2018 Harlan Estate

Community Tasting Notes (14) Avg Score: 98.5 points

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  3/15/2024 - LTTC Likes this wine:

  (SYP) Opened 4 hours ago, 1/4 bottle remaining from lunch
  A deep nose of blackberries, smoke, mint and vanilla. Generous, ripe fruit and silky tannins on the palate with good acidity, power and depth. Finishes with chewy tannins and warmth. 92+

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  8/18/2023 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 100 Points

  California 2023; 8/13/2023-8/22/2023: Beautiful, deep dark blueberry, showing more earth and depth than the barrel sample. Cassis. Blackberry. Does strike me more as hillside fruit. Aromatically incredible with violet and rose jumping out. Gorgoeus. Approachable now but would be best 2030-2040+

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  6/2/2023 - csimm wrote: 100 Points

  Harlan, Promontory, Colgin, MacDonald - BLIND: At first pass, this is a crunchy unripe black cherry covered in salty sawdust. I recall having that “Uh-Oh” feeling, wondering, “What wine is this? Did someone throw in a pirate here??” It doesn’t have a dissimilar profile to the Promontory, but the wood element is initially much more at the forefront than the Promontory. Graphite, olive tapenade, and a crushed white flower elements slowly start to emerge, fanning out with the earthy black fruit.
  
  After a few hours, this took off like a rocket enroute to some Fhloston Paradise at the 6th planet in the Angel Constellation (Google it). It was absolutely stunning, and perhaps one of the best performances I’ve seen out of Harlan yet. Sometimes these buggers can be a bit frustrating in their need to chow down on O2 before they reach true greatness. I have felt as though I have missed opportunities with certain Harlans due to rushed service in the past. Give this 2018 some time and you won’t be disappointed. They do seem to require a bit of babying though, unlike the Colgins, for example, which are more eager to impress and are generally less moody. The 2018 Harlan is remarkable, but not without a sack of patience in hand. Hold for a decade.

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  5/30/2023 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 100 Points

  Had this blind next to 18 Promontory, 18 Colgin Tychson and 16 MacDonald. Unlike the last time Harlan and Colgin were paired in a blind, the Harlan came out on top.
  
  As per usual with these wines, they need a lot of oxygen. This started muted on the nose and linear on the palate with plenty of unresolved oak. At some point during the night, this went from backup singer to front man, with a massive core of flavor peeling back layer by layer to reveal a wine monster that outshined the tremendous competition. With black currant, floral notes and deeply fragrant earth on the nose, this shows a black/blue fruit profile, with signature Harlan complexity and waves of intensity that fill out a huge mid palate and crazy finish. I’ve had this wine a few times, and it can be fickle in the early going, but give it enough air and it is what I consider the epitome of Napa goodness.

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  4/13/2023 - jbcab992 Likes this wine: 98 Points

  Drank alongside a 2002. Luscious blue fruits, lead pencil, very very good primary taste. Finish needs to be sorted a bit, which will happen with age, but drinking just beautifully. Between the primary on this and the finish on the 2002, just an incredible experience. Slow ox'd for 6 hours @ 55 degrees/ 70% humidity before tasting.

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View all 14 Community Tasting Notes

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