2012 Harlan Estate
Community Tasting Note
Fink75 Likes this wine:
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 - 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.
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