Harlan Estate

Harlan Estate reports a 240-acre property in the western hills of Oakville, of which about 40 acres are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The estate wine is made in roughly 1,500–2,000 cases; The Maiden is the second wine. The Harlan family also owns Bond and Promontory.

Founded: 1984
Region: Napa Valley
Ownership: Harlan family
Vineyard: 16.0 ha40 ac

Wines

Harlan Estate, Napa Valley proprietary redCult Napa Cabernet · Oakville

Harlan Estate, Napa Valley proprietary red, vintage by vintage

One square for each year. The darker the square, the better the weather was for the grapes. Tap a year to read about it.

2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995

ExceptionalExcellentVery goodGoodMixedDifficult

The essentials

Economic profile

Harlan's hillside site makes it the high-farming-cost case: terraced, low-yielding and hand-worked, with a planted-to-total ratio of one to six. The estate sells by mailing list at release prices in the high hundreds of dollars and has built a multi-estate group (Bond, Promontory) around the same model.

The detailsClassification, ownership, land and output

Founded

1984

Classification

Cult Napa Cabernet; Oakville AVA

Ownership

Harlan family (family)

Vineyard holdings

16.0 ha (40 ac)≈ 40 acres planted of a 240-acre property, per the estate

First vintage made

1990

Website

harlanestate.com/

Property · planted

≈ 240 acres · ≈ 40 acresHarlan Estate

Second wine

The Maiden

Sister estates

Bond, Promontory

We estimate it costs about $26 to $80 to make one bottle at an estate like this. See the full breakdown

Land-value contextWhat a hectare of vineyard sells for around here

Input	Low	High	Unit	Source
Vineyard land, prime Napa Valley (Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena benchland)2025	300,000	500,000	USD/acre	Trade press and broker reports
Vineyard land, prime Napa Valley, per hectare2025	741,000	1,236,000	USD/ha	Corkonomics estimate from the inputs o…
Vineyard land, secondary Napa Valley sites2025	120,000	340,000	USD/acre	Trade press and broker reports

Every wine in a tableBottles made, years covered and how hard each is to find

Wine	Bottles made in a typical year	Vintages covered	Great years	How rare (0–100)
Harlan Estate, Napa Valley proprietary redCult Napa Cabernet · Oakville	21,000	29 1995–2023	11	70

Every year in a tableHarlan Estate, Napa Valley proprietary red: How each year was rated, and the price the producer first asked

Vintage	How the year was rated	Release price	How rare (0–100)	The growing season
2023	Very Good	—	65
2022	Mixed	—	66
2021	Excellent	—	66
2020	Difficult	—	67	The Glass and LNU fires; smoke taint led several cult estates to release no wine from the…
2019	Excellent	—	67
2018	Excellent	—	68
2017	Mixed	—	68	Heat spike at harvest and the October fires; several estates released reduced quantities.
2016	Excellent	—	68
2015	Very Good	—	69
2014	Excellent	—	69
2013	Exceptional	—	70	Long, even season; widely rated among Napa's best.
2012	Excellent	—	70
2011	Difficult	—	70	Cool, wet, late; rot at harvest; many estates made little or declassified.
2010	Good	—	71
2009	Very Good	—	71
2008	Good	—	71
2007	Excellent	—	71
2006	Very Good	—	72
2005	Very Good	—	72
2004	Very Good	—	72
2003	Good	—	72
2002	Excellent	—	72
2001	Excellent	—	73
2000	Good	—	73
1999	Very Good	—	73
1998	Mixed	—	73
1997	Excellent	—	74
1996	Very Good	—	74
1995	Very Good	—	74