Harlan 2018

Classy earth, oak and bay-leaf character on the nose, together with dark fruit, such as currants and blackberries. Forest flowers, too. Full-to medium-bodied, linear and tight with coolness and freshness. Mint and spearmint to the dark fruit. Lasts a long time. Such balance and intensity. Tight now, but great energy and length this year. Incredibly sophisticated and seductive. A joy to taste now, but try in 2025.

Stunning on every level, the 2018 Harlan Estate reveals a dense purple hue as well as an incredible bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed stone, iron, violets, and tobacco. Reminding me of a hypothetical blend of Ducru Beaucaillou and Pontet Canet from a great, classical vintage (or a more elegant version of the 2013 for simplicity), it's medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, powerful yet elegant, and has a finish that won't quit. This is pure gold in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s already drinkable yet will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and have 40 years of prime drinking.

The 2018 Harlan Estate was tasted as a barrel sample, to be bottled in March. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a fair bit of swirling to reveal a wonderfully fragrant perfume of blueberry pie, chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and black currant pastilles with hints of cumin seed, rose oil and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, the taut, grainy-textured palate delivers remarkable energy with compelling tension and a long, graceful, earth-laced finish.

Half of all rain in 2018 came in March, April, and May. Budbreak was in early April, and the growing season was just idyllic, with temperatures in Oakville rarely exceeding 32°C. With 2018 we begin to see Harlan imprinting its wines with very fine points that it has learned and achieved and its nearly 40-year history. Everything is in focus here, with stunning layers of pure black and red-toned fruits, even blue fruits, full of expression and pitch, striking chords and colours in an expansive, full-bodied richness that bears a kind of weight and weightlessness. Underneath the ripe fruit expressions are elements of cedarwood, and Oakville moss, while the voluptuousness of the wine is framed by pixilated tannins, coiled-up acidity, and a finish that reveals earth, mineral, and a panoply of exotic brown spices—pure harmony. Drink from 2025 to 2060 and beyond.