Community Tasting Notes 35

• d.f.c Likes this wine: 96 points

  August 12, 2023 - A great Cab indeed. Even after drinking it directly after opening (did not use a decanter but in glass instead). It was initially a bit reserved/closed due to just taking out of the cellar; temp was a bit low. But it opened up rather quickly while in glass. The creamy floral nose combined with dark berry flavour was very noticable and smooth to drink. Regretably, we consumed it too quickly and didn't give it long enough time to see how well it would last while decanting in glass.

  Comment

• jshufelt wrote: 94 points

  August 3, 2023 - Consistent with previous tasting note.

  Comment

• mxpbuy wrote: 95 points

  December 31, 2022 - Slow ox for 4 hours. Clearly a CA Cab-based wine with loads of overripe black and red fruits. The finish was shorter than expected and combined with a touch too noticeable amount of alcohol that brought this wine down a point for me.

  Comment

• Cailles wrote: 93 points

  March 11, 2022 - 6 Vintages of Harlan (1995-2018): Some conclusions: 1) The highlight in all Harlan wines and what sets the wine apart from many other high-end Napa wines is the elegance and absolute weightless texture and feel, with the finest tannins and an incredible balance. This became obvious in all vintages. 2) What is a big advantage in young wines, might become a disadvantage with a lot of age. The question I always ask myself with this wine (similar to some right bank Merlots in Bordeaux): is there is enough structure and tension to age gracefully for 30, 40 years? I'm not convinced and the data point added in this tasting (1995, 2005) didn't show as much structure as I hope to have at that age in my Cabs. 3) Gun to my head, I say the ideal drinking window for Harlan is rather 5 to 15 years after the vintage and not 20-40 years. 4) The 2018 vintage is spectacular with an incredibly complex profile but will need a few years to flesh out.
  
  TN: Medium expressive nose with tobacco, herbs and dark ripe fruit. On the palate this is has fleshed out and with fine ripe dark berries intermixed with fine brighter red berries and floral notes. Only hints of minerality, tobacco. The frame is impeccable with soft tannins, good tension, medium+ and perfectly integrated acidity, a weightless feel and a slightly creamy texture. Overall, this is a good wine but it is not as deep as the other vintages tonight. I'm not convinced that this has the substance to gain a lot with further ageing. Rather a vintage I would drink up.
  
  Decanting: No extensive decanting needed.

  Comment

• jshufelt wrote: 93 points

  March 4, 2021 - Decanted 90 minutes before service. In the glass, medium indigo at the rim, shading immediately to inky red-black at the core. On the nose, cassis and fresh ground coffee beans. On the palate, currants, mocha, graphite, and a very faint herbal note riding a persistent base of tannins through a moderately long tooth-staining finish. The tannins are not dominating the wine by any means, but I have the sense that you could hide this away for ten years, and the same level of tannins would be there, which makes it difficult to forecast where this bottle is going. With that said, it's a lovely accompaniment to grilled beef right now, if not a compelling QPR. Ask me again in ten years.

  Comment

Pro Reviews 4

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2008
• Type Red
• Producer Harlan Estate
• Varietal Red Bordeaux Blend
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Napa Valley
• Appellation Oakville
• UPC Codes 1000000000236, 1000000000239, 833959003439

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 58 (1%)
• In Cellars 2,710 (69%)
• Consumed 1,171 (30%)

Food Pairing

Who Likes This Wine

More About This Wine