Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.
Vintner Notes
Purple-black in color, the power and density of the 2017 is apparent as the wine hits the glass. With a little air, it reveals a generous and broad spectrum of aromas: dark cherry, Chambord, dried roses, turned earth, clove, nutmeg, and more, all tightly braided together. Pure, powerful, and supple on that palate, it’s got ripe, layered black fruits accented with hard baking spices and beautifully integrated French oak. All built on a frame of flawless, tightly woven tannins, this wine is stunning in its youth, but there’s no doubt that it will reward the patient with a long life in the cellar.
Ratings
Wine Spectator 97.This is fully loaded, with waves of dense yet succulent blackberry, black currant and fig preserves that move along steadily, pulling roasted apple wood, dark bay leaf, espresso cream and humus notes along. A bolt of cast iron emerges through the finish, remaining well-encased in the fruit and adding prodigious length and stability. A fairly tremendous wine, especially considering the vintage. A Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend. Best from 2022 through 2040.
Robert Parker 97.Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Harlan Estate needs a little coaxing to reveal captivating iron ore, red currant jelly, cloves and crushed rocks scents with a core of warm cassis, Black Forest cake and boysenberries plus a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, grainy texture with a lively backbone and loads of earthy layers, long and mineral laced. This should be one of the longer-lived wines coming out of the 2017 vintage.
James Suckling 97.Love the sage and mint undertones with currants and berries. Some lead pencil. Iodine. Medium to full body and very fine tannins. Lovely freshness. It’s a refined and gorgeous Harlan. Savory. Beautiful finish.
Jancis Robinson 18/20 Deep glowing crimson. Much more obviously ripe nose than the Shafer Hillside Select just tasted. Intensity is the name of the game – plus a concentration of ripe tannins that recalls a top left-bank bordeaux. It’s clear what the ambitions are here! A wine that seems less scared of tannin than most Napa Cabs. 18/20 points (JR)
