Jammy scents of raspberry mingling with fine oak notes, followed by a lush, velvety, concentrated and ripe mouthfeel, there is a luxurious quite candy like expression in the mid palate, with good grip and good finish. This luxurious wine is a tad sweet, and is the kind of wine I'd drink on its own without food, as its richness is almost like a meal itself. It is not closed at all, and it would be interesting to cellar it for 20 years and try it after 2036. My bet is it will loose its fat and become much more complex than what it showed today.
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Hundred Acre wine tasting: Blind. Nose is very closed, taste is beautiful, very complex. Insane aftertaste, truly legendary lenght. This is an amazing wine and I'm very grateful I got to taste it. But oh, what a shame, it was truly a crime to have opened it this young.
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NYE tasting of 2016 Dominus, Harlan and Shafer Hillside select. All three were magnificent but the D edged out the others by a hair. The Harlan was second but a bit closed - expect it will develop over the years to give the D a run for its money. Shafer was the most fruit forward and the archetype of a napa cab. Absolutely delicious but perhaps not as integrated as the other two due to the powerful fruit. It was an absolute blast and a privilege to try these three together.
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Epic Napa Trip - Day 5: Tasted at Harlan Estates - I loved this wine! Glad I got to try it at the winery because I would never open one of my own bottles this young (I should never say "never"....I did break down not too long ago and open a 2012). Super impressive! Nose showed plenty of dark fruit, some purple flowers and some earth and graphite notes with hints of sweet vanilla. The palate was even more glorious with layers of black and red fruit....so pure....so smooth....so luxurious! Some earthy notes with some anise, tobacco and graphite, which should show better with age. I am looking forward to tasting this down the road....could surpass the 1996, but will need to wait a few years to find out! I wish I had more bottles of this to follow it more often! I know, I know....pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered! So hard not to be a hog though when the wine is this good! I just wish Harlan was less expensive so I could buy more bottles!
Napa trip day 5: Drank a glass over an hour at the winery. Some herbal qualities, blue fruit, green to red bell pepper. This is really classy, slightly tannic.
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Tasted at Harlan in Oakville. This was fantastically young right now but wow. After letting it sit for as long as I could muster (it smelled so good), I smelled and tasted dark fruits, graphite, menthol, spices, and earth. Probably more. So layered! Can't wait to try in like 2028
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To be sure, this wine is way too young to drink right now for me, it's still very primary, but man is it a big wine right now with insane concentration and intensity. Just a wave of purple and red berries here but not an oaky fruit bomb like some other Napa wines we tried. If you have the money and like a very big wine this will be interesting to try starting in 2028 and definitely has room for improvement.
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): Essentially a younger and more rambunctious version of the 2012, which is a great sign of things to come. Powerful and heady on entry, with blackberry liqueur, charcoal, graphite, and black raspberry notes drop solidly mid-palate, further complimented by tobacco and currant flavors. With a girthy push, the core is catapulted hurriedly to the back end, finishing with a thrust of blackberry, earth, and alcohol. The booze washes over the profile with persistence but does not ultimately distract from the experience of enjoying the striking fruit.
A very intense and brawny sample that will need at least a decade to get into full stride. It has the draw of the 2016 vintage and a saturating depth that is unmatched among other houses in the neighborhood, but I do wonder if it will go through a bit of a shutdown period at some point. I always hate using those ‘shut down’ and ‘awkward phase’ terminologies, especially when describing what MIGHT happen to a wine down the road, but this particular wine, as awesome as it is, also evokes a sense of having to work a few things out before it develops into the stallion I am confident it will ultimately become. It may lap the 2012 in the long haul, if it’s possible to lap a wine I already gave 100 points to. 98-99+ points for the 2016.
See my previous notes for just how in love I am with this bottle of wine. Having it right next to a 12 showed its youth, with a bit more alcohol to integrate while waiting on some of those secondary and tertiary flavors to emerge. Nevertheless, this is simply a stunning achievement that sets it apart even in perhaps the best vintage in recent memory in Napa. The only thing that will make it more perfect is bottle age, so if you don't have many $1000 bottles to experiment with, then I'd say hold off 4-5 more years at least.
Packed and stacked with blackberries, boysenberry's, blueberries, smoke, orange rind, spice and fresh brewed espresso, from the initial sniff you know this is a show-stopper. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and dense, yet, with all this power, you also find balance. Every nook and cranny of your palate is coated with perfectly ripe, opulent berries. Texturally, the velvety waves of fruit hit all the right pleasure buttons again and again. The finish here keeps on going effortlessly moving from note to note. This is what great wine is all about. I seldom drink during tastings. But with this stunner, I drank every drop!
I wish I could give this wine 110 points. It was just off the charts, one of the best wines I've ever had good. We drank this so, so young and yet, it was just singing for us. When you drink a ton of Napa cabs, they start falling into categories. A Mike Smith, Russell Bevan, Kirk Venge etc is opulent and extracted; a Jennifer Williams, Aaron Weinkauf, Celia Welsh etc wine is more classic. Sometimes you're in the mood for one type of wine, and sometimes another. But this Harlan is next level juice that defies any conventional winemaking descriptors. Everything is in total harmony.
TN: Nose tells a bit of what is to come. Blackcurrant, tobacco, herbs, baking spices, fragrant earth and a ton of stuff that defies my descriptors. Surprisingly ripe, fine grained yet powerful tannins ensconce some of the purest expressions of terrior one could imagine. Fresh, savory and driven by nearly every different flavor you might associate with a cabernet, this wine is amazingly focused and delineated, with the precision of a scalpel in the hands of a legendary surgeon. It's full bodied, builds like a locomotive on the mid palate and drives into a legendary finish. Will probably last forever, but I wouldn't stop someone from exploring it if they have a few to cellar. So yeah, I kinda liked it.
Roasted nut and floral nose (wife said custard). Very hedonistic candy and roasted fruit palate. Wife said reminds her of Marvelous Medicine from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Tightly wound with medium finish but everything is in balance and just about drinkable with air at this stage. 96-97
Third stop on our ninth day in Napa Valley is to Harlan Estate in Oakville. Next wine up is a barrel tasting of the Harlan Estate from 2016. This has only been aged for 14 months so far.
Deep purplish ruby red. Dark berries on the nose with some dark flowers, vanilla and oak. Heavy tannins (8/10) with a body still waiting to develop. Dark spices on the palate with cinnamon, vanilla and some dark blackberries. Long finish. Well rounded for being so young in the process, cannot wait to see when this is bottled. Can easily go 40 years once bottled. (BT - 97-99)
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12/22/2023 - Mag357 Likes this wine:
Jammy scents of raspberry mingling with fine oak notes, followed by a lush, velvety, concentrated and ripe mouthfeel, there is a luxurious quite candy like expression in the mid palate, with good grip and good finish. This luxurious wine is a tad sweet, and is the kind of wine I'd drink on its own without food, as its richness is almost like a meal itself. It is not closed at all, and it would be interesting to cellar it for 20 years and try it after 2036. My bet is it will loose its fat and become much more complex than what it showed today.
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6/18/2023 - Baxterna Likes this wine: 97 Points
Big fruity wine. Needs a solid 4+hours in the decantur
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11/9/2022 - Quinn05 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Hundred Acre wine tasting: Blind. Nose is very closed, taste is beautiful, very complex. Insane aftertaste, truly legendary lenght. This is an amazing wine and I'm very grateful I got to taste it. But oh, what a shame, it was truly a crime to have opened it this young.
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1/1/2022 - Hppr Cellar Likes this wine: 99 Points
NYE tasting of 2016 Dominus, Harlan and Shafer Hillside select. All three were magnificent but the D edged out the others by a hair. The Harlan was second but a bit closed - expect it will develop over the years to give the D a run for its money. Shafer was the most fruit forward and the archetype of a napa cab. Absolutely delicious but perhaps not as integrated as the other two due to the powerful fruit. It was an absolute blast and a privilege to try these three together.
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12/9/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Epic Napa Trip - Day 5: Tasted at Harlan Estates - I loved this wine! Glad I got to try it at the winery because I would never open one of my own bottles this young (I should never say "never"....I did break down not too long ago and open a 2012). Super impressive! Nose showed plenty of dark fruit, some purple flowers and some earth and graphite notes with hints of sweet vanilla. The palate was even more glorious with layers of black and red fruit....so pure....so smooth....so luxurious! Some earthy notes with some anise, tobacco and graphite, which should show better with age. I am looking forward to tasting this down the road....could surpass the 1996, but will need to wait a few years to find out! I wish I had more bottles of this to follow it more often! I know, I know....pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered! So hard not to be a hog though when the wine is this good! I just wish Harlan was less expensive so I could buy more bottles!
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12/9/2021 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Napa trip day 5: Drank a glass over an hour at the winery. Some herbal qualities, blue fruit, green to red bell pepper. This is really classy, slightly tannic.
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9/22/2021 - parkline_wine Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tasted at Harlan in Oakville. This was fantastically young right now but wow. After letting it sit for as long as I could muster (it smelled so good), I smelled and tasted dark fruits, graphite, menthol, spices, and earth. Probably more. So layered! Can't wait to try in like 2028
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8/5/2021 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 95 Points
To be sure, this wine is way too young to drink right now for me, it's still very primary, but man is it a big wine right now with insane concentration and intensity. Just a wave of purple and red berries here but not an oaky fruit bomb like some other Napa wines we tried. If you have the money and like a very big wine this will be interesting to try starting in 2028 and definitely has room for improvement.
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4/30/2021 - csimm wrote: 99 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): Essentially a younger and more rambunctious version of the 2012, which is a great sign of things to come. Powerful and heady on entry, with blackberry liqueur, charcoal, graphite, and black raspberry notes drop solidly mid-palate, further complimented by tobacco and currant flavors. With a girthy push, the core is catapulted hurriedly to the back end, finishing with a thrust of blackberry, earth, and alcohol. The booze washes over the profile with persistence but does not ultimately distract from the experience of enjoying the striking fruit.
A very intense and brawny sample that will need at least a decade to get into full stride. It has the draw of the 2016 vintage and a saturating depth that is unmatched among other houses in the neighborhood, but I do wonder if it will go through a bit of a shutdown period at some point. I always hate using those ‘shut down’ and ‘awkward phase’ terminologies, especially when describing what MIGHT happen to a wine down the road, but this particular wine, as awesome as it is, also evokes a sense of having to work a few things out before it develops into the stallion I am confident it will ultimately become. It may lap the 2012 in the long haul, if it’s possible to lap a wine I already gave 100 points to. 98-99+ points for the 2016.
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4/23/2021 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 100 Points
See my previous notes for just how in love I am with this bottle of wine. Having it right next to a 12 showed its youth, with a bit more alcohol to integrate while waiting on some of those secondary and tertiary flavors to emerge. Nevertheless, this is simply a stunning achievement that sets it apart even in perhaps the best vintage in recent memory in Napa. The only thing that will make it more perfect is bottle age, so if you don't have many $1000 bottles to experiment with, then I'd say hold off 4-5 more years at least.
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4/11/2021 - steinersing wrote: 97 Points
Density and expressiveness is impressive. And irrespective of the opulent fruit there is also a strain of acidity. Very drinkable.
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3/2/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
Packed and stacked with blackberries, boysenberry's, blueberries, smoke, orange rind, spice and fresh brewed espresso, from the initial sniff you know this is a show-stopper. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and dense, yet, with all this power, you also find balance. Every nook and cranny of your palate is coated with perfectly ripe, opulent berries. Texturally, the velvety waves of fruit hit all the right pleasure buttons again and again. The finish here keeps on going effortlessly moving from note to note. This is what great wine is all about. I seldom drink during tastings. But with this stunner, I drank every drop!
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10/8/2020 - watcheslover Likes this wine: 92 Points
so so
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8/1/2020 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 100 Points
I wish I could give this wine 110 points. It was just off the charts, one of the best wines I've ever had good. We drank this so, so young and yet, it was just singing for us. When you drink a ton of Napa cabs, they start falling into categories. A Mike Smith, Russell Bevan, Kirk Venge etc is opulent and extracted; a Jennifer Williams, Aaron Weinkauf, Celia Welsh etc wine is more classic. Sometimes you're in the mood for one type of wine, and sometimes another. But this Harlan is next level juice that defies any conventional winemaking descriptors. Everything is in total harmony.
TN: Nose tells a bit of what is to come. Blackcurrant, tobacco, herbs, baking spices, fragrant earth and a ton of stuff that defies my descriptors. Surprisingly ripe, fine grained yet powerful tannins ensconce some of the purest expressions of terrior one could imagine. Fresh, savory and driven by nearly every different flavor you might associate with a cabernet, this wine is amazingly focused and delineated, with the precision of a scalpel in the hands of a legendary surgeon. It's full bodied, builds like a locomotive on the mid palate and drives into a legendary finish. Will probably last forever, but I wouldn't stop someone from exploring it if they have a few to cellar. So yeah, I kinda liked it.
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7/22/2020 - eschuldt wrote: 95 Points
Drank next to a 2016 Palmer which I found a bit more open for business after 3 hours and at the end of the night. Revisit in 5 years.
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7/17/2020 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 97 Points
Roasted nut and floral nose (wife said custard). Very hedonistic candy and roasted fruit palate. Wife said reminds her of Marvelous Medicine from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Tightly wound with medium finish but everything is in balance and just about drinkable with air at this stage. 96-97
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7/11/2018 - steinersing wrote: 97 Points
From barrel - very elegant fruit. Great density. Tannins fine. Imoressive.
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6/4/2018 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 97 Points
Third stop on our ninth day in Napa Valley is to Harlan Estate in Oakville. Next wine up is a barrel tasting of the Harlan Estate from 2016. This has only been aged for 14 months so far.
Deep purplish ruby red. Dark berries on the nose with some dark flowers, vanilla and oak. Heavy tannins (8/10) with a body still waiting to develop. Dark spices on the palate with cinnamon, vanilla and some dark blackberries. Long finish. Well rounded for being so young in the process, cannot wait to see when this is bottled. Can easily go 40 years once bottled. (BT - 97-99)
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