2011 Harlequin
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Tasting notes
This release of 4,000 bottles is an ambitious blend of (are you ready for this?) Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Teroldego, Croatina, Oseleta, Sangiovese and Marzemino. Packaged in a very heavy glass bottle, the Zýmè 2011 Harlequin is a supersized wine that lays out blockbuster flavors, intensity and power. Sit back and let this wine take you on a long journey across midnight black fruits, exotic spice, toast and tar. You can't make out the individual varieties, but that's not the point of this production. Instead, it focuses on the boldest and most unforgettable aspects of each grape—flavor, texture, power—and melts them into one and then multiplies it all by a factor of 10. It's quite an experience. One of the many problems with these heavy bottles is that you keep picking them up to pour more wine only to be disappointed to find that they are actually empty. This vintage marks Harlequin's 20th anniversary.
Critic scores
Average Score
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Eric Guido, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2011 Harlequin is dark and intense yet displays a dazzling freshness that frames the expression perfectly. Like opening a fresh jar of blackberry preserves in the middle of a pine forest amidst a field of wild herbs: this is the vision brought about while taking in the bouquet. It’s velvety and full-bodied, contrasted by juicy acids and cooling mintiness, as a wave of ripe wild berries coats all that it touches in spice and tactile mineral tones. Fine tannins linger throughout the long finale, yet the structure here is welcoming, and in fact, the Harlequin is deceptively drinkable and vibrant. You could easily cellar it for a decade, but it’s already so enjoyable today. This is pure decadence. The Harlequin is another experimental blending of a large list of varieties, most of which are red. The grapes are whole-cluster fermented for 30 days using ambient yeast, after which the wine matures through two passes of new French barriques – in other words, 200% new wood.
About the producer
Product details
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah / Shiraz, Sangiovese, Croatina, Teroldego, Rondinella, Corvina/Corvinone, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc, Other
Red
Dry