Harlan Estate 1991
Level: into neck (1)
Harlan Estate, The Maiden 1997
In original wooden case (3)
4 bottles per lot

Type: Red Wine
Grape Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Country: USA
Region: Napa Valley

ABOUT THE WINE
Bill Harlan’s goal throughout the past quarter century has remained constant—to create an American first growth by expressing the genius of one particular site. With his keen eye for real estate, Harlan identified a property near the town of Oakville that had never been planted, and purchased the 23-acre nucleus of this property in 1984. Additional purchases and land trades eventually increased the total to 240 acres that reach an elevation of 1225 feet. Harlan Estate vineyards, however, are limited to a steeply terraced band between 350-550 feet elevation in order to keep the grapes cool. Being a perfectionist, Harlan and his team (the formidable duo of winemaker Robert Levy and consulting oenologist Michel Rolland) rejected two vintages as unworthy before deciding to release the 300 case production of the 1990 vintage. Since this time, production has climbed, but still hovers at just 1,800 -2,000 cases per vintage. All truly great wines have an essential nature that is difficult to pin down, since one of their common characteristics is great complexity. Charles Curtis MW, head of Christie’s North American Wine Sales, explains, “there is something about Harlan that transcends the styled correctness of the fruit. Like few others, they encompass an exotic character that evokes the tangle of forest at the end of well-manicured rows of vines.” Stand-out vintages offered here include the 1999 and 2004.