2013 The Maiden

These are four exceptionally beautiful wines from Harlan Estate. The 2014s present the naturally slender, lithe style of the vintage, with considerable freshness that gives the wines their bright personalities, while the 2013s are both simply stunning. Once again, I am struck by the stylistic evolution that has taken place here over the last decade. Today's wines are less overtly sweet and less marked by oak than they were in the past. According to Bill Harlan the biggest change is the increased age of the vineyards, but there is more to it than that. A series of small refinements and a never ending quest for excellence are what sets Harlan Estate apart. Outwardly, Harlan Estate projects an image of Napa Valley formality and new classicism, but behind the scenes Harlan Estate is one of the most avant garde wineries in Napa Valley. It's a bit like magic. The trick is to do something without anyone noticing. Getting to the top is hard in any field. Staying at the top is even harder. Bill Harlan and his team have managed to do that, and more.

Harlan Estate is no longer new nor novel. The wines are now modern-day classics, with more emphasis on finesse than ever before. Bob Levy, Harlan's Director of Winemaking, credits the older age of the vines for the quality and personality of today's wines. While the importance of older vineyards can't be diminished, there is more than that to the story. Increasingly, there is little doubt the team at Harlan, headed by Levy and winemaker Cory Empting, has shifted these wines away from pure power and opulence and into a much more polished style. Even with all of their successes, the team at Harlan seems hungry and eager to continue to improve, all signs that tend to bode well for the future. In time, the estate's first 25 years are likely to look like a preamble to what will unfold here in the coming years and decades as the Bill Harlan's children, Will and Amanda, take over the reins. As for the wines, they are pretty special. The 2013s are dark and brooding, which is to say very much in line with the personality of the vintage. Empting responded to the natural power of the vintage by lowering temperatures and doing fewer pumpovers in order to not overextract. The 2012s are much more lifted, sensual and open-knit. Perhaps more importantly, they are among the best wines of the vintage.