2021 The Maiden

Harlan Estate is one of the most fascinating case studies in Napa Valley today. Following the imposed need to pick early in 2020 as fires approached, the team led by proprietor Will Harlan and longtime winemaker Cory Empting rethought their views on optimal ripening. They decided to consciously start picking earlier than in the past, a decision that is being closely watched throughout the valley. Of course, radical changes like this also require adjustments in winemaking and aging that I imagine are still being refined. The first wine made in the new direction is the 2021. In tasting the 2021 today, what is clear is that the wine transformed dramatically during élevage. In years past, the difference between wines presented in barrel and then in bottle was much smaller. Today, the change in the wines over that same time is far greater. These are fascinating topics to ponder. Getting back to wine, however, the 2021 has turned out beautifully. It's a gorgeous, vivid wine in every way. The young 2022 is also very promising. Fruit was harvested between August 17 to September 8, once unthinkable for Napa Valley and Harlan Estate. Yields were just 1.25 tons per acre, largely the result of lowering yields in the vineyard to match the size of the canopy and what the vine could do in 2022.