Harlan Estate 2016

THE WINE ADVOCATE: „The deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Harlan Estate comes charging out of the glass, brandishing bold, opulent blackberry pie, warm cassis and blueberry preserves notes with hints of cigar box, Indian spices, crushed rocks and forest floor plus fragrant accents of lavender and black tea. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, with a solid line of super ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the layer upon layer of savory and earth-inspired notions, finishing on a lingering mineral note. Impressively structured, incredibly nuanced and possessing all this latent tension, this brazen beauty is set to live for a good 60 years and possibly more!"

JAMES SUCKLING: „This is so tight and vibrant with a huge amount of detail and precision, coupled with density and brightness, superb length and class. The tannins are horizontal and so polished. The most refined, harmonious and focused Harlan ever? Subtle strength in this wine. You can drink it now or age it for years ahead."

DECANTER: „By all accounts, a spectacular and near-perfect vintage for Napa Valley. A wet, rainy winter marked the end of drought conditions, and the growing season was moderate, with plenty of warmth but no massive heat spikes. The 2016 Harlan estate is absolutely beautiful, with expressive aromatics of pure black fruit, crunchy red fruit, gorgeous cedar and sandalwood, and tobacco. Full-bodied, rich, with super fine-grained tannins that are compact, mirrored by the wine's tight-knit, coiled-up energy, impressive tension, and remarkable delineation of flavours, aromas, and textures. One that is going to shine for decades and decades to come."

JEB DUNNUCK: „The quality of the 2016 Proprietary Red Wine shouldn’t surprise anyone. This estate rarely misses a beat, and in a great vintage like 2016, they’ve made a perfect wine. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as extraordinary notes of crème de cassis, blackcurrants, herbes de Provence, tobacco, graphite, and a who knows what else, this beauty hits the palate with a deep, powerful, full-bodied style that has enough structure to warrant a decade of cellaring. The purity is off the charts, it builds incrementally on the palate, and has a finish that won’t quit. Reminding me a little of the 2013, yet with a touch more elegance, do your best to hide bottles for at least 5-7 years and it’s going to keep for 30-40 years or more."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: „Packed and stacked with blackberries, boysenberry's, blueberries, smoke, orange rind, spice and fresh brewed espresso, from the initial sniff you know this is a show-stopper. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and dense, yet, with all this power, you also find balance. Every nook and cranny of your palate is coated with perfectly ripe, opulent berries. Texturally, the velvety waves of fruit hit all the right pleasure buttons again and again. The finish here keeps on going effortlessly moving from note to note. This is what great wine is all about. I seldom drink during tastings. But with this stunner, I drank every drop!"

JANCIS ROBINSON: „Very rich and voluptuous, polished and round – and just the right side of sweet and alcoholic. Pure luxury in a bottle!"

WINE SPECTATOR: "A warm, seductive and creamy red, with dark fig and blackberry puree flavors, liberally laced with cocoa, dark tobacco and licorice root notes. Very polished in feel overall, but a lovely echo of dark earth augments the fruit through the finish. A bit exotic, but also undeniable. Best from 2022 through 2042. 2,350 cases made.“