2018 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Oakville 750 ml

Every once in a while, an iconic estate will put out a bottle that reminds you, in just one sip, why they stand above just about every other winery in the world.

The 100-point 2018 Harlan Estate is such a wine. 

Simply put, this is as good as red wine gets. Pouring an opaque purple, boasting stirring power and carrying infinite detail on a frame of flawless, tightly woven tannins, the 2018 Harlan provides as engrossing a sensory experience as you can expect a wine to give you. And that’s in the short term. For the far-sighted, it will only gain in complexity and profundity, and it’s likely to appreciate in value as much as—or more than—any First Growth Bordeaux. 

Harlan Estate began with a grand vision and a lofty goal—to produce a California First Growth from their Oakville terroir—and since the estate’s founding in 1984, they’ve far surpassed 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 out in all directions and sit on extremely thin, well-drained topsoil—from about a foot to just a few inches. The roots seek out the cracks and fissures in the fractured bedrock, struggling mightily but ultimately producing grapes with excellent character and concentration. The estate comprises a unique geologic mix that might never be fully understood, but whose magic comes across in every sip.