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| Community Tasting Notes (average 97 pts. and median of 97 pts. in 76 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by MariusA on 3/28/2024 & rated 95 points: Opened next to ‘12 Screaming Eagle to compare and contrast.
It hard to argue against the fruit and structure of the Harlan wines. My first encounter with Harlan also remains one of my greatest wine moments (‘94 vintage at a restaurant in Wilmington, DE in 1999). That being said, the ‘12 is not my favorite vintage for this stellar wine. The tannins are a bit “dusty” and the wine just never comes together into harmony. By all means - it’s still a delicious, fruit forward wine with an intensity few others can match, but it’s just not stellar like you expect from Harlan.
The ‘12 Screaming Eagle was the WOTN for me and most others (including fkacondor). (859 views) | | | Tasted by Bordeaux_Jon on 3/8/2024 & rated 94 points: From a rare half bottle. Haven’t had many Harlans. This 2012 was significantly better than a 2011 I had 5 years ago which just tasted like a French oak barrel. For a younger Cab, it was surprisingly elegant with dare I say some minerality. I’m far more a Bordeaux fan than California, so that elegance is a big plus. You wouldn’t confuse this with Bordeaux though with such hedonistic sweet fruit.
This wine more than prior Harlan was very reminiscent of Bond wines particularly in terms of the moderately toasty oak, more like medium than dark roast coffee. But, the fruit ripeness of Harlan for me makes it preferable to Bond which always tastes weedy to me. Perhaps the blend of Bordeaux varietals is additive to the richness.
My wife enjoyed it but question why it should cost more than a Bordeaux first growth when the big 5 taste more complex and sophisticated. Also, we agreed a mid-priced Napa like Phelps Insignia delivers a comparable experience. I don’t see the complexity I expect for forking down all the 💵💵💵. Regardless, I’m thrilled to have an opportunity to try this. Life is grand! (681 views) | | | Tasted by aquacongas on 1/20/2024 & rated 97 points: blind
A powerful Cali Cab but style wise very similar to a modern Bordeaux but still more lush fruit. Some spicieness in the finish. One hour of decantation. 97 (1317 views) | | | Tasted by polearyloveswine on 11/11/2023 & rated 98 points: Saved best for last bottle of evening( following Pritchard Hill Chappellett 2015) this was just a beauty - complex but smooth and lingering on the palette; I must confess first time I have enjoyed Harlan Estate and at the moment a bit speechless as this was everything and then some. (1552 views) | | | Tasted by peter.mancell@mfg.com.au on 2/15/2023 & rated 99 points: Simply a magnificent wine experience.
Massive brooding dark fruit, glorious glycerine like texture and smooth as silk.
A genuine tour de force.
Parker rating absolutely spot on and for me, super close to perfection. (3266 views) | | | Tasted by csimm on 6/27/2022 & rated 97 points: Saturday get-together: This is my fourth time with this wine, so I’ll just mention some particulars that I think might be noteworthy. This presented as advertised and expected for the most part, with a rich and chewy presentation that speaks to quality black and blue fruit and alluring texture. On the initial pop of the cork, the expression was somewhat muted, and it took a ton of swirling to finally get it into 3rd gear. Once it began to show some of its personality, the flavors began to meld (and melt) in a way that added to an improved mouthfeel. On first pass, it was not especially inviting or in balance, with a prominent cassis note dominating the flavor landscape over the blacker berry, earth, and spice notes. The final sips were the best, but I have to admit that it never fully blew past the stratosphere in a way I have experienced with previous bottles. A small disappointment to be sure, but not a catastrophic one.
The day before this event I would have recommended consumption now and within the next 5-7 years. I’ll take a more conservative route due to this latest experience – where I was given pause due to my impression that this bottle just needed more time to open (and no, not to make excuses for the wine). Bottom line, it was not a perfect showing. It was a good showing, but I can’t help but wonder if rushed/end of the night service had something to do with that. All the parts were there, but for me, they didn’t fully amalgamate the way the could (and should) have. I’ll try to hold remaining bottles to see what 15 years from vintage looks like. (7365 views) | | | Tasted by bsumoba on 6/25/2022 & rated 97 points: New friends, new wines in Novato: What can I say about Harlan that has and always is, said about Harlan. It is Grand Cru Napa. Incredible balance, beautiful fruit and an intoxicating nose. I wonder if this bottle needed some time as I tried this really at PnP but this bottle along with my experience at the estate makes me incredibly excited for the 18' and 19' vintage that I got...or will get. (4577 views) | | | Tasted by WineBurrowingWombat on 6/25/2022 & rated 98 points: An evening with good food, great people and amazing wine (Where the silence is longed for): The notes are pretty similar to the last time I had it, not much difference. I wish I could've spent a bit more time with this, along with a bunch of others in the lineup. Love this deep pitch of dark blue fruited notes, with a seamless texture on the palate. What a treat to taste again. (4680 views) | | | Tasted by WineBurrowingWombat on 6/18/2022 & rated 98 points: Napa day trip (Arrow & Branch, Harlan) (Napa): Deep blueberry nose, a touch of dark earth, tons of dark flowers like purple and blue flowers. Flavors are similar to the last time I had it. A textural pleasure, velvety fruits, great earth, and a nice coat of minerals. Great push on flavors with a lovely elegance. The one thing that still bugs me was the length on the finish. My experience this time is similar to the last time I had it, the finish was a bit shorter than expected. Much shorter than last time. I might have enjoyed this just a touch more if it were closer to room temp. (4066 views) | | | Tasted by csimm on 6/9/2022 & rated 100 points: Party with some 100 pointers: Ready, giving, luscious, chewy, and a big polar bear hug of black berries and chocolate chunk goodness that doesn’t skip a beat in terms of textural dreaminess and seamlessness. The 2012 Harlan’s execution is textbook and flawless, with a harmonious unfolding of super rich (not heavy) and deep fruit, black soil, and dark spice notes. The concentration is unmatched here, with a smooth operator stance that is so sensual it’s almost too perfect and polished. The perception of acid here is lower; I wouldn’t categorize this as an extremely “powerful” wine in its current state, as any alcohol or over front-end push has been fully integrated, found a tremendously even glide, and adding even more to the suave and velvety profile.
Ten years from vintage, this wine is open for business right now. Sure, it has the ability to age further, but for my taste, I’d consider reaping the benefits in the near-term. The freshness-to-richness equilibrium is on-point today. An impressive showing. My third time with the 2012 Harlan and once again a truly beautiful performance.
Interestingly, a wine that was doing everything it could to outshine the Harlan was the 2016 Eisele, which was quite the turbo-engine. The two wines are obviously in different life stages and built a bit differently, but the energy and spunk on the Eisele was quite the attention-grabber, with some even favoring the Eisele at times for its seemingly unmatched tenacity. I went back and forth as to which one I liked better, well, until the 2018 Macdonald came along and walk the talk of the town. Ultimately, I defaulted to not having to pick a favorite among some of these wines. All winners. (5305 views) | | | Tasted by danckie on 5/15/2022 & rated 95 points: A monster especially after the red burgundy that proceeded this in the tasting line up. But boy wat a beautiful monster it is. Unctuous, soft tannins and mad amount of dark fruit. Of of course built to withstand time but in a very happy place right now (1459 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 4/1/2022 & rated 95 points: A wine we tried in barrel back in 2014 when we visited the estate. Definitely has come a long way but this is a wine with many many more summers ahead of it.
So polished and elegant from nose to palate , the oak is fully assimilate, the fruit is very much ruling the show but it’s not overdone or in any way out of balance. It is almost as if it’s made with an old world light hand and we wonder if this in a few decades will be like the great 90s napa cabs which at that time were made with purity and not Mr Parker in mind. A superb wine for sure and although young , it’s class shines through. 95 for now but with a lot of promise for the future. (1929 views) | | | Tasted by DWStyle on 3/5/2022 & rated 95 points: Drank one early. Decanted for 2 hrs, drank over the next 4hrs. Seemed like it was in a sleep phase ; light almost faint nose ( or I finally got break through Covid ), elegant and potentially beautiful wine, not in a great spot today. Tannins need 3-5 yrs minimum, they were a bit drying and gritty on the finish. 95+ (2105 views) | | | Tasted by LB88 on 1/11/2022 & rated 95 points: This was beautifully resolved and lovely, just a little behind the second flight 08 today which was just a little more layered and I always appreciate more merlot mix. (2743 views) | | | Tasted by Fink75 on 12/8/2021 & rated 99 points: Simply stunning. Opened with my wife and dear friend at Born and Raised in San Diego. Sent an email to Harlan and they suggested giving it 60-90 min and double decant prior to dining. I had to sneak a sip once opened. At first, it was wound up tight but packed with everything you want in a monster cab…it just wasn’t relaxed and inviting. After the air, and paired with a steak sampler including both American and Japanese wagyu strip, the wine blossomed into sheer perfection. At 9yrs old, the secondary notes were just beginning to show their strength. I can load up my review with all of the nose and flavor descriptions we love to express, but I prefer to just explain that this wine is seamless, integrated, and firing on every cylinder possible. There is a perfect balance of sweet fruit, smooth tannins, terrior, and masculine mouthfeel and a finish that makes you want another sip. The wine was flawless and I expect it to become even more expressive as it develops over time. One of my favorite bottles of all time is an 08 Masseto and this ranks right up there with it.
With all of that being said, there’s the price tag. I truly wish the Napa cult wines were more in line with Bordeaux. There’s no reason SE or Harlan should be more costly than Lafite, Mouton or Latour, except for perhaps the sheer volume of the Bordeaux houses compared to Harlan’s annual production. Harlan is the Ferrari of wine. Diminishing returns on your purchase price, but worth a test drive if you can sort out the finances. (2216 views) | | | Tasted by I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine on 11/24/2021 & rated 97 points: Celebrating Katherine's Return to the US!: PnP the rest of of a Coravined bottle - Wow....I wish I didn't like these wines so much as they have gotten quite expensive. This is still one of the best wines I have ever had, and deservedly so....Not sure what they do there, but Harlan wines are truly magical for me! See my previous note for flavors (11/13/21)....Served this wine to my nieces, and three of them preferred the Harlan to a 2018 Andremily, and one preferred the Andremily, although loved both wines. I loved both wines, but, IMO, Harlan stands in a class by themselves! 97 points for me, with no reservations....just wish I had bought more! (3397 views) | | | Tasted by I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine on 11/13/2021 & rated 97 points: Coravined a glass for a winemaker's tasting of three Harlan wines (this was the only one I had - other 2 were 1999 and 2005). I love Harlan wines, and this one was definitely no exception! Nose was perfumed and heavenly. Mouthfeel was silky and glorious, and palate, while a little fruit forward, still managed to show off the terroir. A complete wine that will likely get even better, but oh so good now! This is an awesome wine, but not quite on par with the 1996, but I liked it better than the 2001. 97+ (my highest rating is 98) (2966 views) | | | Tasted by agrulich21 on 10/21/2021 & rated 99 points: Probably the smoothest texture for Napa red wine I've ever tasted. Like pure silk on your palette. Amazing and complex nose, with intoxicating scents of dark fruit and vanilla. Drank over 3 hours, after a 4 hour decant. Amazing effort, and enjoyed every sip of this beauty. (2601 views) | | | Tasted by Hal40@mac.com on 10/9/2021 & rated 100 points: All the S’s… Silky, Smooth,stunning,stylish, stupendous, super and the best tasting note…Yummy!!! (1397 views) | | | Tasted by Onegooddan on 9/15/2021 & rated 100 points: Harlan luncheon at Mooo Boston with a vineyard director. This wine is incredible and ineffable. Huge nose of black and blue fruit, leather, vanilla, spice, chocolate. Crisp but smooth acidity, silky tannins, rich full body, very long finish—over 75 sec. Next to an excellent Napa Pinot I realize how beautifully restrained and balanced this is. To me this is the American cousin of Lafite and just that much more well-rounded and likable. If wine is the art of agriculture, this is a masterpiece. (2787 views) | | | Tasted by csimm on 7/27/2021 & rated 100 points: Vice Versa weekend and dinner: I got all ramped-up to write about this wine and then just re-read my notes from 4/30/2021 that basically say it all (so, refer to those notes if you want to read my novella from April). This was probably my favorite wine of the weekend. It is just so perfectly balanced, smooth, and complex. The depth is extraordinary, as in EXTRA awesome. A 2015 Promontory (as well as a number of the amazing Vice Versa wines) were nipping at the heels of this Harlan, but I can’t deny my complete adoration and affection for this amazing wine. It is an emotional response for me.
When CT’er Cristal2000 said he was considering popping the cork on this bottle, I tried to play it off casually, like that would be a wine “worth exploring” or some sort of snobby academic reply that made me think I was saying something only mildly suggestive as to the merits of opening it for “the other people.” Of course, what I really meant was, “Um, I want. Me drink. Now please.”
And yes, I hear it constantly. “But is it worth it, really?” Hell, I dunno. Generally speaking, it doesn’t put a roof over my head or cure me from cancer, so in that vein, I guess it’s not worth it. It is for me. Well, is it a bummer that it is in the top price bracket that it is…as in, it’s own bracket, leaving almost all Napa Cabs in the fiscal dust for only the elite to sample? Of course it’s a bummer. But if a Ferrari was inexpensive and everyone had one, it wouldn’t be a Ferrari. Regardless, if I (meaning me…not anyone else) had to have just one wine before I die kind of thing, this is at the top of my list. (7495 views) | | | Tasted by WineBurrowingWombat on 6/18/2021 & rated 99 points: Brooding, dark and seducing aromas of fruit straight from the pour. As I go in closer, I'm finding a mélange of macerated black and dark blue berries, a contrast of bitterness from something similar to tar and a pristine forest floor with soft but fully grown undergrowth (something like moss, grass and ferns).
Incredible flavors. On the palate there was deep dark black fruits with shades of purple, pure forest floor, pleasant bitter embers, black lead, bitter minerals and dried tree bark on the finish. To even pick flavors out is not doing this justice; this is such a well integrated blend and melding of flavors. Age played a part here as for some reason, I imagined the flavors for a younger bottling would be a bit wilder and unrestrained. This had amazing balance while still being able to exhibit an impressive streamlining of flavors. This one goes into the magic potion category.
With that being said, the length on the finish was disappointing. It's still really good of ~24-28 seconds but for the price tag, I expected this to go past the minute mark easy. At some point in time while drinking this, I began to realize a good portion of the price tag is probably in the name (and it hurts). I hate how much I enjoyed this. I have to admit it's one of the best wines I've ever tasted.
Some real questions that were thrown at me:
Is this something you have to get?
Probably not.
Is this something you should try at least once?
Definitely and make sure it's for an occasion where you can share with someone you care about and are able to really indulge in this.
If you're a rich made MF, salute as none of this is even a concern to you. (4076 views) | | | Tasted by Caveman999 on 5/29/2021: Beat wine ever. 4 hour decant and so smooth. Rich fruit w (2725 views) | | | Tasted by Caveman999 on 5/29/2021: To celebrate maddies graduation. 4 hour decant. Very smooth. Berry, fruit with solid under notes to give it a lot of body. Sneers so yummy (2442 views) | | | Tasted by csimm on 4/30/2021 & rated 100 points: 3 days in Napa: Arkenstone, Memento Mori, Maxem, The French Laundry, Christopher Tynan, Kinsman, Harlan, Vice Versa, Accendo, Fairchild, Macdonald, and a truckload of others (Napa): One of the best wines I’ve ever had.
Not just that day. Not just that trip. Not just this year. Not encapsulated with disclaimers, exceptions, and statistical flim-flammery in order to put it into a special box for just that moment in time. Not like when someone running for Congress tells you he is the first, never-before person in the world to sit on a Congressional seat who is 53% Hungarian, 22% Austrian, and 25% Israeli, has two dogs, lives in Manteca California, and has a scar on his right cheek, and therefore is THE unique and special candidate for the position…
This was just simply and unequivocally one of the best wines…ever.
Blackberry, the deepest pitched black cherry known to the human race (and when I say deep, I mean deep – not overripe or sluggish), plum skin, soft mulch (like being under a redwood tree when nearly silent beneath your feet), charcoal, graphite, creosote, and black gravel. There are hints of unsmoked cigar and leather that also peek through the profile. The mid-palate is so saturated but also so controlled. There is a deliberateness slowly expanding the unadulterated flavors with a cadence that is unmatched in the western wine world. The finish not only lingers, it also progresses and advances, evolving on the back end of the palate and creating new memories in the recycling of flavors over and over again. A wine that can change and develop in the mouth within a single sip is certainly one that defines captivation and majesty.
There is an absolute uniqueness with the Harlan wines. I honestly didn’t want them to be unique or special. I wanted to normalize them and dismiss them off as good or even great wines that just cost too much, so I’d subsequently not “need” them in my cellar. Well, that little mind experiment didn’t work as soon as I took a sample of the 2019 from barrel. Then the 2016. Then this 2012. So yep, it’s officially all over for me on this front. I like Harlan. I want to drink more Harlan. And I’ll be buying Harlan. The addiction is terrifyingly real (If anyone has a couch in a 600-square-foot apartment for rent, let me know).
The 2012 is a pristine example of what a little bottle age can do for Harlan. Compared to the 2016, which was also amazing but a bit unresolved and wild in its current state, the 2012 has found a pathway to a gorgeous glide. A wine-life changing wine for me. And yes, I’m sure you vinegary Harlan members who have been tossing back these wines for years are reading this with healthy doses of long eyerolls and, “Gee whiz kid, tell us something we don’t know.” So, my apologies for being a drive-by tourist in the Harlan world up until now, but I admittedly don’t have a twenty-year resume with this producer. Hopefully ya’ll will let me into the secret illuminati club one day! Until then, I’ll simply say, “Thank you for the opportunity to try this amazing juice and thanks to our host Francois for sharing this gem.” And an especially singular thank you to CT’er Cristal2000 for being the Harlan sauce-boss that he is, setting up this whole thing, and allowing my petty tagalong peasantry.
During this trip, I was continually impressed with all of the wines we were fortunate enough to drink. I will say also that there were three wines in particular for me that totally crushed my cranium with their unbelievable representations of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2012 Harlan, 2012 Tynan MG, and 2018 Macdonald were next-level juice that dominated the landscape even among their otherwise remarkable peers. (8011 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Elaine Chukan Brown
JancisRobinson.com (3/11/2020)
(Harlan Estate Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (7/1/2019)
(Harlan Estate Napa Valley, Red, United States) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/7/2018)
(Harlan Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Harlan Estate Vertical at The Naples Winter Wine Festival (Sep 2017) (9/1/2017)
(Harlan Harlan Estate Napa Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Elaine Chukan Brown
JancisRobinson.com (6/13/2016)
(Harlan Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2013 Napa Valley: Once Upon a Time in America… (Oct 2015) (10/1/2015)
(Harlan Harlan Estate Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, December 2014, Issue #46
(Harlan Estate) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, New Releases from Napa Valley: 2012 and 2013 (Dec 2014) (10/1/2014)
(Harlan Estate Harlan Estate Oakville) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2014, IWC Issue #174
(Harlan Estate Red Wine Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and JamesSuckling.com and Vinous and The World of Fine Wine. (manage subscription channels) |
| Harlan Estate Producer website - Read more about Harlan Estate
Harlan Estate was founded in 1984 by H. William Harlan with the vision to consistently produce a wine of the highest quality and great longevity from the estate – in essence, to create a “First Growth” of California. Each year, the wine of Harlan Estate strives to faithfully express the abiding character of the land, and the distinctive attributes of the vintage.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Oakville |
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