Bond, St Eden, Napa Valley

Gave to Bob Novak 2026

2006 vintage

Wow! Still youthful yet approachable. So smooth with a very soft mouthfeel, the tannins are so fine. Delicate but not weak by any means. The wine is agile, light on its feet yet persistent. Red cherry (without too much tartness), vanilla/maybe a bit of baking spices, fresh forest on the nose. I didn’t really get any tertiary notes in the nose or flavor profile but I thought it was still drinking very nicely at this time. Far more approachable than …

2012 vintage

Soft earth-laced berries, red and black currant, plum, a slight kiss of mushroom, and leather notes make for a classical showing from a nicely aged wine. It’s drinking time here, and seemingly at the apex trending toward the downswing. It’s really in a great spot not, though the finish crescendos and fades in short order, so I wouldn’t wait forever on these. A beautiful showing. This bested a 2005 Harlan and 2005 Bond Vecina.

2002 vintage

WOTN in a lineup of some big boys. I opened this at 10 am. Slow ox @ 5hrs. Wine was at peak. Great texture and mouthfeel. I'm not a new world guy but this was really good. Mulberry, gooseberry, lush and velvet currant. Total class act. Time to drink these as they are at peak. Will stay at this stage a while but if you're into mature old world style you're in for some pleasure. Beat out 05 Vecina by …

2002 vintage

For Spits and Giggles (House of the Chiefs!) : Blind. 23yo Napa wine and this baby was ready to go. 5 hour ox by Essence. This was beautiful. 20-25 yo Napa is about the max I want personally for my taste but boy was this a great representation of an older Napa wine. This was the most pleasurable to have in the tasting, besting out Napa and BDX royalty (with caveats of course…see other TNs for this particular tasting).

2002 vintage

Blind city (Street corner) : Amazing aromatics here of dark red and black fruits. very comforting and sensual. Good concentration. Modern but not overdone. There's a bit of earth here but it's beautifully saturated by the fruit. On the palate, dark red fruits here only, a bit of softness but holds an intensity. Great integration and should be hitting its stride right now. A bit of heat that kinda makes is hot and spicy but fruits holds up. Heat eventually …

2002 vintage

Celebrating my 100-mile run finish at the BTR Ultramarathons with the 2012 Bond St Eden, an 11-acre vineyard in Oakville that may be my favorite in the entire Bond lineup, but there are no losers there. Plush, round mouthfeel, silky tannins, forest floor, baked plums, boysenberry, mocha, cherry, and a finish that lasts for 30 seconds. The antioxidants and resveratrol in the red wine will aid my recovery too so double bonus. 97+ points fantastic juice

2012 vintage

Beautiful classic cabernet -- felt more old world style which was great. Hedonistic and lush. In prime drinking window right now. PnP but could have been fine with a short decant.

2012 vintage

What more do you want?

2002 vintage

Deep brooding color, good nose, on my palate I tasted maybe cork. Both my wife and son who have a much better nose said no. They gave the wine 96+. Overall a very delicious wine.

2002 vintage

Wonderful rich ripe elegant black cherry fruit with a classy smooth texture. Shows much younger then the 20+ years age. A serious wine that's well made and drinking very well.

2002 vintage

Color (10/10): Inky dark purple with watery rim Nose (25/25): Seductive vanilla, cinnamon, hint of spice Palate (26/30): Velvety smooth red cherry up front with some burn from the alcohol in the middle that hits the back of my throat with a strange vinegar 'twang' that lingers. Also some tart red berry. Almost watery in the mid-palate before coming on with a strong tart red berry finish. Overall (32/35): This is good but not great. Given the name and price …

2012 vintage

Very left bank Bordeaux like with much finesse, richness and depth. Excellent balanced tannins and acid gives perfect structure to the high density of the fruit. Long, long lenght.

2017 vintage

A great 2017. Ripe and soft but dialed in the only way Harlan wines can pull off. Black plums, anise, tobacco and mineral. Good from the start but better after a few hours open.

2017 vintage

This is a serious wine, with great structure and rich dark berries and a touch of cherry for sweetness. I did find it to pare wonderfully with red meat and the finish was particularly smooth.

2002 vintage

Kleur: Robijnrood met een dunne rand. Aroma / bouquet: Aangenaam, halfgesloten (ondanks twee uur karafferen in een brede karaf). Een vleugje donker fruit, vooral gedroogd fruit. Smaak / Afdronk: In de mond maakt deze Bond meer indruk. Beperkte zuurgraad, mondvullend en geconcentreerd, krachtige maar fraai gerijpte,aangename, wat dropperige tannines. Ook in de mond een beperkte aromatische expressie, maar desondanks een prachtige en stoere powerwijn met een indrukwekkend lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: …

2006 vintage

This wine can drink well for another 2 decades, and in even the hard core Napa drinkers found it overpowering after 90 min slow ox + 60 min decant. Shows great promise, however, and we will try again in a number of years. Night one: Ruby in glass, a beautiful burgundy really. Nose med+ intensity of vanilla, oak, blackberry. Still very young. Palate Med+ acidity, med tannins integrated but still rough. Full body. Med+ finish. Med+ flavor intensity of predominantly …

2012 vintage

Premiere Napa Valley; 2/22/2023-3/25/2023 (Napa, California) : Premiere begins in Oakville PNV Powerful full bodied, rocky, crushed florals, dark black fruit, muscular tannins, very lively acidity. This needs time to settle down, quite difficult to judge right now.

2017 vintage

Napa 2023: the quieter version; 2/6/2023-2/11/2023 (Napa/Sonoma California) : The wine which is usually my favorite although I don’t think it’s quite as bright showing as the Vecina or Pluribus both of whom were just spot on. This is still nice though. Fresh style with red currants and a bit of brightness. Evolving a lot in the glass. Always enjoyable.

2012 vintage

loads of fruit but also lots of alcohol. coming after the '01 Latour the residual sugar was obvious, and I found it almost porty. a touch bitter. enjoyable in the context of an after dinner drink but not something to serve me (at least) with a meal. And that's with 20 years under its belt!

2002 vintage

Bond dinner at Hua Ting : Heavy iron note on the nose but on the palate it had the most wonderfully pure, sweet red fruit, without being too jammy. Loads of potential still, it showed in an iron fist velvet glove kind of way. Third favourite of the night but for potential this would be the best I think.

2018 vintage

Distinguished by herbal notes on the nose. Dark fruits. Velvety tannins. Excellent concentration and persistence. Early drinking window.

2012 vintage

Bond : Blackberry and plum notes provide the plushest and most rounded profile (by Bond standards) of the 2018 lot. Air becomes somewhat of a weapon here, with extended time in the glass clamping down on the delivery and stifling the finish. There is an exciting flavor profile lurking in the background here, with another 7-8 years minimum in bottle a definite requisite for evolution and expansion. Promising after 2030. 94-95 points. This was one of the most compelling showings …

2018 vintage

Return to Napa; 3/6/2022-3/13/2022 (Wineries and various restaurants) : Usually my favorite of the group mostly because I love the combination of red fruits and a more iron ore component. The first part of that was very evident in this wine if maybe a bit more dark in nature. The second was missing. Still quite fresh and bright and a well made wine.

2018 vintage

Much more primary and young than a bottle in December, this was a California Beauty. Licorice, eucalyptus, cassis, kirsch, cherry liqueur and a beautiful sweetness. Delicious!

2002 vintage

Much more evolved than the 2001 next to it. Port style notes of marmelade fruit, walnut and fruits in rum. Dense, rich but also nearly overripe this was delicious but nearly a bit too much. I would drink it in the next 5 years or so

2002 vintage

This is really lovely. Was in a cellar where for part of the pandemic there wasn't temp control and so a bit of a concern around it, but this was drinking very well. It's certainly new world style and deeper red fruits, but more moderate and balanced. Drinking well.

2012 vintage

Very nice indeed

2006 vintage

Decanted over cocktails. Pure and soft blackcurrant and loamy earth with a midpalate that brightened after about two hours, then continued to evolve with chocolate and charred earth notes. Not sure I would recommend a long decant as the evolution was interesting and the structure started to dissolve toward the end. In any case this is a resounding success for the Bond aim of terroir-driven single-vineyard Cabernets and is drinking well now although it may continue to improve with more …

2012 vintage

Scent of blueberry jam, oak barrel, a hint of cedar, perfectly aged Cabernet and a fine whiff of vanilla . Wonderful bouquet! On the pallet; Rose peddles, deep blueberry, and sweet fine tannins. Non stop on the finale. Seems like it’s just entering it’s drinking window. Long-life ahead for this beauty - good acidity - but, drinking very nicely now! 96+ (6/21).

2002 vintage

Amazing depth and concentration.

2002 vintage

Singing on all cylinders. Drinking window now ver the next 10+ years. Fruit, palate balance and long finish. BUY, Hold

2002 vintage

Silky, soft, refined and with a gorgeous sense of purity to the fruits, the wine is built to age. There is structure here along with all the ripe fruits, smoke, tobacco and stony essences you need to keep you focused. However, this will need some time to develop before really beginning to show its stuff.

2017 vintage

Outstanding all the way around.

2002 vintage

Kleur: Diep ondoordringbaar donkerrood. Aroma / bouquet: Ten opzichte van de Melbury uit hetzelfde jaar toont deze Bond meer nuances in het bouquet. Romig en lactisch. Zoetig donker fruit, verfijnd hout. Smaak / Afdronk: Verleidelijke Bordeauxblend, zachte zuurgraad, krachtige maar mooi gerijpte tannines. Bijna zoetig in de mond, rijk en rijp, mooie balans dankzij een prettige zuurgraad, Duidelijk een verleiderlijker wijn dan de Melbury. Algemeen / potentieel: Indrukwekkende Napa-Bordeauxblend die zich eenvoudig kan meten met zijn beste soortgenoten, zowel die …

2002 vintage

This wine is in a very good place right now . Great balance and secondary flavors. Ripe dark berries with just that hint of tobacco. Enjoyably consumed at Spago for my birthday

2002 vintage

30 minute decant. A bit too over the top for my palate. Fruit was nearly jammy but far from flabby. Good acidity but also smooth. Elements of black currant, cedar, hard leather, herbs and Oak. What really made the wine over the top for me was the alcohol on the nose and palate - not hot, just omnipresent and this took the wine down a point for me.

2002 vintage

This wine is in a great drinking window. It certainly has a lot of life left, but it is utterly satisfying right now. Notes of blackberry, rich cassis, mushrooms, asian spices and fragrant earth on the nose. Super refined on the palate, with exceptionally fine grained tannins, silky mouthfeel and a weightless elegance that captivates. Excellent complexity at this stage, with some tertiary notes mixing in with the primary fruit to make for a really well rounded experience. The finish …

2012 vintage

This wine was on point. Deep purple black color but beautiful. Perfect weight. Not quite full bodied. Aromas of black tea leaves, violist and earth. Great texture. Silky. Black currant fruit and plum fruit. A noticeable lack of oak which I loved, allowing the fruit to shine through. A note of tobacco leaf as well. So good. Finish was only thing that kept it from 96/97 type of score. Highest recommendation

2012 vintage

Another Year, Another Napa (aka Winter in Wineland IV); 1/5/2020-1/11/2020 (Napa/Sonoma California) : Hand soap on the nose which originally made me a touch skeptical, but on the palate it's all floral and red fruits and this really nice structure and back bone to it. More time and the fruit starts to get a bit sweeter but in a nice, fresh way. I didn't get as much of the iron/ferrous character as I have in other years, but definitely enjoyable. …

2012 vintage

Similar in profile with the 2016, but simply more integrated, softer tannins, plummy, cassis, more floral/tertiary aromatics showing up, with stunningly beautiful mix of fruit, earth, and florals. Excellent, maybe WOTN among all of the Bonds. Spago tasting with Scott Gould

2006 vintage

Complex NAPAleon (Mason's house on the harbor) : Hints of green pepper and green wild plants show up on initial sniff, then it is just a flood of deep black fruits with incredible balance.

2002 vintage

Flawed

2006 vintage

Sensual and silky in the glass, the 2012 St. Eden comes across as a bit subdued and even light, with less concentration and fewer shades of dimension than most other vintages. Perhaps the 2012 is in a bit of a closed phase. We will see.

2012 vintage

This rich and integrated Cabernet requires at least an hour of air to settle in, but - once it does - it shows 2012 Napa at its finest: ripe, layered, with earthy chocolate goodness, and a balance and accessibility that just won’t quit. Ruby red in color and medium in body, the wine offers incredible aromas of fresh blueberry, cocoa powder, pencil lead, and white flowers. The tastes are intense but relaxed - black cherry, milk chocolate, gravel, and anise …

2012 vintage

Winorama: A winter in Wineland III; 1/4/2019-1/13/2019 (Portland/Willamette, Eureka, Napa) : Hard to imagine a much better way to close out our Napa trip. In hindsight not the absolute best idea to take it back in the plane and pop that night since there is some sediment here, but really it's still a wonderful wine. Lots of reddish fruits. Still some of those more spicy and herbal flavors. I tend to get cinnamon in this wine and here too. It …

2002 vintage

Dark ruby red. A bit closed initially but unwinds in the glass to offer cassis, black cherry, mint, violets, dusty cedar, and Christmas spice. On the palate it’s medium bodied with medium concentration of fruit, tannins of a fine, powdery texture, and good length. Sourced from an 11 acre vineyard just north of Oakville planted 100 % to Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.5% ABV. $450.

2012 vintage

Fruit forward and plush.

2012 vintage

Matter of Taste. A great wine from a good vintage. Smooth, rounded tannins. Nice black ripe fruit, not jammy, with good balance. Good concentration.

2012 vintage

Very good, fruity, cassis, fresh but aromatically a bit monolithic for a higher score. May be needs more time for that but tonight it did not nearly reach the level of the divine Colgin IX 2006.

2012 vintage

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Bond, St Eden, Napa Valley

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