2015 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Oakville 750 ml

Harlan Estate: You remember every sip you ever have. The occasion, where you were, and what you were eating when you first tasted the most coveted red wine in Napa Valley. And for everyone we know who’s been lucky enough to indulge in Harlan, one detail tends to stand out the most: Who poured them their first magical taste.

Harlan Estate is one of the most engrossing sensory experiences you’ll ever have. And given the wine’s unmatched quality and rarity, it’s likely to appreciate in value as much as or more than any First Growth Bordeaux. But the main reason we’re excited to offer this singular 100-point red wine is because we know it will become an indelible experience for you—and certainly for those with whom you choose to share it.

Purple-black as the night sky and dense as a neutron star, the 2015 Harlan announces itself as a formidable wine before you even get close to the glass. Extremely youthful at first, with time in a decanter it opens to reveal a complex array of black cherry, crème de cassis, violets, rose petals, fresh herbs, turned soil, clove, allspice, and infinitely more. The ultra-fine tannins of the palate give it a tightly-woven texture with a supple, sumptuous quality, highlighting flavors of ripe black fruits and seamlessly integrated baking spices of high-quality oak. Super-long and evolving, it’s enjoyable now for its youthful vigor, and will reward patient cellaring through 2045.

Harlan Estate began with a grand vision and lofty goal—to produce a California First Growth from their Oakville terroir—and since the estate’s founding in 1984, they have humbled that original ambition. Smitten from the very first vintage (which he called “one of the most promising and profound Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines made in California”) Robert Parker has since put it in more plain terms, saying: "Harlan Estate might be the single most profound red wine made not just in California, but in the world."

Situated on the lower slopes of the Mayacamas mountains, Harlan’s vineyards face all directions and sit on extremely thin topsoil—from about a foot to just a few inches. The roots seek out the cracks and fissures in the fractured bedrock, where they struggle mightily and remain especially well-drained, which results in grapes of excellent character and concentration.  Between the ancient, soft sandstone of the western part of the property and the harder and newer (relatively speaking) volcanic eastern ridge, Harlan is comprised of a unique geologic mix—one that’s resulted in unparalleled quality that can’t be denied—although it might never be fully understood.

An uncompromising commitment to quality and a meticulous attention to detail match Harlan’s precious terroir. The vines were planted by the peerless David Abreu. Renowned Napa architect Howard Backen designed the winery. And the wines are crafted by Director of Winegrowing Bob Levy and winemaker Cory Empting. The result is a flawless wine that will endure for years in the cellar, and even longer in your memory.