Deep ruby-red. High-toned aromas of dusty currant, black raspberry, graphite and minerals. Very suave, minerally and vibrant, but less obviously ripe and smaller-scaled than the great '99, which showed explosive aromatics, remarkable breadth and texture, and great inner-mouth energy in early March, meriting 95 points. With a bit less mid-palate thickness and extract, the tannins in this 2000 are more apparent than those of the 1999.

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I have never been totally convinced by the 2000 Harlan Estate, but now that it's in bottle, it is a very fine offering. The problem is that it must be compared with the other Harlan Estate wines made to date. A Graves-like perfume of roasted coffee, scorched earth, black currants, cedar, and a hint of menthol emerge from this dense dark ruby/purple-colored 2000. Lighter than normal, but medium to full-bodied and elegant, with soft tannin as well as a silky, precocious personality and texture, it can be drunk now and over the next 12 years. Harlan Estate and its perfectionist owner, Bill Harlan, who is backed up by the peerless team of Michel Rolland and Bob Levy, is truly an estate of monumental aspirations that more often than not hits the proverbial bull's eye. None of the wines produced since 1990 has yet reached full maturity. While the 2000 is their lightest vintage to date, it is no wimpy wine. As I have written so many times before, what makes Harlan such a singular tasting experience is that while it is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated offering from the hillsides above the Oakville Corridor, and it obviously has the power and extraordinary ripeness afforded by Napa Valley's favorable viticultural climate, it has a degree of complexity that is only shared by a handful of other California Cabernet-based wines, and the finest Bordeaux. Harlan Estate represents exactly what a genius owner, who suffers no fools, and refuses to make any compromises, is capable of achieving...is that a surprise?

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A tremendous wine. Dense, tight and chewy, with firm, mouthcoating tannins wrapped around a core of mocha-laced currant and blackberry. Well-focused, precisely balanced and full of concentrated flavors. A great cellar candidate. 1,800 cases made.

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nice balance and good structure! black fruit , sweet.