2001 Harlan Estate Napa Valley California USA Wine Tasting Note

The most elegant, vintage of Harlan I've tasted yet. Here, you have an incredible wave of powerful fruit, but everything is soft, refined and polished. The tannins are silky, the fruits are perfectly ripe, there is depth, length and vibrancy, all backed up by the natural sweetness found in the dark berries. The long, seamless finish leaves you with pure blackberries, dark chocolate, spice box, smoke and espresso, topped with licorice. Drink this now, or age it for another 1-2 decades, regardless, this is a spellbinding wine.

5,704 Views   Tasted Feb 3, 2018

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Price aside, this is a benchmark California Cabernet Sauvignon. It needs air to shake off the initial heat and jammy characteristics, but once that took place, there was no stopping this incredible wine. Mouth coating layers of sweet, perfectly ripe fruit, silky tannins, opulent textures and a finish that remains for at least 60 seconds sums it up. Everything is in balance and harmony from start to finish. This has at least another 20 years of evolution in its future. This clearly refutes claims that modern California wines do not age.

Some wines are so good, they leave you speechless. 2001 Harlan Estate is one of those wines! With between 30 to 60 minutes of decanting, this incredible wine explodes with licorice, smoke, coffee, black cherry liqueur, blue fruit, truffle, chocolate and incense aromatics. Concentrated with incredible layers of juicy, sweet, polished fruits, the wine is pure silk, velvet and power that expands in your mouth. The finish seems to last at least 60 seconds! It\'s scary to think, this could get even better over the next few years. Looking back at my tasting note from about 18 months ago, the wine seems to have improved and blossomed to an entirely new level!

Served double blind in what turned out to be a flight of Harlan Estate, there was no problem in shouting out the obvious qualities of this wine. Big, bold, balanced and rich, with layers of sweet, ripe, polished fruits, soft tannins, freshness and a long finish, this is one of the benchmark California Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

With prices where they are, opening a First Growth, Screaming Eagle or bottle of Harlan is a rare treat. Quite often, these tremendously, expensive wines do not offer an experience close to their cost. For lovers of California Cabernet Sauvignon, this was about as good as it gets. The first thing you notice is how young, fresh and vibrant the wine is. For the tasters who think high ABV wines do not age, this wine refutes that argument. With an explosive nose of licorice, coffee bean, earth, blackberry, spice and cigar box, the wine coats your mouth with flavor. Rich, plush, round and palate filling, there is a beautiful sense of purity to the fruit. There is no sensation of heat, even though the wine could be above its stated 14.5% ABV level. Everything is in balance. the wine is not an over the top tasting experience. This has morphed into an elegant, sophisticated, California Cabernet.