A wine of restraint and sensuality, the 2014 Harlan Estate is wonderfully transparent in feel. Time in the glass brings out a compelling interplay of beautifully layered fruit and lifted aromatics. The 2014 is one of the most understated yet energetic young vintages of Harlan Estate I can remember tasting. Readers who have not tasted Harlan Estate in a few years might be taken aback by just how sophisticated and nuanced the 2014 is. This is a superb effort.

The deep garnet-purple colored 2014 Proprietary Red Wine offers up subtle cassis, black cherries and crushed blackberries notes with tons of savory and earthy layers: forest floor, black soil, charcoal and dried herbs, plus wafts of violets and rare beef. Full-bodied and built like a brick house in the mouth, it has loads of tense, muscular fruit with many layers of earth, savory and spice nuances emerging, finishing with epic length.

Deeper and richer than the Maiden cuvee, the 2014 Harlan Estate offers the classic black fruits, charcoal, and minerality that's the hallmark of this iconic estate. It shows more floral notes with time in the glass, has full-bodied richness, a sexy, supple, regal personality, no hard edges, and gorgeous purity of fruit. It's certainly more approachable than the 2015, yet is still going to benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades

A dense, potent, chewy effort, very tight and focused, with intense dark berry, mocha and licorice notes, cedary oak and substantial fine-grained tannins that keep the flavors in check. Tightens on the finish. Best from 2020 through 2032. 2,283 cases made.