Harlan Estate Vertical at The Naples Winter Wine Festival
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
I was thrilled to moderate this charity tasting at the Naples Winter Wine Festival this past January. For the occasion, Harlan presented ten vintages of their flagship wine going back to 1992, which also happens to be the first vintage of Harlan Estate I tasted on release. Needless to say, it was fascinating to taste a cross-section of vintages ranging from the estate’s early days to the present, including a number of modern-day reference-points.
The entire Harlan family was present, a remarkable show of support for both the Festival and this retrospective tasting. Bill Harlan and his son, Will Harlan, were joined on the panel by Estate Director Don Weaver, Director of Winegrowing Bob Levy and Winemaker Cory Empting for what turned out to be a lively and interactive discussion.
The Naples Winter Wine Festival
When all was said and done, the 2017 edition of the Naples Winter Wine Festival raised over $15m for the benefit of the children of Collier County. The Festival is a big undertaking. Many people deserve a big thank you. Jeff Gargiulo organized this seminar many months in advance. A team of distinguished sommeliers took painstaking care of the bottles and poured the wines as the tasting progressed, which I requested (rather than in advance), to ensure the wines were tasted at the perfect temperature, not an easy task given the tight quarters and the South Florida heat. The following evening, Pat and Dave Gibbons and Peter and Shirley Welsh hosted a fabulous dinner at the Gibbons’ home featuring the wines of Cheval Blanc with 2017 honored vintner Pierre Lurton that I attended. I am also deeply grateful to the generous bidder who supported the lot I donated to the Festival along with with Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom and the Napa Valley Reserve.
Harlan Estate, from The Vineyards of Napa Valley; Oakville, by Antonio Galloni and Alessandro Masnaghetti, 2016.
Harlan Estate – An Overview
I was thrilled to moderate this charity tasting at the Naples Winter Wine Festival this past January. For the occasion, Harlan presented ten vintages of their flagship wine going back to 1992, which also happens to be the first vintage of Harlan Estate I tasted on release. Needless to say, it was fascinating to taste a cross-section of vintages ranging from the estate’s early days to the present, including a number of modern-day reference-points.
