1996 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red
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Tasting notes
Magnum. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, remainder: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot. Delicate, fresh blossoms lift from the glass and are moved across a savoury palate of cooked herbs and mushrooms well integrated with spice. The tannin profile here is a bit firmer than the 1997 with a bit more overall balance as well. The bright lift of acidity carries the wine through a long finish. Delicious. (ECB)
Critic scores
Average Score
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
It is fascinating to taste the 1996 Harlan Estate after the 1999. Tightly wound and almost Old World in spirit, the 1996 is compelling from the first taste. Although the 1996 doesn’t have the natural Napa Valley opulence that runs through so many other wines in this tasting, it’s balance is simply impeccable. Scents of tobacco, leather, cedar and spice add aromatic intensity. For a 21 year-old wine, the 1996 is still quite powerful. As good as the 1996 is, there is a perceptible aggressiveness in the tannins that are hardly, if ever, seen in today’s wines.
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.