1998 Harlan Estate Napa Valley Red Wine (1.5L)

95 Points from Robert Parker: "The 1998, which is a candidate for the "Wine of the Vintage," was produced from yields of 0.9 tons per acre. There are only 1,100 cases, and it is the first Harlan Estate to be composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. A spectacular achievement, it boasts an opaque plum/purple color as well as a sumptuous nose of espresso, mineral, blueberry, blackberry, tobacco, licorice,

Asian spice, and roasted meat smells. In the mouth, it is seamless, full-bodied, with an unctuous texture, gorgeously sweet tannin, and layer upon layer of concentration. This is a tour de force in winemaking. It is hard to believe that a wine such as this has emerged from 1998. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2030." (12/22/2000)

93 Points Vinous: "Saturated dark ruby. Aromas of black fruits, bitter chocolate, caramel and nutty, charred oak. Amazingly lush and silky for the year, with ripe flavors of black cherry, black raspberry and licorice. Can't match the '97, or the '99, for sheer density but this is bright, concentrated, suave and very long. Tannins are even and fine. A remarkable performance in the context of the year.

The best estates are willing to take draconian measures in difficult years in order to make wines up to their standards, and Harlan Estate was ruthless in 1998. In a typical year, this estate shoots for a yield of just two tons per acre. But when the 1998 veraison took place between September 7 and 10, or 30 to 40 days later than average, the team eliminated one of two clusters per shoot (a $1.5 million decision, notes Harlan), ultimately bringing in just 0.9 tons per acre in a harvest that lasted until November 11 (there was a major rainstorm the next day). Still, notes winemaker Bob Levy, the berry seeds were not completely ripe, and the wine thus spent "only" 25 days on its skins, as he did not want to extract green tannins (in contrast, maceration lasted 45 days in '97). "We didn't get great concentration by our standards, but we were able to make a ripe wine without green character," he added. There will be just 1,000 cases of wine, less than half of normal production. The '99 harvest also ended in early November, but the flowering was two weeks earlier than in the previous year, and the fruit enjoyed longer hang time and more thorough ripening." (5/2001)

90 Points from Wine Spectator: "Tight, firm and less expressive with its fruit, showing taut dried currant, herb, sage and drying tobacco leaf flavors, with loamy, earthy tannins that are dense and minerally.--Non-blind Harlan retrospective (2010)." (11/15/10)