Harlan Estate 2004

THE 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."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Just stunning in every sense, the wine balances extreme levels of power, concentration and elegance, which is hard to do. Very ripe, but not overripe, the fruit is dark, sweet, ostentatious and refined. The wine is never tiring, instead, it is enthralling to taste. Every sip provides another experience, and isn't that what all great wines do?"

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The price is prerelease; it will soar on the aftermarket. This is very great Harlan. It pours dark and saturated, and the tannins are big and sturdy, not aggressive, but sweet and finely ground. Still, they give a hardness to the immaculately ripe fruit that mandates cellaring. The flavors of currants, blackberries, plums, chocolate and cedar are lush, deep and long-lasting, but just a part of the balanced appeal of this young wine. It really defines the exquisite tension between power and elegance. Best after 2008, then for many years."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Starts out closed, but very intense and concentrated, with tight currant, spice, cedar, anise and blackberry flavors. Maintains a long, vibrant finish.--Non-blind Harlan retrospective (2010). Drink now through 2030. 2,126 cases made."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Notes of dried flowers, dried tobacco and a bit of mixed spice carry nose through palate. Resinous herbs emerge with air marking the wine distinctly as Cabernet. The palate has a bit less density and also more apparent oak spice compared with younger vintages. The tannin stands out as a little bit grippy but it is followed by a mouth-watering finish. The 2004 is a nice wine but with a bit less interest than some for me personally."