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The 1995 Proprietary Red Wine is almost as perfect as the 1994. It has gotten even better in the bottle, and remains one of the most remarkable young Cabernet Sauvignons I have tasted. The wine, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, was aged in 100% new oak, which adds subtle pain grille/toasty scents. This opaque purple-colored Cabernet offers up a nose of smoke, coffee beans, black and blue fruits, minerals, and roasted herbs. It is extremely full-bodied, with spectacular purity, exquisite equilibrium, and a seamless personality with everything in total harmony. The finish lasts for more than 40 seconds. This extravagantly rich, profoundly complex 1995 will give its 1994 sibling a run for its money. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2027. |
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| Score: 99 | Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (120), December 1998 |
Wine Description
The Story
With the founding of Harlan Estate in 1984, we embarked upon our mission of creating a “first growth” of California. The estate’s early vineyard development began with just six acres. Today our planting is essentially complete, with nearly forty acres under vine to the classic varietals: cabernet sauvignon (70%), merlot (20%), cabernet franc (8%), and petit verdot (2%). Invariably, the finished wine is predominately cabernet sauvignon, which we blend with varying amounts of the other three varietals as we seek to express faithfully the unique and distinctive character of the site.
Modest quantities of wine were produced in 1987, 1988, and 1989 from grapes that represented the second, third, and fourth leaf of our estate vineyard. In each of those years a small number of barrels were produced in the hope of gaining a prescient glimpse into what the character of the land—never before cultivated—might have to offer. The wines were blended, bottled, and labeled with a special designation. Though charming in their own way, these first wines fell short of our standards and aspirations, so were never released. They continue to serve as humble reminders of where we began the journey.
Wine Information
1995
An extremely wet winter, with 25 days of rain in January, followed by 18.5 inches in March.
Late March budbreak, and bloom on May 31. Persistent rainfall caused considerable shatter in the clusters. Summer temperatures served up “ripening weather” and produced a phenolically mature crop.
Harvest began on September 5 and ended on the 26, yielding 2.0 tons per acre.
tasting notes
Very dark, deep-ruby color. Aromatics include coffee bean, toasty smoky notes, and vanilla, black and blue fruits, earth, mineral notes, herbs, dried sage, and green olive, showing nuanced bottle bouquet. The mouth entry is full and fleshy, with spectacular purity through the midpalate; layers of ripe fruit flavors, black olive, and spice. Elegant and long.
Very showy and hedonistic when first released, the voluptuousness and lush fruit of its youth has retreated sufficiently to reveal a complex expression of the site-distinctive, earthy character. Drinkability: now to 20+ years.