1994 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red
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Tasting notes
'A picture-perfect growing season’, according to the Harlan team. A famous wine that has ‘continued to climb the ladder with easily another 20+ years ahead of it’. We tasters were told '1993 was our favourite vintage and has been on this plateau for 10 years or so, but 1994 is not even on the plateau.' A big vintage – quite like 2001. Rich, meat extract. Hint of cough medicine and animal flavours. Vibrant and much tamer and more civilised than when I first tasted it as a brooding blockbuster. Still quite a bit of tannin, amazingly. Maybe it will eventually take over? Rich and broad and balsam. Full of pleasure! (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Magnum. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, remainder: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot. A bit of tomato leaf and mountain herbs on the nose with just a touch of cigar smoke become a mix of fleshy, spiced stone fruits and graphite on the palate. The tannin presence here is impressively intact while supple. The acidity feels fresh and carries the wine through a long finish. Nicely savoury. There is just something extra to this wine – it keeps pulling you back to enjoy it again. (ECB)
May be a ‘repatriated bottle’, bought back to replenish stocks of mature wine. Dark garnet with very nuanced shading. Lovely on the palate even if a tad tired on the nose. Really rather beautiful. Long and peacock’s tail. Light and fresh. Very unlike stereotypical Harlan. Dry finish. I think when I tasted this before it may have seemed almost too dry, but the tannin and acidity have clearly preserved it well. (JR)
About the producer
Harlan Estate is one of the Napa Valley’s most prestigious wine estates. It is one of a handful of cult Cabernet producers, whose wines are some of the most expensive and collectable in the region.