2014 “Baby Bond,” a 3-pack of Matriarch OWC, from a “dream vintage” – extremely limited stock!

To tell the story of Matriarch, we must begin first with the heady ambitions of Bill Harlan, and later Bob Levy, who set out to bring the Grand Cru concept to California. Having worked towards great success in their creation of Harlan, one of Napa Valley’s earliest cult wines, the duo had aspirations to expand upon the “First Growth” concept with a selection of five hillside sites. After many years of surveying the beautiful Napa Valley landscape, the duo narrowed in on the terroir they believed would best show Cabernet Sauvignon and, in 1999, they unveiled the first vintage of Bond. The label may resemble old bank notes, but the name “Bond” is a reference to the relationship between Harlan and Levy, and their collective relationship with their vineyard team, who works closely with them to ensure only the highest quality expression from their grapes.

While Bond bottlings showcases the individuality of a single vineyard, each with its own proprietary name, Matriarch is the luxurious cuvée made from the grapes of these meticulously selected sites. With less than 800 bottles made of Bond each vintage, Matriarch offers a chance to experience world-class Cabernet Sauvignon for an incredible value. The 2014 vintage in particular was a phenomenal year in Napa Valley, a “dream vintage” as Wine Spectator put it. And while the 2012 and 2013 make for a trio of outstanding years in the region, collectors shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss cooler vintages like 2010 or more challenging years like 2011 – what they lack in immediate power they gain in their savory and beguiling ageability.

Written by: Victoria O'Bryan

Bond The Matriarch ~ Harlan Project "... the Matriarch label, will always be evocative of its pedigree and distinct in its hillside character."

"This highly successful project of Bill Harlan and his team from Harlan Estate and his newest, luxury project, Promontory, includes his winemaker Bob Levy and consulting enologist Michel Rolland.
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." Robert Parker October 2015