Harlan Estate 2016

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! 2024-2080

his 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.

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. 2025-2065

Not yet bottled, the 2016 Harlan Estate is Napa Valley brilliance in the making and is one of the greatest barrel sample I’ve ever tasted. It reminds me of the 2013 at this point and has a huge, powerful, full-bodied style that carries a smorgasbord of crème de cassis and black currant fruits, notes of scorched earth, camphor, graphite, and crushed rocks, building tannins, no hard edges, and thrilling purity of fruit. It has a slightly more classic, cooler feel compared to the pure, sexy style of the 2015 and is a wine that’s going to needs at least a decade of cellaring to hit prime time. It’s the real deal, however, and is a legendary wine in the making.