Founded in 1984, Harlan Estate is one of the most sought-after wineries in Napa Valley that crafts what are known as California’s “First Growth” wines.
It is located in the western hills of Oakville. The 240-acre estate sits atop the fabled Oakville benchlands, overlooking the famed Martha’s vineyards – credited for producing some of Napa’s best Cabernet.
The terroir of these terraced vineyards is a mix of different soils and topography. The multiple elevations ranging from 225 feet to 1,225 feet provide perfect drainage, helping the grapes grow slowly and ripen evenly.
The winemaking process at Harlan is under the supervision of winemaker Bob Levy and winemaker Cory Empting.
98 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Another rating identical to that which was given in 2007 (when first tasted from bottle), the 2004 Harlan Estate is performing essentially the way I suggested in 2007 as it is one of the more precocious and accessible of the Harlan Estate wines to date. A great showing at this retrospective, this wine, which seems like a hypothetical blend of a Pauillac, St.-Estephe and Graves, represents around 1,500 cases from 40 acres of beautifully manicured hillside vineyards overlooking Oakville. Still dense purple to the rim, with notes of creme de cassis, charcoal, blackberry and sweet toast, the wine is full-bodied and voluptuously textured with the tannins largely resolved. But the density and richness suggest this wine can go a long, long way, even though the window for drinking it seems open and inviting already. A world-class, first-growth wine if there ever was one from Napa, this is simply an exquisite Harlan Estate that has atypically reached mid to late adolescence at the age of ten. That is great given the fact that these are 30- to 40-year wines – possibly even half-century wines. Drink it over the next 30 years.