It`s still early days for Bill Harlan’s lofty, 200-year vision of a Californian First Growth. But since its first vintages, Harlan Estate has established itself among the very acme of world wines. On an exceptionally diverse set of soils (part sedimentary, part volcanic, all with thin topsoil and entirely exposed) in the western hills of Oakville, Harlan’s vines have been forced to burrow deep into the bedrock to survive.

In 1958, the 18-year-old Bill Harlan travelled north to attend UC Berkeley. While there, he visited Napa Valley for the first time, and a love affair was born. Throughout the 1960s, he developed ideas for making his own wine. In the 1970s, he pinpointed the land on which he hoped to fulfil his dream. Then, over the best part of a decade, he began to cajole its owners into selling. In an era when no-one wanted the hassle or expense of developing hillsides, Bill had realised that the best wines in the world generally came from hillside vineyards. He looked at the valley floor and identified a sweet spot of Oakville vineyards around Martha’s Vineyard and To Kalon, and then wondered. if this is what the valley floor can do, what can the hillsides above do? In 1984, he made his initial land acquisition, and Harlan Estate was born. Over the following years, and together with co-director Don Weaver, Bill struck other land deals and made parcel swaps, progressively growing the estate. It now stands at 240 acres above the Oakville benchlands, at between 225 feet and 1225 feet above sea level. Only 40 acres are actually under vine, to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Cory Empting has been the winemaker here for the last 20 years. when Bill employed the then 21-year-old, he told him, ‘this will be the last job you ever have,’ and so far, so good. Will Harlan is succeeding his father at the helm. (NT 03/04/23)