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Harlan Estate is one of Napa's most prominent wine producers, self-styled as a Napa "first growth". The vineyard is located in the Oakville AVA, in the hills above Martha's Vineyard (Heitz Cellar) and To Kalon (Robert Mondavi), just north of Napa town itself. Its Cabernet Sauvignon-based flagship wine is one of California's most sought-after wines, regularly commanding prices exceeding $1000 per bottle.
The estate was founded in 1984 by property developer William Harlan, who had cut his teeth at the Merryvale winery and Meadowood lodge before buying 240 acres (97 hectares) of land in the Oakville hills. Some 40 acres (16ha) of this was cleared for vineyards – mostly planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, but with some Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Harlan Estate's first commercial vintage was the 1990, which was released in 1996 with a then-expensive price tag of $65 a bottle. Since then, the estate has cemented itself as a cult wine producer, with five vintages achieving 100-point scores from Robert Parker. In addition to the flagship red, Harlan Estate also makes a second wine, The Maiden.
| Varietal | Proprietary Blend |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1996 |
| Rating | 98 RP - 97 WS |
| Bottle Size | 3 x 750ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 3 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Harlan Estate |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Robert Parker | 98 RP - The 1996 Proprietary Red Wine appears to be one of the vintage's most noteworthy offerings. Some 1996s tend to be rustic with more obtrusive tannin than their 1995 and 1994 counterparts but that charge cannot be made here. The 1996 exhibits a tell-tale opaque purple/plum color as well as a spectacular soaring nose of wood fire roasted herbs black currants tobacco minerals and all spice. The wine is full-bodied and multi-layered with terrific flavor concentration well-integrated tannin and a blockbuster finish. This is another candidate for perfection. As accolades spilled from my mouth like a baby dribbling milk I was told the wine had been bottled the day before my visit! Anticipated maturity: 2004-2035.Proprietor Bill Harlan his winemaker Bob Levy and consultant Frenchman Michel Rolland continue to produce what may be the single most profound wine in California. This wine possesses all the elements of greatness - individuality power combined with elegance extraordinary complexity remarkable aging potential and compelling richness without ponderousness. The vintages produced to date give signs of improving in the bottle for 20-30+ years. In 1995 a second wine which has not yet been named has been produced which allows the selection process to be even more severe once the 35-acre vineyard is in full production. Recent production has been 1500 cases for the 1994 1200 cases for the 1995 1500 for the 1996 and approximately 2500 cases for the 1997. Many readers who have been on the waiting list for Harlan Estate may finally receive an allocation in 1997. This year produced the highest yields to date a still modest 2.7 tons per acre at this hillside vineyard. |
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| Varietal | Proprietary Blend |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 1996 |
| Rating | 98 RP - 97 WS |
| Bottle Size | 3 x 750ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 3 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | Harlan Estate |
| Color | Red |
| Production |
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