2010 The Maiden
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2010 The Maiden is fabulous. Dark red cherries, lavender, menthol and spices all flesh out in the glass. A textured, inviting wine, the 2010 wraps around the palate with striking depth and purity. Silky tannins add a measure of finesse, but in the end, the 2010 is a wine to enjoy for its forward fruit and juicy, extroverted personality. What a gorgeous wine this is. The 2010 captures the essence of Harlan Estate to the core. It is a fabulous Maiden.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2010 The Maiden reveals lots of cedarwood, licorice, forest floor, black and red currant, loamy, earthy notes and a touch of background oak. Elegant, pure, layered, medium to full-bodied, and rich in fruit with no hard edges, it should be enjoyed over the next 15+ years. It is hard to believe but Bill Harlan’s beautiful estate in the lower hills of the Mayacamas Mountains on the western side of Napa has now made over twenty vintages. (I have mixed emotions, as I am old enough to remember them all.) The Maiden is always an impressive effort, but it is built to be drunk at an early age. www.harlanestate.com
(the 2010s were bottled just three weeks before my visit to the estate): Bright, full ruby-red. Sexy, bright nose offers black raspberry, mocha, chocolate and woodsmoke, lifted by a floral element. Savory and graceful, and shockingly harmonious considering the recent bottling. The intriguing note of woodsmoke carries through on the palate. Finishes with very fine-grained tannins and terrific sneaky length and lift. Looks to be the finest Maiden to date.
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.