Our Wines & Spirits

Robert Parker: Another rating identical to that which was given in2007 (when first tasted from bottle), the 2004 Harlan Estate isperforming essentially the way I suggested in 2007 as it is one ofthe more precocious and accessible of the Harlan Estate wines todate. A great showing at this retrospective, this wine, which seemslike a hypothetical blend of a Pauillac, St.-Estephe and Graves,represents around 1,500 cases from 40 acres of beautifullymanicured hillside vineyards overlooking Oakville. Still densepurple to the rim, with notes of creme de cassis, charcoal,blackberry and sweet toast, the wine is full-bodied andvoluptuously textured with the tannins largely resolved. But thedensity and richness suggest this wine can go a long, long way,even though the window for drinking it seems open and invitingalready. A world-class, first-growth wine if there ever was onefrom Napa, this is simply an exquisite Harlan Estate that hasatypically reached mid to late adolescence at the age of ten. Thatis great given the fact that these are 30- to 40-year wines -possibly even half-century wines. Drink it over the next 30 years.