Blind. The Harlan was tied for my second/third favorite out of five. The preferential order for me was Colgin, Eisele/Harlan, Bryant, and Chappellet – with the Chappellet not even close to being in the same league as the other remarkable four.
Deep and plush on the initial glug, with a rich entry that instantly finds a lovely and inviting glide, undulating on the palate with an ultra-refined stroke of dark berry fruit and bitter chocolate. The Harlan sports a deeply pitched mid-palate, making that, “I’m expensive, singular, important, and you better recognize I’m a big deal” type of statement right out of the gate. Starts out suave but gets more assertive and pushier toward the close of business.
Similar to 2018 Bryant with its ripe blackberry core and fairly opulent front end showing, the Harlan is a posh demoiselle from the moment it sashays through the door. Through its execution, it becomes more masculine and brawnier. Its sway progressively lends more toward a bolder imprint, with a noticeable quadricep stomp on the back end, finishing with a youthful kick that slightly interrupts its full promenade. A debutante turned dictator by the end of the party. If you didn’t get the message nicely the first time, the Harlan wants to make sure you understand its delivery is not a question; it’s an answer, and it’s the right answer! As such, there’s some angularity on the terminus that needs to be sorted out with some cellaring.
Though I suspected this sample was the Harlan, due to its new school richness and undeniable textural prowess (at least on the first part of the flavor-push), the slightly more punitive finish gave me some pause. In retrospect, it makes some sense, as I had a similar experience with the 2016 Harlan, whose power and fortitude made for a similar presentation on the back end, which brought this down a slight tick in comparative scoring, placing it in a tie with the number two/three spot for my favorite. An incredible wine whichever way you look at it. 98-99+ points. Try this again in 2026+.
Blind. The Eisele was tied for my second/third favorite out of five. The preferential order for me was Colgin, Eisele/Harlan, Bryant, and Chappellet – with the Chappellet not even close to being in the same league as the other remarkable four.
Dry and sans the depth of the others…at first. Dark black cherry, dusty cedar, leather, and an almost arid finish gives the impression of a Pavie with a bit of age on it. Double-blind, I would’ve confidentially called this out as a top shelf Right Bank. The stratosphere of flavor stays superficial at the outset, with the dust and powdery notes hovering intently over the red currant, wild berry, and sun-soaked leather flavors. The delivery becomes more exacting and focused with time. This is much different than the others (Harlan, Colgin, Bryant) in its older school stance. On first pass, this is a straight imposter to the Napa world, a dissident spy that is on the verge of being outed and assassinated by the mother country to which it has infiltrated…
But then, by some stroke of luck, our hero evades capture. Through a series of tactical glass swirling and a cunning dodgery of revisit pours, airtime, nose-in-stemware mouth breathing, and dexterous gargling, the Eisele metamorphizes, transmogrifies, and strategically somersaults all Navy Seal-like into a swirling amalgamation of deeper, richer, and more complex extracts that completely alter the course of this changeling, gymnastic-ing and shapeshifting its way back to the Napa Valley while still holding on to the best parts of what its across-the-Atlantic province has to offer.
This old/new[er] world conversion is similar to what I experienced with the 2016 Eisele as well, a few days later. So, this appears to be a house style: Built to age but with a tempting accessibility that starts to come to fruition in the near term and hints at where this wine will eventually land, which, in case you missed it, is ‘signs-point-to-tremendous.’ In the complexity department, this was a fascinating wine to follow over time – to which I wish I had even more time with it. To pop-and-pour would be a disservice here. It’s the kind of wine I wish would tell me long, drawn-out war stories about crossing over into Germany before the wall fell and how, through encrypted messages the size of thimbles left under a floormat in a pub at 3AM, the West was able to thwart evil and save millions of citizens from oppressive autarky. I picture Churchill drinking this wine.
Blind. The Colgin was my favorite out of the five. This was also the hands-down favorite for everyone at the table.
Boom! So, the Colgin happened. When you’re trying to be all studious-like with your blind tasting, having someone walk in and out of the room pouring bagged bottles just so you don’t recognize the shape or weight of the glass, trying to cover your notes like a nerdy kid taking the SAT with a bunch of swindling moles endeavoring to cheat off you (when in doubt, mark “(d). all of the above”), you become hit with a wine that throws all of that out the window and simply demands attention. When you can stop caring about the Harlan in the glass next to you and ask everyone at the table, “What the hell is this wine she just poured us?!,” well then my friend, you’ve got yourself a wine that just crushed the competition.
Superb depth, flawless execution, a perfect balance of acidity, freshness, and unctuous fruit purity and ripeness. It’s one of those throw up your hands moments. You vacillate between having everything to say about this wine and nothing that words can adequately describe (except for some ‘F’ explicative that would be inappropriate for my angelic mouth to mutter in this most professional sphere).
A chocolatey (bitter and dark, as in 1500% cacao) blackberry cobbler front end almost worries you for a flash of a second about being too cloying or hedonistic, but then all is right with the world; spice, fennel, cardamon, and soil notes magically missile their ways into the dark, earthy core, surging at the mid-palate with captivating intensity. Such persistence on this wine, with layer-upon-layer of complex fruit, spice, and earth notes all wrapped up in a polish and textural seamlessness that begs for another sip. Some wines inch their ways into the number one spot. Others don’t make you doubt for a second that they are the best in show.
100 points. Period. Drinks awesome now. Sure, it’ll age great. The energy and resolve on this puppy are no joke. Do what cha like if you’re lucky enough to snag these. Drink. Buy. Hold. Drink more. I mean, I’m not gonna say it shamed the Harlan once the wines were revealed, but I’m not not saying that either…
Blind. The Bryant was my fourth out of five. Normally that might create the impression it somehow had a bad showing or failed in some way. This is the problem with comparison tastings. There’s always a winner and the rest are second-best. All four (of the five) wines performed beautifully. These notes are more for proportional and relative perspective.
This is a great wine, though this bottle’s showing was not as amazing as the previous experience I had with it back on Halloween. It’s “just” a 96-97 point showing this time around, with slightly less drive than I recall from my first encounter with the 2018 Bryant Cabernet. A ton of deep blackberry fruit, rich black cherry, and a slightly dusty encapsulation make for a strong and gorgeous showing that is simply out paced by the few others at the table. Somewhat ironically, the tail has a slight bitterness, but it is overcome quickly by the waves of yummy fruit. Certainly, this is more opulent than the others, and likely the most accessible of the lot, but slightly predictable the same way a Realm Crane is predictable. (Ok, everyone just calm down. I know those are different wines and all, but once you’ve had one Realm Crane, well, you know…). Wait, that reeked a bit of self-snobbery – a thousand apologies…).
In any event, this bottle of Bryant shows a stunningly gourmand profile. Its richness makes it a right-now wine in many ways, but it certainly has the frame (and a nice hit of minerality I might add) to go the distance. Ideally, hold for a few more years to curve the edges even more.
Blind. The Chappellet was at the back of the stack.
To be fair, this was served at room temperature, with the others at an appropriate service level near cellar temperature. Warm Cabernet was strike one here. Strike two was the depth of flavor, which was superficial at best and near-astringent at worst. Strike three was the angularity, which made for an execution that came to a bit of a dogpile on the finish in terms of jumbled alcohol and cedar-laced bitter cherry flavors.
Ok. The good news is that the other four wines were all amazing. This just wasn’t so amazing. Of course, the price point is on a different/lower level, and it shows. Some wines can punch above their class. Some can’t. That’s ok as long as you know what you’re getting into. So, as a pirate, the Chappellet is fine. I’ll never buy it, but it’s fine. From an isolative perspective and outside of this comparative tasting, it has a lot to work out before it is anywhere close to accessible. It presents as blocky and rectilinear, with the berry fruit swept over by disconcerting iron-framed booze and what seems to be a wood-like element, like the grainy American casks that you sometimes find in those Barrels and Beasts science experiment blends David Del Dotto concocts when he’s been watching too many of his own infomercials.
Out of all the wine we had this week, the Chappellet still stands out in a way that is disappointing to me. I know Chappy devotees will flick their nose at me, say this was a baby killer moment and why be so critical of such a juvenile wine, I just don’t understand Pritchard Hill through the eyes of Corallo-Titus, or why hate when I can congratulate. Ya, I dunno. If you see something here that I don’t see, then I still love ya and more power to ya. Aside from my most “keepin’ it real” moment, I’ll simply go with – this wine needs time.
For those holding bottles, I’m sorry.
(Just kidding…-ish). Give this the time and opportunity to get its house in order. Try again in 6-7+ years.
2018 Harlan Estate 99 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Blind. The Harlan was tied for my second/third favorite out of five. The preferential order for me was Colgin, Eisele/Harlan, Bryant, and Chappellet – with the Chappellet not even close to being in the same league as the other remarkable four.
Deep and plush on the initial glug, with a rich entry that instantly finds a lovely and inviting glide, undulating on the palate with an ultra-refined stroke of dark berry fruit and bitter chocolate. The Harlan sports a deeply pitched mid-palate, making that, “I’m expensive, singular, important, and you better recognize I’m a big deal” type of statement right out of the gate. Starts out suave but gets more assertive and pushier toward the close of business.
Similar to 2018 Bryant with its ripe blackberry core and fairly opulent front end showing, the Harlan is a posh demoiselle from the moment it sashays through the door. Through its execution, it becomes more masculine and brawnier. Its sway progressively lends more toward a bolder imprint, with a noticeable quadricep stomp on the back end, finishing with a youthful kick that slightly interrupts its full promenade. A debutante turned dictator by the end of the party. If you didn’t get the message nicely the first time, the Harlan wants to make sure you understand its delivery is not a question; it’s an answer, and it’s the right answer! As such, there’s some angularity on the terminus that needs to be sorted out with some cellaring.
Though I suspected this sample was the Harlan, due to its new school richness and undeniable textural prowess (at least on the first part of the flavor-push), the slightly more punitive finish gave me some pause. In retrospect, it makes some sense, as I had a similar experience with the 2016 Harlan, whose power and fortitude made for a similar presentation on the back end, which brought this down a slight tick in comparative scoring, placing it in a tie with the number two/three spot for my favorite. An incredible wine whichever way you look at it. 98-99+ points. Try this again in 2026+.
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2018 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 99 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Blind. The Eisele was tied for my second/third favorite out of five. The preferential order for me was Colgin, Eisele/Harlan, Bryant, and Chappellet – with the Chappellet not even close to being in the same league as the other remarkable four.
Dry and sans the depth of the others…at first. Dark black cherry, dusty cedar, leather, and an almost arid finish gives the impression of a Pavie with a bit of age on it. Double-blind, I would’ve confidentially called this out as a top shelf Right Bank. The stratosphere of flavor stays superficial at the outset, with the dust and powdery notes hovering intently over the red currant, wild berry, and sun-soaked leather flavors. The delivery becomes more exacting and focused with time. This is much different than the others (Harlan, Colgin, Bryant) in its older school stance. On first pass, this is a straight imposter to the Napa world, a dissident spy that is on the verge of being outed and assassinated by the mother country to which it has infiltrated…
But then, by some stroke of luck, our hero evades capture. Through a series of tactical glass swirling and a cunning dodgery of revisit pours, airtime, nose-in-stemware mouth breathing, and dexterous gargling, the Eisele metamorphizes, transmogrifies, and strategically somersaults all Navy Seal-like into a swirling amalgamation of deeper, richer, and more complex extracts that completely alter the course of this changeling, gymnastic-ing and shapeshifting its way back to the Napa Valley while still holding on to the best parts of what its across-the-Atlantic province has to offer.
This old/new[er] world conversion is similar to what I experienced with the 2016 Eisele as well, a few days later. So, this appears to be a house style: Built to age but with a tempting accessibility that starts to come to fruition in the near term and hints at where this wine will eventually land, which, in case you missed it, is ‘signs-point-to-tremendous.’ In the complexity department, this was a fascinating wine to follow over time – to which I wish I had even more time with it. To pop-and-pour would be a disservice here. It’s the kind of wine I wish would tell me long, drawn-out war stories about crossing over into Germany before the wall fell and how, through encrypted messages the size of thimbles left under a floormat in a pub at 3AM, the West was able to thwart evil and save millions of citizens from oppressive autarky. I picture Churchill drinking this wine.
98-99+ points for the 2018 Eisele.
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2018 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard 100 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Blind. The Colgin was my favorite out of the five. This was also the hands-down favorite for everyone at the table.
Boom! So, the Colgin happened. When you’re trying to be all studious-like with your blind tasting, having someone walk in and out of the room pouring bagged bottles just so you don’t recognize the shape or weight of the glass, trying to cover your notes like a nerdy kid taking the SAT with a bunch of swindling moles endeavoring to cheat off you (when in doubt, mark “(d). all of the above”), you become hit with a wine that throws all of that out the window and simply demands attention. When you can stop caring about the Harlan in the glass next to you and ask everyone at the table, “What the hell is this wine she just poured us?!,” well then my friend, you’ve got yourself a wine that just crushed the competition.
Superb depth, flawless execution, a perfect balance of acidity, freshness, and unctuous fruit purity and ripeness. It’s one of those throw up your hands moments. You vacillate between having everything to say about this wine and nothing that words can adequately describe (except for some ‘F’ explicative that would be inappropriate for my angelic mouth to mutter in this most professional sphere).
A chocolatey (bitter and dark, as in 1500% cacao) blackberry cobbler front end almost worries you for a flash of a second about being too cloying or hedonistic, but then all is right with the world; spice, fennel, cardamon, and soil notes magically missile their ways into the dark, earthy core, surging at the mid-palate with captivating intensity. Such persistence on this wine, with layer-upon-layer of complex fruit, spice, and earth notes all wrapped up in a polish and textural seamlessness that begs for another sip. Some wines inch their ways into the number one spot. Others don’t make you doubt for a second that they are the best in show.
100 points. Period. Drinks awesome now. Sure, it’ll age great. The energy and resolve on this puppy are no joke. Do what cha like if you’re lucky enough to snag these. Drink. Buy. Hold. Drink more. I mean, I’m not gonna say it shamed the Harlan once the wines were revealed, but I’m not not saying that either…
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2018 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 97 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Blind. The Bryant was my fourth out of five. Normally that might create the impression it somehow had a bad showing or failed in some way. This is the problem with comparison tastings. There’s always a winner and the rest are second-best. All four (of the five) wines performed beautifully. These notes are more for proportional and relative perspective.
This is a great wine, though this bottle’s showing was not as amazing as the previous experience I had with it back on Halloween. It’s “just” a 96-97 point showing this time around, with slightly less drive than I recall from my first encounter with the 2018 Bryant Cabernet. A ton of deep blackberry fruit, rich black cherry, and a slightly dusty encapsulation make for a strong and gorgeous showing that is simply out paced by the few others at the table. Somewhat ironically, the tail has a slight bitterness, but it is overcome quickly by the waves of yummy fruit. Certainly, this is more opulent than the others, and likely the most accessible of the lot, but slightly predictable the same way a Realm Crane is predictable. (Ok, everyone just calm down. I know those are different wines and all, but once you’ve had one Realm Crane, well, you know…). Wait, that reeked a bit of self-snobbery – a thousand apologies…).
In any event, this bottle of Bryant shows a stunningly gourmand profile. Its richness makes it a right-now wine in many ways, but it certainly has the frame (and a nice hit of minerality I might add) to go the distance. Ideally, hold for a few more years to curve the edges even more.
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2018 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Blind. The Chappellet was at the back of the stack.
To be fair, this was served at room temperature, with the others at an appropriate service level near cellar temperature. Warm Cabernet was strike one here. Strike two was the depth of flavor, which was superficial at best and near-astringent at worst. Strike three was the angularity, which made for an execution that came to a bit of a dogpile on the finish in terms of jumbled alcohol and cedar-laced bitter cherry flavors.
Ok. The good news is that the other four wines were all amazing. This just wasn’t so amazing. Of course, the price point is on a different/lower level, and it shows. Some wines can punch above their class. Some can’t. That’s ok as long as you know what you’re getting into. So, as a pirate, the Chappellet is fine. I’ll never buy it, but it’s fine. From an isolative perspective and outside of this comparative tasting, it has a lot to work out before it is anywhere close to accessible. It presents as blocky and rectilinear, with the berry fruit swept over by disconcerting iron-framed booze and what seems to be a wood-like element, like the grainy American casks that you sometimes find in those Barrels and Beasts science experiment blends David Del Dotto concocts when he’s been watching too many of his own infomercials.
Out of all the wine we had this week, the Chappellet still stands out in a way that is disappointing to me. I know Chappy devotees will flick their nose at me, say this was a baby killer moment and why be so critical of such a juvenile wine, I just don’t understand Pritchard Hill through the eyes of Corallo-Titus, or why hate when I can congratulate. Ya, I dunno. If you see something here that I don’t see, then I still love ya and more power to ya. Aside from my most “keepin’ it real” moment, I’ll simply go with – this wine needs time.
For those holding bottles, I’m sorry.
(Just kidding…-ish). Give this the time and opportunity to get its house in order. Try again in 6-7+ years.
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