Harlan Estate Red 2010Oakville

Like the true perfectionist that vintner Bill Harlan is, this Oakville western hills estate released its 1990 as its first vintage. They did produce a few years of wines prior to the ’90 but the Harlan team didn’t think at the time that those wines stood up to what they considered to be their highest standard. Fast forward to today and Harlan is still as exacting since their inception and this 2010 is evidence of that thanks to their winemaking team led by director of winemaking Bob Levy, winemaker Cory Empting and vineyard manager Mary Maher.
"I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 2010 Harlan Estate inch closer to perfection over the next decade. Surprisingly supple for this vintage, while this cuvee is not usually that flamboyant or exuberant in its youth, the 2010 is sensual and performing remarkably well. Its deep purple color is accompanied by notions of charcoal, graphite, camphor, creme de cassis, barbecue smoke and blackberries. As usual, this complex effort reminds me of a hypothetical blend of a great Pauillac and Graves (such as La Mission Haut-Brion). Rich, full-bodied and softer than I would have expected in this vintage, it is a prodigious, multidimensional, compelling wine. It requires 3-5 years of bottle age and should drink well over the following 30+ years" Wine Advocate.