2015 bond, st eden, napa valley
Why We're Buying
Perfect ratings in wine are rare. Bond St. Eden makes them look commonplace. In 2015, wine critic James Suckling gave it a 100-point rating, calling it "a magical wine to drink over the coming 2-3 decades." Anyone that held this gem from 2017 to 2021 saw the price increase 44.6, with the cost per bottle approaching $600.
Critics Scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the 2015s tasted from bottle, this is an incredible vintage for this estate and there are two perfect wines in the lineup. First up, the 2015 St. Eden, from a hillside of red volcanic soils near Oakville, boasts a saturated purple color and heavenly notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, lead pencil shavings, and huge crushed rock-like minerality. It’s full-bodied, deep, and layered on the palate, with incredible concentration, yet it stays seamless, pure, and perfectly balanced. It’s a magical wine to drink over the coming 2-3 decades.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 St. Eden springs from the glass with exuberant blueberry pie, potpourri and spice cake scents followed by a black raspberry, cassis and preserved plums core plus a touch of wild sage. Full-bodied, plush and decadently fruited, it completely packs the palate with layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, finishing very long with those spices coming through.
Wine Spectator
This is big and brawny but also alluring as the charcoal and smoldering tobacco frame melds slowly and steadily into a deep well of black currant and blackberry reduction notes. The finish picks up singed sage brush, alder and cedar accents, and a swath of loam, while the fruit keeps pace. Best from 2022 through 2038. 450 cases made.
James Suckling
This Eden is much more decadent than ones in the past with mushroom and wet-earth undertones. Full-bodied, very tannic and powerful with lots of richness too. Needs time to come together. Try in 2022.