Harlan Estate
Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend
Napa Valley, California, USA
Let's go out with a bang!
Byeee 2023!
Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.
Strong fruity nose, bold and fruit forward.
Full bodied and dry on the palate, with medium acidity.
Showing blueberries, blackberries, black currants, black cherries, raisins, dried fruits, figs, dark chocolates, cedar, coffee, vanilla, earth, spices, pencil lead, eucalyptus, cola, light mint, bell pepper, herbs and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a gorgeous Napa Valley Bordeaux blend. Very fruity on the palate with great complexity and mouthfeel.
This 14 year old feels and drinks like a young wine. Rich and extracted. Opulent and very complex already.
Fruit forward with lots of earth and green notes. Very interesting stuff. Feels like a blend of Napa Cabernet and Left Bank bordeaux.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of air time, when tannins come in and show more structure. After 2 hours of airtime the tannins become very grippy.
I tried the 2001 vintage a few years ago, and it was so much better. A good quality wine that will continue to age nicely in the next 20+ years.
Robert Parker 97 points. Wine Spectator 96 points.
A great wine to share with friends and talk about.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$1000.
Let's go out with a bang!
Byeee 2023!
Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.
Strong fruity nose, bold and fruit forward.
Full bodied and dry on the palate, with medium acidity.
Showing blueberries, blackberries, black currants, black cherries, raisins, dried fruits, figs, dark chocolates, cedar, coffee, vanilla, earth, spices, pencil lead, eucalyptus, cola, light mint, bell pepper, herbs and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a gorgeous Napa Valley Bordeaux blend. Very fruity on the palate with great complexity and mouthfeel.
This 14 year old feels and drinks like a young wine. Rich and extracted. Opulent and very complex already.
Fruit forward with lots of earth and green notes. Very interesting stuff. Feels like a blend of Napa Cabernet and Left Bank bordeaux.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of air time, when tannins come in and show more structure. After 2 hours of airtime the tannins become very grippy.
I tried the 2001 vintage a few years ago, and it was so much better. A good quality wine that will continue to age nicely in the next 20+ years.
Robert Parker 97 points. Wine Spectator 96 points.
A great wine to share with friends and talk about.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$1000.
Tasted blind. Dark, dark black scarlet color. Opaque times 2. Notes of black cherry, licorice, herbs and violets. Some menthol too. Big and strong in the mouth. Monolithic and still a bit harsh despite being open all day. Not as big a fan of this as others, at least at this point in its evolution.
Tasted blind. Dark, dark black scarlet color. Opaque times 2. Notes of black cherry, licorice, herbs and violets. Some menthol too. Big and strong in the mouth. Monolithic and still a bit harsh despite being open all day. Not as big a fan of this as others, at least at this point in its evolution.
Mar 5th, 2023
Today was not a day I will soon forget. Getting to walk through Harlan Estate with the legendary Don Weaver is truly a highlight of my career (and life!). A kinder and more hospitable man does not exist, I’m sure of it.
To top off Don’s hospitality was having the 2017 and 2020 Vintages side-by-side. In a word: breathtaking. Both vintages are very emotional due to tremendous pressures felt from fires, the pandemic, and other factors. You can almost taste that tension in the wine. But the Masterful wine growers and wine makers at Harlan Estate were able to find harmony and balance with some help from Mother Nature with both vintages.
The 2017, having had some time in the bottle expresses more floral and aromatic notes of leather and asphalt. The pallet it is expressive, structured, and broad shouldered with herbaceous bay leaf and dark cherry flavors that find their way into parts of your pallet reserved just for things that taste so good you get chills. Undoubtedly a wine that will age gracefully over time.
The 2020, by contrast, was tasted out of the barrel. It already shows a tannin profile that is a hallmark of Harlan Estate; I can’t wait to drink it once it’s been in bottle for a few years; drink it to remember 2020, drink it to forget 2020? Either way, it will be representative of the special place that is Harlan Estate.
Grateful, grateful, grateful.
Today was not a day I will soon forget. Getting to walk through Harlan Estate with the legendary Don Weaver is truly a highlight of my career (and life!). A kinder and more hospitable man does not exist, I’m sure of it.
To top off Don’s hospitality was having the 2017 and 2020 Vintages side-by-side. In a word: breathtaking. Both vintages are very emotional due to tremendous pressures felt from fires, the pandemic, and other factors. You can almost taste that tension in the wine. But the Masterful wine growers and wine makers at Harlan Estate were able to find harmony and balance with some help from Mother Nature with both vintages.
The 2017, having had some time in the bottle expresses more floral and aromatic notes of leather and asphalt. The pallet it is expressive, structured, and broad shouldered with herbaceous bay leaf and dark cherry flavors that find their way into parts of your pallet reserved just for things that taste so good you get chills. Undoubtedly a wine that will age gracefully over time.
The 2020, by contrast, was tasted out of the barrel. It already shows a tannin profile that is a hallmark of Harlan Estate; I can’t wait to drink it once it’s been in bottle for a few years; drink it to remember 2020, drink it to forget 2020? Either way, it will be representative of the special place that is Harlan Estate.
Grateful, grateful, grateful.
Vibrant, carefree nose of wild blueberries, black raspberries, crushed black currants and boysenberries with lovely floral nuances of candied violets and rose hips plus touches of cedar and pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, this incredibly light on its feet, with amazing intensity and energy, framed by very finely grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and mineral-laced.
Vibrant, carefree nose of wild blueberries, black raspberries, crushed black currants and boysenberries with lovely floral nuances of candied violets and rose hips plus touches of cedar and pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, this incredibly light on its feet, with amazing intensity and energy, framed by very finely grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and mineral-laced.
Jan 27th, 2022An emotional vintage for Napa Valley. But you’d never know when drinking this wine. Elegant and clean, balanced acidity with terroir that’s representative of the special place where it’s produced. Truly one of the worlds great wines; an absolute privilege to taste it alongside the 2016 vintage.
An emotional vintage for Napa Valley. But you’d never know when drinking this wine. Elegant and clean, balanced acidity with terroir that’s representative of the special place where it’s produced. Truly one of the worlds great wines; an absolute privilege to taste it alongside the 2016 vintage.
Dec 22nd, 2021
WNH NY, Autumn 2021.
Still a baby, a wonderful gift from @Eric L. And Teresa. Thank you so much…
This is still a baby. Superb in every way. Close to perfection.
WNH NY, Autumn 2021.
Still a baby, a wonderful gift from @Eric L. And Teresa. Thank you so much…
This is still a baby. Superb in every way. Close to perfection.
This is very young. Good acidity will live a long life. Like many of its peers from this decade and this vintage it’s a big boy.
This is very young. Good acidity will live a long life. Like many of its peers from this decade and this vintage it’s a big boy.
Jul 8th, 2021
Just gorgeous. Totally in the zone now. Tasted as part of our Napa Valley Sessions program of virtual tastings. Check it out on the Vinous events page.
Just gorgeous. Totally in the zone now. Tasted as part of our Napa Valley Sessions program of virtual tastings. Check it out on the Vinous events page.
Feb 12th, 2021
First Harlan I've had in awhile. Juicy, still primal. Needs another five years.
First Harlan I've had in awhile. Juicy, still primal. Needs another five years.
Oct 12th, 2020