Bond

Bond Winery, owned by the same person, made in the same winery and managed by the same winemaking team as Harlan Estate, is Bill Harlan's expression of Grand Cru quality from terroirs outside of his Estate vineyard in Oakville. Currently, there are five different vineyards/terroirs that are under the Bond umbrella:

PLURIBUS, located northeast of St. Helena on the dramatic slopes of Spring Mountain at an elevation of 1,100-feet, launched with the 2003 vintage and is defined as a bold, rich and concentrated wine; elements of dark plum, roasted coffee, and scents of cedar are inherent throughout the vintages. 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. The north and east sun exposure and the soil that is comprised of volcanic bedrock, add to the uniqueness of this amazing terroir.

QUELLA is 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, at an elevation of 433-595  feet, 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.

MELBURY comes 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. Ancient sedimentary soil with compressed clay is the main component at this elevation of 350-feet.

ST. EDEN is from 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 Eden is an historical reference to this region's designation on nineteenth century maps.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 was commercially released with 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, thanks to the iron rich fractured volcantic rocky soil, the wine consistently displays fine-grained tannins and a lush concentration. It is also the lowest elevation of the Harlan portfolio at 145-188 feet.

VECINA is located just down the street from the Harlan Estate (which is also the location of the Bond Winery) in western Oakville. Coined from the Spanish word for neighbor, this 11-acre site has beautifully terraced volcanic soil slopes, at 221-feet in elevation, that face 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.

There are many accolades bestowed upon the BOND wines. Clearly, Bill Harlan is out to make only the very best...and both critics and wine enthusiasts agree. Robert Parker, in an October 2015 issue of Wine Advocate scored the BOND wines with 93-100 points, depending on the vintage (either 2012 or 2013) and the terroir, and had the following to say: "These exceptionally impressive wines from Bill Harlan are all majestic in 2012… 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."