Harlan Estate

Harlan Estate is a high-profile, critically-lauded wine producer based in the Oakville AVA of Napa Valley, California. The estate was founded in 1984 by property developer William Harlan. Some 40 acres (16 hectares) is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, but with smaller amounts of other red Bordeaux varieties. Harlan Estate's first commercial vintage was the 1990, which was released in 1996 with a then-expensive price tag of $65 a bottle. Since then, the estate has cemented itself as one of the most highly-regarded wine producers in the world, with eight vintages achieving 100-point scores from wine critics. As a result, prices and fame have risen exponentially. 

Deep ruby-purple in color, the 2017 Harlan Estate needs a little coaxing to reveal captivating iron ore, red currant jelly, cloves and crushed rocks scents with a core of warm cassis, black forest cake and boysenberries plus a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, grainy texture with a lively backbone and loads of earthy layers, long and mineral laced. This should be one of the longer-lived wines coming out of the 2017 vintage.