Harlan Estate Red Wine Napa Valley 2020 750 ML

“Wow: It’s a pure, effortless, truthful wine,” wrote Lisa Perrotti-Brown, longtime Editor-in-Chief of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, in her 100-point review of the 2020 Harlan Estate. We tasted this wine out of the barrel with Harlan Estate Director of Winegrowing and Founding Winemaker Bob Levy, and we were equally floored. 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 have far surpassed that original ambition. Robert Parker was smitten from the very first vintage, which he called “one of the most promising and profound Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines made in California.” As the quote at the top testifies, he’s since put his praise in even plainer terms. Situated on the lower slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, Harlan Estate’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, where they struggle mightily but ultimately produce grapes with excellent character and concentration. Between the ancient, soft sandstone of the western part of the property and the harder and younger (relatively speaking) volcanic eastern ridge, Harlan Estate comprises a unique geologic mix that, although it produces grapes of unparalleled quality, might never be fully understood. In 2020, Winemaker Cory Empting and his team were done picking fruit by the end of August, bringing their exceptional grapes in with impeccable timing. The result is a wine that stands with the best from the property.