Provenance

Private Client

Critics Ratings

‘Only the fourth official release from Harlan, the vintage was mild with average winter rainfall and cool days with temperatures averaging just below 26°C. Budbreak was in mid-April, showers in May, and the temperatures ticked up in August and September. The harvest was completed by 23 October 1994. The most delicate of the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York masterclass lineup, with a light to medium body, dried red currants, a panoply of dried tobacco, sandalwood, and a beautiful minty lift. Full of vitality, with grip and a delectable finish. To be enjoyed now and over the next 10-15 years or longer.’ – Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter.com, 97/100 (Jun 2023)

‘A bit of tomato leaf and mountain herbs on the nose with just a touch of cigar smoke become a mix of fleshy, spiced stone fruits and graphite on the palate. The tannin presence here is impressively intact while supple. The acidity feels fresh and carries the wine through a long finish. Nicely savoury. There is just something extra to this wine – it keeps pulling you back to enjoy it again’ – Elaine Chukan Brown, JancisRobinson.com, 18/20 (Mar 2020)

‘Slightly more vibrant saturated ruby-red color. Even deeper and more nuanced aromas of liqueur-like blackcurrant, black olive, violet, minerals, brown spices and floral perfume. In contrast to the (relatively) more laid-back '95, this is almost painfully sweet on entry, with huge extract giving it a three-dimensional texture. More powerfully structured than the '95, but as large as it is, it retains near-perfect balance. Explosive finishing fruit covers the rich, sweet tannins.’ – Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, 96/100 (May 1998)

‘What can I say about the 1994? I have tasted the wine for three consecutive years, and each time it satisfied all of my requirements for perfection. The opaque purple color is followed by spectacular aromatics that soar from the glass, offering up celestial levels of black currants, minerals, smoked herbs, cedar wood, coffee, and pain grille. In the mouth, this seamless legend reveals full body, and exquisite layers of phenomenally pure and rich fruit, followed by a 40+ second finish. While accessible, the 1994 begs for another 5-7 years of cellaring. It should easily last for 30+ years. Every possible jagged edge - acidity, alcohol, tannin, and wood - is brilliantly intertwined in what seems like a diaphanous format. What is so extraordinary about this large-scaled wine, with its dazzling display of aromatics and prodigious flavors and depth, is that it offers no hint of heaviness or coarseness. Harlan's 1994 comes close to immortality in the glass.’ – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 100/100 (Dec 1997)