Wine Advisor
Harlan, Proprietary Red 2013
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
As I predicted last year, the 2013 Harlan Estate is one of their all-time greats, although they have had many of them, starting with the 1991, followed by 1994, 1995, 1997 (although controversial in some circles), 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012. This great first-growth property, with aspirations to produce the finest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine made in the New World, has given us a wine that has it all in 2013. Dense purple to the rim, with notes of espresso, white chocolate, mocha, blackberry, cassis, and cedar wood, the wine is full-bodied, opulent, but also structured, pure and incredibly long (well past a minute aftertaste). It is probably closest in personality and overall character to the compelling 2001, which is still a youthful wine at age 15. Drink it over the next 50+ years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A candidate for perfection is the 2013 Harlan Estate. This compelling wine, with notes of graphite, spring flowers, cedar wood, Christmas fruitcake, mocha, blackberry and cassis fruit, the wine hits the palate with a thunderous cascade of extract, richness, full body, and stunning purity and equilibrium. Of course, this wine gets treated like a pampered child, with no compromises, and is made to reflect its great terroir on the western Mayacamas hillsides overlooking the Oakville corridor. This is a killer wine and, of the more modern day vintages, is probably closest to the style of 2001. Truly legendary stuff, and world-class in every sense – aromatically, flavor-wise, and in aging potential – this is another statuesque, prodigious effort from Bill Harlan and his winemaking team. Drink it over the next 50+ years.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2013 Harlan Estate has really shut down since I tasted it from barrel a year ago. Dark, powerful and brooding, with plenty of tannic grip, the 2013 is a wine to buy and forget about for at least a few years. Black fruit, graphite, violet smoke and licorice are some of the signatures, but, here, too, the wine belongs to the future. I wouldn't dream of opening a bottle before its tenth birthday. The Harlan Estate is one of the most finessed - if not the most finessed 2013 - readers will taste. This is a stunningly beautiful, vivid wine.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
A wine of gravitas and intensity, the 2013 Harlan estate exudes raw power. Crushed rocks, melted road tar, black fruit, licorice and dark spices take shape in a vertical, concentrated wine. More exotic scents of lavender, cloves, menthol and licorice appear later, adding further layers of dimension. The 2013 will take the better part of a decade to fully come together. A super-classic, timeless wine of sublime elegance, the 2013 is yet another example of how much things have changed here in recent years.
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.
