2018 Harlan Estate

Harlan Estate has two very distinct soil types: the hills to the east, of volcanic origin, and the slopes to the west of sedimentary composition. The common thread across the property is the paucity of top soil and the 360-degree exposures of the many separate blocks. The vines have established themselves deep into the bedrock. Viticulture applies organic and biodynamic practices.  Grapes are carefully sorted by hand and fermented in small lots in wood fermenters. The wine is pressed-off into French barriques, with a balanced use of new and used oak, and aged for about 24 months prior to being bottled, unfined and unfiltered. Deep, profound, savoury, wonderful combination of fruit purity, power, concentration but also great elegance and finesse. The savoury aftertaste lingers here for 30–45 seconds. Not at all showy, this somehow manages to be fresh, structured, powerful, ripe and has great potential for the future. Cherry/damson/blackberry fruit notes but the fruit is a sideshow to how this has been constructed. Glorious stuff. (AWH)

Classy earth, oak and bay-leaf character on the nose, together with dark fruit, such as currants and blackberries. Forest flowers, too. Full-to medium-bodied, linear and tight with coolness and freshness. Mint and spearmint to the dark fruit. Lasts a long time. Such balance and intensity. Tight now, but great energy and length this year. Incredibly sophisticated and seductive. A joy to taste now, but try in 2025.

The 2018 Harlan Estate is deep, plush and full of potential. But potential is the key word here, as the 2018 is also very reticent today. Its depth, power and pedigree are all obviously apparent. It is an atypical wine for Napa, as the acids, tannin and structure are all pretty prominent. Hints of black cherry, gravel, spice, menthol and lavender gradually open with some coaxing. The 2018 is a remarkable wine. I remember tasting it for the first time in Spring 2019, when it came across as a bit light. Perhaps that was a reflection of early blending and a wine that had not bounced back from that. Since then, the 2018 has gained in richness and volume, while retaining the finessed style that is such a signature here these days.