Harlan Estate and Bond New Releases

In February this year, I visited the team at Harlan Estate and Bond Winery to taste the new and upcoming 2018 and 2019 releases.

Style Council: 2018 vs 2019

It was business as usual at Harlan Estate, tasting with the whole gang: Bill Harlan, Don Weaver, Bob Levy, Will Harlan, and winemaking director Cory Empting. About a year ago, the reins were handed over to Bill's son, Will Harlan, who is now managing director over all the Harlan estates, but there are no dramatic changes in style here, which is not to say there are no changes.

"The thing that makes a big difference in assuring continuity is continuity of staff," said Bill Harlan. "Having these generations of wine growing is important."

Comparing the 2018 and 2019 Harlan Estate "grand vins," Cory Empting mentioned, "I see 2018 is strength through confidence, while 2019 is strength through power. In 2019, we had so much rain early on, we needed a longer runway to see through the vegetative cycle. Bond in 2019 is a little more chiseled, yet Harlan has more flesh in 2019."

The 2018 Harlan Estate is a real jaw-dropper. The wine doesn't just embrace the vintage's longer, cooler growing season; it owns it. This elegant, sophisticated, cerebral face of Harlan is a departure from its rich, hedonic reputation. Those who adore Harlan's classic, powerful style may prefer the 2019. As my notes will attest, I love them both, finding the 2018 slightly more nuanced and structured.

As for 2020, the Harlan Estate and Bond team is planning to bottle and release wines from the fruit they managed to bring in before the fires. While many wineries in Napa have opted not to release any 2020 due to smoke taint issues, several other big names also plan to release some 2020. While I haven't yet tasted Harlan and Bond 2020s, I've tasted promising barrel samples from this vintage from Spottswoode, Dalla Valle, and Eisele Estate, among others, all of which suggest it was possible to produce great wine in 2020, but there won't be much of it.