky 7-acre hillside vineyard is southerly overlooking Lake Hennessey, allowing the vines to capture the morning sun yet moderating afternoon temperatures.

SOIL: Ancient sedimentary soil with compressed clay. Eastern and Southeastern Exposure.
ELEVATION: 348-522 feet

ST. EDEN is based upon an 11-acre rocky knoll that is part of a beautiful estate located just north of the Oakville Crossroad. Eden is an historical reference to this region's designation on nineteenth century maps.

The red rocky soil of this northfacing site originates from high in the Vaca Mountains. St. Eden, which appeared first in the 2001 vintage, reliably shows great focus, an opulent "sweet" center and notes of crème de cassis, dark chocolate, and roasted herbs. Mineral-tinged and broad on the palate, the wine consistently displays fine-grained tannins and a lush concentration.

SOIL: Iron Rich fractured volcanic rock from a landslide. Northern Exposure.
ELEVATION: 145-188 feet

PLURIBUS expresses the character of an estate located at an elevation over 1,100 feet on the dramatic slopes of Spring Mountain.

The name refers to the Latin word for many, and was chosen to signify the various facets involved in creating a fine wine: from the sun, soil, and climate of a vineyard, to the team of people who guide a wine through its evolution. A breathtaking mountainous 7-acre site with steep exposures to the north, east and southeast, the soil is comprised of volcanic bedrock. Pluribus, which debuted in the 2003 vintage, is defined as a bold, rich and concentrated wine; elements of dark plum, roasted coffee, and scents of cedar are inherent throughout the vintages.
SOIL: Decomposed volcanic material. Surrounded by a conifer forest. North and East Exposure.
ELEVATION: 1,137-1,327 feet

QUELLA is the name for the wine from a 9-acre site located in the eastern hills overlooking the heart of the Napa Valley.
Making its debut with the 2006 vintage, the name is derived from the German word for a pristine source or an artesian aquifer. This property is steeply sloped facing southwest. The site is an ancient riverbed composed of cobble and rocks interwoven with pockets of tufa (volcanic ash) that were uplifted during the last volcanic activity in the area. Quella displays an almost ethereal quality of blue fruits, graphite, and a vibrant, subtle finish.
SOIL: Ancient uplifted riverbed covered with Tufa (volcanic ash). Southwest Exposure.
ELEVATION: 433-595 feet

All the Bond wines we have in the store:

2015 Bond Pluribus Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley 
Price: $695.00 Your Price: $611.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 Points) Bottled in early 2018, the 2015 Pluribus is deep purple-black colored with minted cassis, pencil shavings and tobacco over a core of black plums, black berry preserves and mulberries plus hints of Chinese five spice and dried lavender. Big, rich, bold and decadent, it has a firm line of super ripe, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness lifting the generous flavors to a long finish.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2014 Bond Pluribus Napa MAGNUM
Price: $1600.00         Sale Price: $1300.00         Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 Points) Very deep purple-black colored, the 2014 Pluribus offers up notions of crushed black plums, black currant cordial and pencil shavings over a meaty core of chargrill and beef drippings plus hints of Chinese five spice and underbrush. Full-bodied and firmly framed with chewy tannins and a lively backbone, it features plenty of earthy and savory layers, finishing long and minerally.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2014 Bond Vecina Napa MAGNUM
Price: $1600.00         Sale Price: $1299.00         Quantity in Stock: 1
(98 points) The 2014 Vecina displays a deep garnet-purple color and has a broody, baked blueberries, cassis and anise-laced nose with suggestions of garrigue, dusty earth and bay leaves. Full-bodied, rich, spicy and powerful in the mouth, it offers a lot of latent layers and promises great, great things to come with an incredibly long, layered finish. It needs a bit of time but should cellar beautifully for a good 25 years+. (LBP) 98+ (10/2017)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2014 Bond Melbury MAGNUM
Price: $1600.00         Sale Price: $1299.00         Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 Points) Very deep purple-black colored, the 2014 Pluribus offers up notions of crushed black plums, black currant cordial and pencil shavings over a meaty core of chargrill and beef drippings plus hints of Chinese five spice and underbrush. Full-bodied and firmly framed with chewy tannins and a lively backbone, it features plenty of earthy and savory layers, finishing long and minerally.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2014 Bond St Eden Napa MAGNUM
Price: $1600.00         Sale Price: $1299.00         Quantity in Stock: 1
(96 points) Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2014 St. Eden offers up expressive crème de cassis, black cherry compote and blueberry pie notes with hints of cedar chest, baking spices, menthol and pencil lead. Full-bodied, tightly packed, taut and muscular, it has a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and lovely vivacity coming through on the long, earthy finish. (LPB) (10/2017)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2013 Bond Melbury Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Price: $645.00 Your Price: $567.60 Quantity in Stock: 3
(97 points) The brilliant 2013 Melbury ratchets up the level of extract, with an opaque purple color, dense blueberry liqueur-like notes along with white flowers, licorice, and camphor followed by a full-bodied, incredibly seamless, concentrated, multidimensional wine. With its amazing depth and richness, while accessible now, it probably won’t hit its stride for another 5-7 years and last 30-35. The five separate single vineyards that Bill Harlan has under long-term contract continue to perform at first growth quality levels. They generate between 500 and 600 cases of these single-vineyard wines that all represent distinctive and separate micro-climates of Napa Valley. The culled out barrels that don’t make the cut are blended together for a wine called Matriarch, which in itself is a terrific offering. Last year I touted the brilliance and drama of the 2012s, which are strikingly beautiful, and the otherworldly 2013s, but now we have the fruit-forward and luscious 2014s, and although I didn’t taste them, I suspect the 2015s will reach a new qualitative pinnacle for this extraordinary visionary project of Bill Harlan and his winemaking team, led by Bob Levy. (RP) (10/2016)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2013 Bond Vecina Red Blend Napa Valley
Price: $595.00 Your Price: $523.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 points) The perfect 2013 Vecina offers up notes of pen ink, scorched earth, espresso, blackcurrant liqueur and blackberries. It is a fabulously great wine, with supple, well-integrated tannin, decent acidity, and a skyscraper-like mouthfeel, with extraordinary purity and richness. This is an amazing wine to drink over the next 50 years, although I would probably suggest cellaring for five or more at present. The five separate single vineyards that Bill Harlan has under long-term contract continue to perform at first growth quality levels. They generate between 500 and 600 cases of these single-vineyard wines that all represent distinctive and separate micro-climates of Napa Valley. The culled out barrels that don’t make the cut are blended together for a wine called Matriarch, which in itself is a terrific offering. Last year I touted the brilliance and drama of the 2012s, which are strikingly beautiful, and the otherworldly 2013s, but now we have the fruit-forward and luscious 2014s, and although I didn’t taste them, I suspect the 2015s will reach a new qualitative pinnacle for this extraordinary visionary project of Bill Harlan and his winemaking team, led by Bob Levy. (RP)  (10/2016) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2013 Bond Quella Proprietary Red Napa Magnum
Price: $1350.00         Your Price: $1188.00        Quantity in Stock: 1
(96 points)  Much more structured, muscular, tannic and intense is the 2013 Quella, which exhibits blackberry notes, licorice, some truffle, graphite and damp earth, huge fruit, a muscular, full-bodied mouthfeel, and a long, moderately tannic finish. Forget it for a few years and drink it over the following 25-30+ years. The five separate single vineyards that Bill Harlan has under long-term contract continue to perform at first growth quality levels. They generate between 500 and 600 cases of these single-vineyard wines that all represent distinctive and separate micro-climates of Napa Valley. The culled out barrels that don’t make the cut are blended together for a wine called Matriarch, which in itself is a terrific offering. Last year I touted the brilliance and drama of the 2012s, which are strikingly beautiful, and the otherworldly 2013s, but now we have the fruit-forward and luscious 2014s, and although I didn’t taste them, I suspect the 2015s will reach a new qualitative pinnacle for this extraordinary visionary project of Bill Harlan and his winemaking team, led by Bob Levy. (RP) (10/2016)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2013 Bond Quella Napa Valley
Price: $645.00 Your Price: $567.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
(96 points)  Much more structured, muscular, tannic and intense is the 2013 Quella, which exhibits blackberry notes, licorice, some truffle, graphite and damp earth, huge fruit, a muscular, full-bodied mouthfeel, and a long, moderately tannic finish. Forget it for a few years and drink it over the following 25-30+ years. The five separate single vineyards that Bill Harlan has under long-term contract continue to perform at first growth quality levels. They generate between 500 and 600 cases of these single-vineyard wines that all represent distinctive and separate micro-climates of Napa Valley. The culled out barrels that don’t make the cut are blended together for a wine called Matriarch, which in itself is a terrific offering. Last year I touted the brilliance and drama of the 2012s, which are strikingly beautiful, and the otherworldly 2013s, but now we have the fruit-forward and luscious 2014s, and although I didn’t taste them, I suspect the 2015s will reach a new qualitative pinnacle for this extraordinary visionary project of Bill Harlan and his winemaking team, led by Bob Levy. (RP) (10/2016)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2012 Bond Pluribus Red Napa Valley  Magnum
Price: $1200.00         Sale Price: $950.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
(95 points)  From a 7-acre parcel on Spring Mountain, the 2012 Pluribus Proprietary Red Wine exhibits the white flowers (acacia?), blueberry and black raspberry fruit that comes from this high elevation site. It is full-bodied but very tannic, backward, coiled and relatively tight, behaving in that sense more like a 2013 than a 2012. This wine is set for a long life of 30+ years. Forget it for another 4 or 5 years, then consume it over the following three decades. (RP)  (10/2015) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2012 Bond Melbury Napa Valley  Magnum
Price: $1200.00         Sale Price: $950.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
(95 points)   From a 7-acre hillside vineyard overlooking Lake Hennessey, the 2012 Melbury, like its siblings, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new oak for a minimum of 24 to 28 months, then bottled unfiltered. The wine displays beautiful blackberry fruit, some charcoal, loamy soil undertones, forest notes, lots of spice, a full-bodied, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a super finish of 45+ seconds. Even in a vintage like 2012, this wine ideally needs 3-5 years of bottle age and should keep for 30+ years. These exceptionally impressive wines from Bill Harlan are all majestic in 2012. There are between 500 and 600 cases of each of these essentially single vineyard wines from five separate micro-climates in Napa Valley, with the exception of the Matriarch, which comes from the barrels and lots culled from the different single vineyards that were considered slightly more forward and less profound than the individual wines. All of them have great singularity and are made with absolutely no compromises. In the great vintages, such as 2012 and no doubt 2013, these wines clearly have 25-35+ years of aging potential. I wouldn’t be surprised in certain years to see them go on for 50 or more years. (RP) (10/2015) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Bond St Eden Proprietary Red Napa Valley 
Price: $525.0    Sale Price: $425.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
(99 points)  Not surprisingly, the 2007 St. Eden flirts with perfection. Another Pauillac look-alike, it offers up glorious aromas of cedarwood, creme de cassis, spice box, high class unsmoked cigar tobacco, roasted herbs and a hint of mocha. The complex aromas brilliantly conceal the long aging in new French oak. This compelling, singular, full-bodied, multilayered, sensational Cabernet Sauvignon can be drunk early (because of the flamboyance and unctuosity of the vintage), but promises to provide thrilling consumption in 30+ years.  Wine Advocate #192 Dec 2010

2007 Bond Quella Proprietary Red Napa Valley 
Price: $475.00 Sale Price: $395.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 points)  The 2007 Quella performed slightly better than I predicted last year. A magical combination of blueberry liqueur intermixed with crushed rock, spring flowers (violets?), earth, pen ink and burning ember leads to a full-bodied, majestically rich wine with a multilayered texture, silky tannins and a phenomenally long finish of over 50 seconds. This sensational 2007 should drink well for 25-30+ years.  Wine Advocate #192 Dec 2010

2007 Bond Pluribus Proprietary Red Napa Valley 
Price: $475.00 Sale Price: $395.00  Quantity in Stock: 1

(98+ points)  The 2007 Pluribus (the highest elevation vineyard of all these parcels) exhibits tell-tale Spring Mountain characteristics of acacia (or is it violets?) flowers interwoven with blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, cassis and crushed rocks. A wine of great intensity and full-bodied power yet with a freshness and delineation that are remarkable, this stunning wine should drink well for 25-30 years.  Wine Advocate #192 Dec 2010

2007 Bond Melbury Proprietary Red Napa Valley 
Price: $450.00 Sale Price: $375.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 points)  Out of bottle, the 2007 Melbury is even more impressive than it was from barrel. Aromas of cedarwood, barbecue spice, licorice, spring flowers, black currants and sweet kirsch jump from the glass of this dense purple-colored wine. A full-bodied texture, wonderful opulence, sweet velvety tannins and an extraordinary integration of all its component parts make for a prodigious Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 25-30+ years.  Wine Advocate #192 Dec 2010

2006 Bond Pluribus Proprietary Red Napa Valley  Magnum
Price: $895.00 Sale Price: $795.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
2006 Bond Pluribus Proprietary Red Napa Valley 
Price: $450.00 Sale Price: $350.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 points) The 2006 Pluribus, like all of these Cabernet Sauvignons, is youthful, with an opaque purple color and a big, sweet nose of blueberry liqueur intermixed with spring flowers and wet rocks. Full-bodied, powerful, and backward, with sweet tannin but formidable structure, this wine needs to be cellared for 4-5 years and drunk over the following 25 years. (RP) (12/2009) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2006 Bond Vecina Proprietary Red Napa Valley Magnum
Price: $895.00 Sale Price: $795.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
2006 Bond Vecina Proprietary Red Napa Valley 
Price: $450.00 Sale Price: $350.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
(95+ points)  The 2006 Vecina has turned out even better than I expected last year. Graphite/lead pencil notes intermixed with hints of burning embers and charcoal, an opaque purple color, and sweet blackberry and roasted espresso notes are all present in this wine, which is masculine, muscular, tannic, but incredibly well-endowed and a potential candidate for 30 years of aging. This wine needs 4-5 years of cellaring and should last three decades.  Wine Advocate #186 Dec 2009

2006 Bond St. Eden Proprietary Red Napa Valley Magnum  Price: $850.00  Sale Price: $750.00           Quantity in Stock: 1
2006 Bond St. Eden Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Price: $450.00 Sale Price: $350.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 Points) From the valley floor vineyard in Oakville, the 2006 St. Eden has shed some of its tannic clout of last year and taken on a generously endowed style, with stunning black fruits, roasted herbs, sweet cassis, graphite, and new oak. Fleshy and even opulent (an anomaly for a 2006), this is an impressively endowed Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 25 years. (RP)  (12/2009) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2006 Bond Melbury Proprietary Red Napa Valley 
Price: $425.00 Sale Price: $325.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
2006 Bond Melbury Proprietary Red Napa Valley Magnum
Price: $825.00 Sale Price: $725.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 points)  The 2006 Melbury has a dense plum/purple color and a big, sweet, scorched earth, creme de cassis and blueberry nose, with hints of charcoal, spice box, and graphite. Rich, well-made, and showing exceptionally well from bottle, it is a wine that will certainly evolve for 25 or more years.  Wine Advocate #186 Dec 2009

2006 Bond Quella Proprietary Red Napa Valley Magnum
Price: $895.00 Sale Price: $795.00  Quantity in Stock: 1
2006 Bond Quella Proprietary Red Napa Valley 
Price: $450.00 Sale Price: $350.00  Quantity in Stock: 1