Harlan Estate 2017 750ml

Wine Advocate #Week 2, Jan 15, 2021 by Lisa Perotti-Brown
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Harlan Estate needs a little coaxing to reveal captivating iron ore, red currant jelly, cloves and crushed rocks scents with a core of warm cassis, Black Forest cake and boysenberries plus a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, grainy texture with a lively backbone and loads of earthy layers, long and mineral laced. This should be one of the longer-lived wines coming out of the 2017 vintage.

H. William Harlan, the founder of Harlan Estate, had a vision. Simply put, he was determined to produce a California "First Growth". Harlan is an entrepreneur with a strong background in real estate and hotel development - someone who has come to understand the importance of "location". Harlan Estate is the result of a twenty year search for prime hillside vineyards, culminated by the patchwork acquisition of 230 acres above the fabled Rutherford-Oakville beachlands. The land is magnificent...oak-studded knolls and valleys, only ten percent of which are now under vine.
The 1997 Harlan Estate is one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines I have ever tasted. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this enormously-endowed, profoundly rich wine must be tasted to be believed. Opaque purple-colored, it boasts spectacular, soaring aromatics of vanilla, minerals, coffee, blackberries, licorice, and cassis. In the mouth, layer after layer unfold powerfully yet gently. Acidity, tannin, and alcohol are well-balanced by the wine's unreal richness and singular personality. The finish exceeds one minute. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2030.

Meats, Beef and Venison