2006 Harlan Estate The Maiden
Community Tasting Note
NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine:
Sunday, December 29, 2013 - Opaque, with crimson rim. Nose starts with a light floral note and quickly becomes more brooding, with ripe blueberry, cedar and ash aromas, and a pervasive flinty or slate-like stone smell. The palate is round and full of fruit, with ripe tomato and blackberry flavors, with subtle woodsy accents. The tannins are softer better-integrated than when I first tried this, but still reasonably firm and tight. This drinks well now with aeration (I decanted for three hours and consumed over another three) but may benefit from 3-5 more years in the cellar.
I respect the professionals at Harlan Estate and think they run a top-class operation from a winemaking and customer service perspective. I am gratified to support their tireless pursuit of excellence with my custom. All that said, I'm not sure this wine is worth the price. As evinced above: I like this wine; however I'm not sure I like it $150 worth. You're at or above the high end of Deuxième Cru Bordeaux at that price point, and I think I'd rather have a Pichon Lalande or a Léoville-Barton. How to resolve this? The commerical director of a winery would know; I don't.
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3 comments have been posted
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Comment posted by ArtF:
12/30/2013 8:43:00 AM - Interesting thought. I think the winery tries to predict how much consumers are willing to pay. We are the final arbitrators of price.
Comment posted by NineteenEightyTwo:
12/30/2013 9:39:00 AM - Exactly my point, ArtF: my willingness to pay this much is going to be based on whether I have comparable or better alternatives for a similar or lower price. At $150/bottle, I'd argue that I do. In addition to the French wines mentioned above, Harlan's neighbor Dominus sells their first wine for roughly that much.
As I said, I like the Harlan folks and I enjoy their wine, and I would like to patronize their enterprise through fat and lean years. However, I'm going to be less inclined to purchase consistently in the lesser vintages (2011: I'm looking at you) at $150/bottle, whereas I would probably put in a three-bottle order every year at $75/bottle, just to support the team.
They know how to run their business better than I do, and I'm sure there is no shortage of takers for every drop they have to offer. I'm not claiming to be anything more than a lone, plaintive voice in the wilderness. I believe the point deserves to be made, nonetheless.
Comment posted by ArtF:
1/6/2014 10:55:00 AM - High prices are good for the short term, but winemakers should also be concerned with loyalty from collectors such as you. You should contact them. You make alot of sense. I would, but actually, I am holding these in storage for a relative and waiting for him to open them. I've never purchased a bottle for more than $100 other than Y'quem. PS--my favorite Napa is Cakebread CS with about 20 years on it.