Harlan Estate, The Mascot, 2022
Harlan Estate, The Mascot, 2022
- 75cl
- 14.5%
- Red Still
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
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Est. delivery in 2027
Will Harlan's The Mascot began early on as an experiment, after talking the family and winemaking team into sparing a few barrels of wine - produced from younger vines - to explore a blend of his own. In the first few years, before it had a label or a name, it was just a wine shared with friends and family. It wasn’t until the 2008 vintage, the first official release, that there was enough to share with new friends.
This Cabernet is a hedonistic blend of power and balance; expressive and approachable early in its life, with potential to evolve well into the future. Ready to drink upon release, it will age for decades given the opportunity.
“The Mascot is a more affordable version of Harlanesque hedonism... but by no means a pale imitation. It is a bold, rich, full-bodied red, expressive and approachable, with the potential to evolve well into the future."
Jay McInerney, The Wall Street Journal Founder
The Harlan Estate vineyards occupy the rugged western hillsides above Oakville, at elevations between roughly 100 and 400 metres, where thin, well-drained volcanic and rocky soils force the vines to work hard. The hillside aspect brings cooler nights and excellent drainage, moderating the natural warmth of Napa and allowing longer, more gradual ripening. Morning fog from San Pablo Bay creeps up the valley floor, while afternoons see intense sunshine — a rhythm that builds concentration without sacrificing freshness. The Mascot draws on younger-vine fruit from within this same privileged parcel.
Napa Valley AVA is California's most celebrated wine appellation, covering some 57,000 acres across a relatively narrow valley running north from San Pablo Bay to Calistoga. Within it, Oakville is regarded as one of the finest sub-appellations, prized for its benchland and hillside Cabernet Sauvignon of exceptional depth and structure. Napa is permitted to use a wide range of Bordeaux varieties, with no minimum ageing requirements, but the leading estates set their own far more exacting standards. It sits in a different tradition to the Médoc — riper, more opulent — but the ambition at this level is entirely comparable.
The 2022 growing season in Napa Valley arrived with a dry winter that kept yields naturally in check from the off. A warm, largely settled summer pushed grapes towards full physiological ripeness without the kind of catastrophic heat events that derailed earlier California vintages, though growers still had to stay sharp — harvest conditions were relatively compressed, and those who picked with precision were rewarded. The result is a vintage that feels sunny in the best sense: ripe, generous, and confident without tipping into the overblown.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the headline act, turning in wines with deep, plush fruit and firm but well-resolved tannins that give them real structural ambition. These are not wines that need to be cellared out of necessity, but the best will only improve. Most top Cabs are drinking well now with a decant, and will continue to develop until 2030 and beyond for the serious bottles. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc came in clean and focused. Across the board, 2022 looks like a vintage to buy with confidence.
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Harlan Estate
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