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93 Robert Parker
The 2012 Harlan Estate is reminiscent of their 2002. Probably a candidate for perfection with another 4-5 years of bottle age, the wine is inky plum/purple to the rim and offers a gorgeous nose of scorched earth, blackberry and cassis, forest floor, and a floral, lavender-like component followed by deep, opulent, majestic flavors that caress the palate with high but sweet tannin. This is relatively evolved, and supple and voluptuous for a young Harlan estate – hence the comparison with their compelling 2002. This wine can be drunk in several years and is likely another candidate for 30-50 years of cellaring.<br/><br/>The Maiden is made up of the lighter, softer, more evolved lots culled from the Harlan Estate wine. The Harlan Estate is virtually all Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Merlot and Petit Verdot, but interestingly, very little or possibly no Cabernet Franc, which is surprising in view of its neighbor Futo Estate, which is just down the hillside and does such a magnificent job with Cabernet Franc in their blends. <br/><br/>As a postscript, I recently tasted the first Harlan Estate wines, which were never released, as Bill Harlan wanted to set the market on fire with a truly great wine. Looking back on the 1987, 1988 and 1989, the 1987 was tired, but the other two vintages were certainly upper 80-point wines, although nowhere near the quality of his first release, the 1990, or the subsequent great wines that started with the 1991. And speaking of the 1991, I just had two bottles of it at two separate tastings from my cellar, and that wine, at age 24, is still incredibly vigorous, vibrant and majestic. So my aging curves of 30-50 years for recent great vintages are completely understandable, given the fact that the 1991 still has at least another 20 years of life left in it.
93 Wine Spectator
The 2012 Harlan Estate is reminiscent of their 2002. Probably a candidate for perfection with another 4-5 years of bottle age, the wine is inky plum/purple to the rim and offers a gorgeous nose of scorched earth, blackberry and cassis, forest floor, and a floral, lavender-like component followed by deep, opulent, majestic flavors that caress the palate with high but sweet tannin. This is relatively evolved, and supple and voluptuous for a young Harlan estate – hence the comparison with their compelling 2002. This wine can be drunk in several years and is likely another candidate for 30-50 years of cellaring.<br/><br/>The Maiden is made up of the lighter, softer, more evolved lots culled from the Harlan Estate wine. The Harlan Estate is virtually all Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Merlot and Petit Verdot, but interestingly, very little or possibly no Cabernet Franc, which is surprising in view of its neighbor Futo Estate, which is just down the hillside and does such a magnificent job with Cabernet Franc in their blends. <br/><br/>As a postscript, I recently tasted the first Harlan Estate wines, which were never released, as Bill Harlan wanted to set the market on fire with a truly great wine. Looking back on the 1987, 1988 and 1989, the 1987 was tired, but the other two vintages were certainly upper 80-point wines, although nowhere near the quality of his first release, the 1990, or the subsequent great wines that started with the 1991. And speaking of the 1991, I just had two bottles of it at two separate tastings from my cellar, and that wine, at age 24, is still incredibly vigorous, vibrant and majestic. So my aging curves of 30-50 years for recent great vintages are completely understandable, given the fact that the 1991 still has at least another 20 years of life left in it.
Producteur
Harlan Estate
S'inspirant d'un voyage dans les vignobles français de premier plan, notamment Bordeaux et Bourgogne, Bill Harlan s’est donné comme mission de créer son propre domaine « Premier cru » en Californie. Il a fondé son Harlan Estate en 1984 au cœur de la Napa Valley, le long des collines occidentales d'Oakville. Sur son exploitation de 100 hectares, 17 hectares sont plantés en vignes, voués essentiellement au cabernet sauvignon (70%), sans oublier les autres grands classiques bordelais, le merlot (20%), le cabernet franc (8%) et le petit verdot (2%). Le premier millésime commercial de sa cuvée phare Harlan Estate a été mis sur le marché en 1990, suivi, cinq ans plus tard, par son deuxième vin, Maiden. A l’heure actuelle, l’oenologue Bob Levy et l’œnologue conseil Michel Rolland façonnent des vins élégants qui offrent une expression unique du cabernet sauvignon californien, aux parfums éloquents et aux saveurs riches et profondes. D’une qualité inversement proportionnelle à ses dimensions, ce petit producteur artisanal élabore chaque année sans faille, des vins rouges de haut vol dans le style bordelais. Sa production confidentielle (environ 1 200 à 2000 caisses par an) conjuguée à son système de vente en primeur à la bordelaise, confèrent un côté mythique à ses créations qui jouent dans la cour des grands au niveau international.