Harlan Estate 2014

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98 points James Suckling

 The pure fruit is incredible with a dark-fruit and blackberry character. Some sous bois but also shows clarity and finesse. Full body and super fine tannins. Tight and so pretty. A classy and fine Harlan. (5/2018) 

98 points Vinous

 A wine of restraint and sensuality, the 2014 Harlan Estate is wonderfully transparent in feel. Time in the glass brings out a compelling interplay of beautifully layered fruit and lifted aromatics. The 2014 is one of the most understated yet energetic young vintages of Harlan Estate I can remember tasting. Readers who have not tasted Harlan Estate in a few years might be taken aback by just how sophisticated and nuanced the 2014 is. This is a superb effort. (AG)  (3/2018) 

97 points Jeb Dunnuck

 Deeper and richer than the Maiden cuvee, the 2014 Harlan Estate offers the classic black fruits, charcoal, and minerality that’s the hallmark of this iconic estate. It shows more floral notes with time in the glass, has full-bodied richness, a sexy, supple, regal personality, no hard edges, and gorgeous purity of fruit. It’s certainly more approachable than the 2015, yet is still going to benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.  (12/2017) 

95 points Decanter

 Aromas of red and black fruit, rich spice, cocoa powder and Harlan's signature of baked earth and dried herbs. The 2014 is a rich, layered wine with lovely tension and focus, and a resonatingly savoury finish. If the 2013 Harlan evokes more Rubenesque vintages such as 2001 or 2002, the 2014 transports us back to years like 1995 and 1996. (WK)  (5/2017) 

94 points Wine Spectator

 A dense, potent, chewy effort, very tight and focused, with intense dark berry, mocha and licorice notes, cedary oak and substantial fine-grained tannins that keep the flavors in check. Tightens on the finish. (JL) (8/2018) 

Jancis Robinson

 Bright crimson. Quite a muted, black olive, quite complex nose. Firm charge of chalky tannins. This is sweet without being sickly. The alcohol appears only on the very end. It must be so hard to move with the times while satisfying long-term customers. Long and interesting. Though a little inky and not ready. A fresh shower of acidity plus quite a lot of tannin on the end that also has some luscious fruit. It’s clearly a wine into which a lot of work goes but it’s difficult to justify the price (more than Mouton!). 17.5/20 points (JR) (3/2018)

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.