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2006 Harlan Estate
96 RP
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Critic Reviews
Intense aromas of black pepper, blueberry, blackberry, tar, and black licorice. Full bodied, with amazing length and a toned muscular character. This lasts for minutes. Like a world class ballerina. It is held back and beautiful. Please leave this alone until 2015! 15+25+24+34. Find this wine
James Suckling | 98 JS
((500) Full medium ruby. Subdued but pure and vibrant nose offers black raspberry, minerals, licorice and truffle, all lifted by an ineffable perfume that carries through on the palate. Boasts terrific definition and energy; following the group of Bond offerings from ’06, this tasted like a wine from another vintage. Very intensely flavored but wonderfully refined wine, with a light touch to its slowly mounting, highly complex flavors of dark fruits, spices, minerals, tobacco and spices. A wine of great finesse, finishing with superb tannins and outstanding lift. This wine has been a knockout from the outset.
Vinous Media | 97 VM
A completely different animal, the 2006 Harlan Estate offers more chocolate, espresso roast, black currant, and forest floor characteristics. Like the 2005, it is very full-bodied, but the tannins are striking, the wine possesses a more youthful austerity, and neither the charm nor suppleness displayed by the 2005 at a similar age. There is a steely backbone to this wine that suggests cellaring will be essential. Give it 3-4 years of bottle age, and enjoy it over the following three decades.
Robert Parker | 93-95+ RP
Here’s a big, flashy, cult-style wine if ever there was one. It offers masses of blackberries, black currants, coffee, spices and new oak. Vastly rich, it defines the Harlan Estate style, although, in this vintage, perhaps not quite at its highest expression. Nonetheless the wine is fat and unctuous and immediately drinkable, thanks to refined tannins. Yet it should age effortlessly through 2018.
Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE
Still displaying the youthful presence of gutsy, chewy tannins, the core of earth, mocha, currant and blackberry notes remains solid, and the density is impressive as the flavors coat the palate, with detailed nuances. Ends with drying tannins and a future ahead. The better of two bottles tasted.--2006 California Cabernet blind retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2026. 2,119 cases made. — JL
Wine Spectator | 90 WS
James Suckling | 98 JS
((500) Full medium ruby. Subdued but pure and vibrant nose offers black raspberry, minerals, licorice and truffle, all lifted by an ineffable perfume that carries through on the palate. Boasts terrific definition and energy; following the group of Bond offerings from ’06, this tasted like a wine from another vintage. Very intensely flavored but wonderfully refined wine, with a light touch to its slowly mounting, highly complex flavors of dark fruits, spices, minerals, tobacco and spices. A wine of great finesse, finishing with superb tannins and outstanding lift. This wine has been a knockout from the outset.
Vinous Media | 97 VM
A completely different animal, the 2006 Harlan Estate offers more chocolate, espresso roast, black currant, and forest floor characteristics. Like the 2005, it is very full-bodied, but the tannins are striking, the wine possesses a more youthful austerity, and neither the charm nor suppleness displayed by the 2005 at a similar age. There is a steely backbone to this wine that suggests cellaring will be essential. Give it 3-4 years of bottle age, and enjoy it over the following three decades.
Robert Parker | 93-95+ RP
Here’s a big, flashy, cult-style wine if ever there was one. It offers masses of blackberries, black currants, coffee, spices and new oak. Vastly rich, it defines the Harlan Estate style, although, in this vintage, perhaps not quite at its highest expression. Nonetheless the wine is fat and unctuous and immediately drinkable, thanks to refined tannins. Yet it should age effortlessly through 2018.
Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE
Still displaying the youthful presence of gutsy, chewy tannins, the core of earth, mocha, currant and blackberry notes remains solid, and the density is impressive as the flavors coat the palate, with detailed nuances. Ends with drying tannins and a future ahead. The better of two bottles tasted.--2006 California Cabernet blind retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2026. 2,119 cases made. — JL
Wine Spectator | 90 WS
Wine Details for 2006 Harlan Estate
| Type of Wine |
California Red
: Whether it's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Zinfandel, Californian red wine producers have a lovely habit of taking a varietal and expressing its essence in a unique, never before seen way. From Napa Valley to the regions south of Los Angeles, there's a red for everyone - and it's never too late to start exploring. |
|---|---|
| Varietal |
Proprietary Blend
: Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend. |
| Country |
US
: As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants. |
| Region |
California
: With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world's most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region's produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California's most talented. Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover would die to visit. California's quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine. |