March 28, 2024 - 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).
March 8, 2024 - 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!
January 20, 2024 - 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
November 11, 2023 - 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.
February 15, 2023 - 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.
June 27, 2022 - 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.
June 25, 2022 - 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.
June 25, 2022 - 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.
June 18, 2022 - 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.
June 9, 2022 - 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.