Wine Advisor
Harlan, Proprietary Red 2015
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
This 2015 wine was a barrel sample, although the final blend has been done. It is due to be bottled in February 2018. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Harlan Estate leaps from the glass with vibrant red and black fruit notes, gorgeous crushed cherries, wild blueberries, mulberries and plums with hints of baking spices, lavender, bay leaves, yeast extract and forest floor. Full-bodied, rich, powerful and oh-so-seductive, it is packed with energy, sporting gorgeously fine-grained tannins and tons of fruit layers, finishing long and spicy. Around 1,600 cases will be bottled.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Harlan Estate is a little closed, slowly unfurling to reveal black cherries, crème de cassis and plum pudding with nuances of potpourri, baking spices and tilled soil plus wafts of garrigue and wild sage. The palate is full-bodied and concentrated with exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and fantastic poise and depth with a long, decadently fruited finish.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A barrel sample of the 2015 Harlan Estate promises to be a replay of the rather exotic, enormously fruity, exhilarating and decadent 2002 Harlan Estate. It has incredible sucrosity, richness, and that blackberry liqueur-like fruit intermixed with camphor and graphite. The wealth of fruit and glycerin in this full-bodied wine is mind-boggling, and it is actually probably going to be drinkable well before the slower maturing 2013.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2015 Harlan Estate has developed into an arrestingly beautiful wine. Racy and sumptuous, the 2015 is already quite showy, with tons of dark cherry, plum, mocha, espresso, licorice, spice and tobacco character. Today, the 2015 comes across as a bit brooding and hard to read, although some of the rougher edges in the tannins I saw last year have softened. Even so, I would prefer to cellar 2015 for at least a few years. There is so much to look forward to.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2015 Harlan Estate is deep, plush and dense, and yet like so many wines of the vintage, it also retains quite a bit of freshness to match its mid-weight personality. At this stage, the tannins are a bit coarse, but time in barrel and then bottle should resolve at least some of that. Black cherry, mocha and plum flavors are given an extra kick of voluptuousness from the natural richness of the year.
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.
