2019 Harlan Estate
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Tasting notes
At a dinner at The Connaught, described by Harlan's Don Weaver as 'our spiritual home in London', the 2019, 2016, 2010, 2001, 1994 and 1992 were served. See my notes on the 2016 and 1994 that were also served at a masterclass the next day. Very deep, bright crimson – like the 2016. Very rich and dense with some forest freshness. Velvety texture and a considerable impact on the palate than ends with a dry finish. Cory Empting commented that at first this vintage was almost 'too luxurious' initially. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
The head-spinning 2019 Harlan Estate is truly amazing stuff. Gentle cedar notes lead into layered dark chocolate and cassis, somehow impossibly rich yet savory. Full-bodied, concentrated and supple, this is dense, packed with flavor but seemingly weightless, with a lush, lingering finish that combines intensity with freshness to compel sip after sip. Like all truly great wines, it's full of somehow harmonious contradictions.
Matching the perfect 2018, the 2019 Harlan Estate is deeper and richer than the Maiden and has an incredibly pure, layered perfume of ripe currants, truffle, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and gravelly earth. This carries to a full-bodied red with building yet fine tannins, incredible purity of fruit, and flawless balance. Reminding me of a First Growth from Bordeaux given its acidity and tannin balance, as well as just overall sense of class, give bottles 7-8 years and enjoy over the following 30+ years.
The 2019 Harlan Estate is supremely elegant. Bright floral accents perk up a core of red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, sage and mint all run through the 2019. Medium in body and gracious, the 2019 is all energy. It's not so much a wine of a vintage, but rather a wine that reflects the personality of a place and style. Time in the glass brings out the wines breath and resonance, yet notable freshness and verve remain. This is one of the more delicate, nuanced wines readers will taste from 2019, a year that generally yielded wines of opulence.
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.