H.
William Harlan, the founder of Harlan Estate, had a vision. Simply put, he
was determined to produce a California "First Growth". Harlan is an entrepreneur
with a strong background in real estate and hotel development - someone who has
come to understand the importance of "location". Harlan Estate is the result of
a twenty year search for prime hillside vineyards, culminated by the patchwork
acquisition of 230 acres above the fabled Rutherford-Oakville beachlands. The
land is magnificent...oak-studded knolls and valleys, only ten percent of which
are now under vine. The vineyards, planted in the mid-eighties are cut to contour,
planted with thoughtfully selected clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet
Franc and Petit Verdot. The farming and cultural practices are uncompromising,
with low vigor and exceedingly low yields. The 1991 Harlan Estate was produced
from grapes that were harvested at 1.5 tons per acre - roughly half the yield
found in most Bordeaux "First Growth" vineyards.
