1990 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red

Magnum. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, remainder: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot. I must admit it is quite an experience to taste the first vintage of a wine like Harlan Estate. The 1990 was released only in small quantities, so few people have tasted it. The wine is beautiful. Perhaps not other-worldly but nicely developed, with a sense of purity, honesty and elegance to it. I admit it feels a bit ridiculous to score this, even setting aside any false notions of nostalgia or deference. The 1990 shows a beautifully aged character with notes of wet hay and wet earth and dried purple flowers on the nose. The palate shifts to spiced plums, redcurrants and plum skin with a creamy mouthfeel. There is abundant persistence here and it’s a wine with still some years of bottle ageing left. It is an elegant and almost burgundian expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. (ECB)