Wine Advisor
Harlan, Proprietary Red 1997
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
I tasted through the component parts of the 1997 Harlan Estate, and everything fell within the 92-96 category. This wine reveals the more evolved aromatics typical of the 1997 vintage. The sensational fragrance (coffee, smoked herbs, nuts, creme de cassis, plum liqueur, and pain grille) is more intense and forthcoming than any previous Harlan Estate vintage. The tannin is silky, and the wine is stunningly concentrated and proportioned, but on a faster evolutionary track than its siblings. I will have another look at the 1997 after the wine has had time to mesh together. It should be another candidate for 20+ years of cellaring. Proprietor Bill Harlan, his winemaker, Bob Levy, and consultant, Frenchman Michel Rolland continue to produce what may be the single most profound wine in California. This wine possesses all the elements of greatness - individuality, power combined with elegance, extraordinary complexity, remarkable aging potential, and compelling richness without ponderousness. The vintages produced to date give signs of improving in the bottle for 20-30+ years. In 1995, a second wine, which has not yet been named, has been produced, which allows the selection process to be even more severe once the 35-acre vineyard is in full production. Recent production has been 1,500 cases for the 1994, 1,200 cases for the 1995, 1,500 for the 1996, and approximately 2,500 cases for the 1997. Many readers who have been on the waiting list for Harlan Estate may finally receive an allocation in 1997. This year produced the highest yields to date (a still modest 2.7 tons per acre) at this hillside vineyard. Tel. (707) 944-1441; Fax (707) 944-1444
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Here we go. This is pure Napa on the nose: rich black fruits, raspberry, mulberry, a touch of black olive and a hefty dose of new oak. The palate is admittedly well balanced with a firm, dense structure, very opulent with layers of toasty black fruit, touches of cassis and even a touch of turmeric towards the slightly savoury finish, but I find little in the way of tension, crispness or freshness. This Cabernet expends a great deal of effort in impressing, but to me it’s like joining the dots rather than painting a picture. Drink now-2018. Tasted June 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
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. Tel. (707) 844-1441; fax (707) 944-1444
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The prodigious 1997 Harlan Estate is 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. Interestingly, it is the most precocious of the Harlan Estate wines to date, although the 1998 promises to be open-knit, if not as multi-dimensional. Opaque purple-colored, it boasts spectacular, soaring aromatics of vanilla, minerals, coffee, blackberries, licorice, and cassis. In the mouth, layer after layer unfolds powerfully yet gently. Acidity, tannin, and alcohol are well-balanced by the wine's unreal richness and singular personality. The finish exceeds one minute. This is one of the greatest young wines I have ever had the pleasure to taste. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2030. Tel. (707) 944-1441; Fax (707) 944-1444
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1997 Harlan Estate has long been a controversial wine because of some bottle variation. There is no question about this 1997 magnum. The wine is unquestionably extraordinary. Rich and opulent to the core, the 1997 possesses tremendous intensity from start to finish. Blackberry jam, licorice, chocolate and sweet spice lead into a crescendo of aromas and flavors on the finish.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Saturated ruby. Liqueur-like superripe nose combines roasted cherry, black raspberry, minerals and Valrhona chocolate; distinctly port-like notes. Voluptuous and huge in the mouth, with explosive fruit bordering on confectionary; flavor of chocolate-covered currants. Much more powerfully structured than the estate second wine but the backbone is hidden under a tidal wave of lush fruit. Endless finish features extraordinarily fine, suave tannins. Like the '97 Bryant Family Vineyard cabernet, this freakishly ripe wine reminds me of a great '47 Pomerol.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Full ruby color. Extravagant aromas of black plum, black raspberry, licorice and expensive oak. Extraordinary sweetness and lushness in the mouth; texture like liquid velvet. Still taking shape, but already shows lovely harmony of components. One of the longest wines I tasted on my late winter tour of Napa Valley. Silky tannins are buried under a tidal wave of fruit.
About the Producer
The land at Château Harlan is unique in that the vineyards are situated on hillsides that are well drained and rise and fall with the slopes. The first 9.7 hectares of vineyard, planted between 1986 and 1987, was planted in a staggered manner, as the two small plots that make up the vineyard are located on either side of the hillside. The vines were planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The vineyards are planted at varying densities, with half of the vineyards planted with 1,750 vines per hectare and the other half with 5,500 vines per hectare. The high quality of Château Hallam's wines is a result of the meticulousness of the entire winemaking process. The winemaking philosophy at Château Hallam is to preserve the natural flavour of the grapes and to take a gentle approach to the growing and fermentation process. The barrels in the winery are all new French oak barrels. The main wine, Harlan Estate Proprietary Red, is aged in barrel for 25 months, while the unselected wine is bottled after 10 months as a secondary wine, The Maiden, without filtration or clarification. The wines of Château Hallam are dark in colour, fruity and floral, with strong, restrained tannins and a firm, robust texture, and have the potential to age for at least 20 years. Best vintages include: 1991, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2007.
