2005 Bond, Vecina, Napa Valley, Magnum (1.5L)

RP98 "2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Vecina is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 100% new oak, like the other cuvees. It is from an 11-acre site directly southeast of the Bond Winery, close to Harlan Estate. This wine tends to be the closest to the Harlan Estate in quality, with notes of new saddle leather, blackberry, roasted coffee and a hint of chocolate ? and again ? graphite and subtle smoke. Opaque purple, but still incredibly youthful, the wine is spicy, intense, full-bodied and majestic. There is a deep tone to this massive Cabernet Sauvignon, which is set for another 25 or 30 years of life, although it certainly is accessible at present." RP Jun 2015

AG97 "Dense, powerful and explosive, the 2005 Vecina is superb. The barest hints of aromatic development come through. Although the 2005 can probably be enjoyed now with some air, I would prefer to cellar it, as the future for this wine is unquestionably very, very bright." Ag for VM Nov 2017

Robert Parker writes, "These wines are from Bill Harlan and his winemaking team. There certainly were no surprises, as they performed magnificently at age 10. Of course, they’re all 100% Cabernet Sauvignons. Harlan’s visionary spirit is responsible for long-term leases, which today include five fabulous sites spread out through different terroirs of Napa Valley. In 2005, there were only four, as the Quella, which is a nine-acre site in the eastern foothills of St. Helena, had not yet come to fruition. The culled-out component parts that are considered by the Bond Estate to be less impressive are blended together for what is essentially their second wine, the Matriarch, which is frequently a gorgeous wine, and made to be an early drinker." Published: Jun 28, 2015