2015 Harlan Estate

With his set jaw, flowing white hair and piercing blue eyes, Bill Harlan looks like he could have walked out of the novel Atlas Shrugged. Known for his relentless attention to detail, Harlan became fascinated by wine in the 1950s and 60s. He bought the beautiful hilltops (with 360 degrees of exposition) that would become Harlan in 1984. The Harlan wines are generally exquisitely balanced classics with textures of pure silk. The 2015, made by longtime Harlan winemakers Bob Levy and Cory Empting, is languorous and sublime with vivid cassis, sweet tobacco, and foresty aromas and flavors, and an achingly slow finish. Note: Harlan does not release grape percentages for the wine. The vineyard, however, is planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. 98 points

The 2015 Harlan Estate has developed into an arrestingly beautiful wine. Racy and sumptuous, the 2015 is already quite showy, with tons of dark cherry, plum, mocha, espresso, licorice, spice and tobacco character. Today, the 2015 comes across as a bit brooding and hard to read, although some of the rougher edges in the tannins I saw last year have softened. Even so, I would prefer to cellar 2015 for at least a few years. There is so much to look forward to. 97 points

Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Proprietary Red Wine is a little closed, slowly unfurling to reveal black cherries, crème de cassis and plum pudding with nuances of potpourri, baking spices and tilled soil plus wafts of garrigue and wild sage. The palate is full-bodied and concentrated with exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and fantastic poise and depth with a long, decadently fruited finish. 100 points