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Harlan Estate 2004

Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, United States

Harlan Estate
Napa Valley United States
  • 99
    Points
  • The 385 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 9 Pros of
    9 recommend
    this wine
612 99
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    107

  • Producer ranking ?

    19

  • Decanting time

    3h

  • When to drink

    now to 2040

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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 w...

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Wine Information

Above-average rainfall (38 inches) ended in early spring. Budbreak was also early (March 18-27), as was bloom (mid-May). the summer was filled with 39 days over 90°, but very few over 100°. the season ended with some sweltering afternoons in the second week of september, but they were short in duration. harvest began september 3 and everything was finished in about three weeks. a relatively small crop, yielding on average just 1.8 tons per acr...

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Deep and Purple

ending

Long and Spicy

flavors

Coffee, Licorice, Toasty, Spice, Floral and Chocolate

nose

Intense and Ripe

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Complex, Balanced, Well-Integrated, Full-bodied, Harmonious, Rich, Powerful and Silky tannins

Verdict

Masterpiece

Written Notes

(14.5% alcohol): Deep red with ruby tones. Deep, sexy nose conveys a liqueur-like ripeness to the aromas of blackcurrant, dark chocolate, tobacco and warm stones. Plush and incredibly fine-grained, showing compelling thickness and density to the slightly high-toned flavors of black raspberry liqueur and minerals. This very ripe, large-scaled wine saturates the entire palate, finishing with big, broad, lush, chocolatey tannins and outstanding persistence. This impressive, very powerful wine is great right now but has the stuffing to go on for years.

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  • 95p

Above-average rainfall (38 inches) ended in early spring. Budbreak was also early (March 18-27), as was bloom (mid-May). The summer was filled with 39 days over 90°, but very few over 100°.

The season ended with some sweltering afternoons in the second week of September, but they were short in duration. Harvest began September 3 and everything was finished in about three weeks. A relatively small crop, yielding on average just 1.8 tons per acre.

tasting notes

Very dense, ruby-red color. Though subdued at first, with some airing it displays notes of roasted coffee, charcoal, and blackberry against a background of sweet, toasty notes. Very ripe impression with good concentration and density. The entry on the palate is at once dense,fleshy, exuberant, and displays a high level of fine-grained, supple tannins that will certainly contribute to its textural interest and harmony for many years.

This is a vintage of exceptional charm from a ripe year. A beautifully concentrated wine—neither heavy nor overbearing—with sweet tannins, loads of ripe, juicy fruit, licorice, and a tremendous consistency. The wine shows bright, forward cassis and black fruits.

Tempting now, but wait 3-5 years and then enjoy for 20 years or more.

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Ruby red, some vanilla, good fruit intensity, blackcurrants, coffee, chocolate, sweet tobacco, elegant, yet intense and almost powerful. Lots of tannins, fruits and acidity. Liquorice and oak on the finish. Needs time. 94

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  • 94p
If 2003 was a cooler vintage, 2004 was warm! That’s obvious when you compare the two vintages – the 2004 offers a much riper and fruitdriven body, a somehow sweetish fruit with ripe notes of cassis, blueberries and blackbarries, and as often found in wines from warmer vintages, the oak is a bit more upfront and toasted. (Giving the wine more oak, and a bit more toasted oak, seems to be a common way to balance the riper fruit in a warmer year.) If one should take a standpoint, slightly cooler vintages are normally the better ones in warmer wine growing regions such as Napa Valley. Still the 2004 Harlan Estate is a very fine wine – although not the top of the range in a historical ranges of vertical tasting this article is based on. No surprise the alcohol is on the warmer side, just above 15 percent, which at the moment is notable. At both vertical tastings, a few tasters complained about this wine and said the alcohol was over the top. I don’t really care about that too much, at least not at the in a long term. With the now wonderful 1997 vintage in my fresh memory, I know that this kind of warmth will calm down with some years of bottle age. Also, I find the 2004 to be more elegant now compared to how I felt about the 1997 at the same age. My conclusion is that there’s no reason to worry. Just give the wine a few more years of bottle age to make it more harlanesque.
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  • 95p
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Information

Origin

Oakville, Napa Valley

Inside Information

98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

 Very deep garnet-black colour with a purple rim. Though still very youthful and muted, this vintage is already subtly revealing a wide array of aromas including blackberry tart, cedar, violets, truffles, liquorice and all spice. In the mouth however this is no shrinking violet – the ’04 is a big, concentrated and highly structured wine with somewhat impenetrable, tightly grained tannins and medium to high acid supporting its rich weight. Very, very long finish displaying hints of savoury earthiness and that signature minerality that appears to surface in better years. Drink 2009 – 2030. Tasted November 2008.   (1/ 2009)

98 points Wine Enthusiast

 This is very great Harlan. It pours dark and saturated, and the tannins are big and sturdy, not aggressive, but sweet and finely ground. Still, they give a hardness to the immaculately ripe fruit that mandates cellaring. The flavors of currants, blackberries, plums, chocolate and cedar are lush, deep and long-lasting, but just a part of the balanced appeal of this young wine. It really defines the exquisite tension between power and elegance. Best after 2008, then for many years.   (12/ 2007)

98 points Wine Spectator

 Starts out closed, but very intense and concentrated, with tight currant, spice, cedar, anise and blackberry flavors. Maintains a long, vibrant finish. (Web Only- 2010) 

95 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

 Bright ruby-red. Superripe aromas of raspberry, currant and tropical dark chocolate. Sweet, lush and large-scaled, hinting at surmaturite and compellingly mouthfilling without coming across as heavy. This extremely ripe wine's high pH seems fully buffered by huge dry extract. Finishes with big but lush tannins and outstanding palate-staining persistence. A bit port-like but with mineral and licorice notes giving it definition and grip. 95(+?) points   (6/ 2010)

 

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