Harlan Estate   Proprietary Red

2010 Proprietary Red

By Harlan Estate

2010 Proprietary Red from Harlan Estate, The Golden State's Wine Oasis

No one who takes the time to truly immerse themselves in the 2010 Proprietary Red from Harlan Estate will walk away uninspired. This vintage, a product of an intersecting cosmic ballet between the sun, soil and vines of California's Napa Valley, is a compelling symbol of terroir-turned-into-treasure.

 

Intriguing Interplay of Vintage Variables

This particular vintage of the Proprietary Red was born out of an unusual climatic peccadillo, where the combination of a long growing season marked by cooler temperatures resulted in a unique flavor profile that still intrigues wine investors years later. The terroir's distinct stamp on this most elegant year for fine wines from USA, can be tasted with its controlled power and luxurious depth.

A closer examination reveals multilayered dark berries tempered by an earthen undertone, whose individual expressions come together in an intimate dance on the palate.

 

A Growing Season To Remember

The 2010 growing season in Napa Valley introduced its own challenges that, in a strangely paradoxical way, favored a miraculous outcome for the Proprietary Red from Harlan Estate. Cool days and rainy periods created an environment for moderated alcohol levels balanced with ripened tannins and potent acidity. These trousseaux constituents brought forth a stellar vintage reflecting remarkable tension but also captivating complexity.

Fine tannins contribute towards seamless texture loaded with ripe cherries, blackcurrant flavours and subtle nuances of sage and violets that play along deliciously. As you relish every sip, this 2010 Proprietary Red leaves a lingering finish that adds to its intoxicating allure, making it a captivating centrepiece in any collection both for pleasurable consumption and calculated investment.

 

Significant Investment Potential

The 2010 Proprietary Red from Harlan Estate is a prime exemplar of the dividends nature can bestow on those patient enough to wait. This wine's unique charm makes it an attractive opportunity for wine investors seeking to expand their portfolio with preeminent American vintages. Its striking balance between power and elegance ensures that it will continue to evolve captivatingly in the cellar, promising a future return on investment potentially as fulfilling as its current taste profile.

Market price (GBP)

£12,880.00

12x75cl

Highest score

98

POP score

715.56

Scores and tasting notes

98

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 2010 Harlan Estate inch closer to perfection over the next decade. Surprisingly supple for this vintage, while this cuvee is not usually that flamboyant or exuberant in its youth, the 2010 is sensual and performing remarkably well. Its deep purple color is accompanied by notions of charcoal, graphite, camphor, creme de cassis, barbecue smoke and blackberries. As usual, this complex effort reminds me of a hypothetical blend of a great Pauillac and Graves (such as La Mission Haut-Brion). Rich, full-bodied and softer than I would have expected in this vintage, it is a prodigious, multidimensional, compelling wine. It requires 3-5 years of bottle age and should drink well over the following 30+ years. It is hard to believe but Bill Harlan’s beautiful estate in the lower hills of the Mayacamas Mountains on the western side of Napa has now made over twenty vintages. (I have mixed emotions, as I am old enough to remember them all.) The Maiden is always an impressive effort, but it is built to be drunk at an early age. www.harlanestate.com

Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 30 October 2013

Vintage performance