1. Who is behind Harlan Estate?

You've probably already guessed it: Harlan is the surname of the founder. Namely that of H. William Harlan, who was born in Southern California in 1940 - and who has been called Bill by his family, friends and business partners since his first breath. Even as a teenager, Bill Harlan had three dreams: he wanted to start a family, own a vineyard and sail around the world on a boat. He realised his dreams in reverse order. Firstly, he actually sailed around the world after studying communications and political science in Berkeley, California.

Whilst still a student, he was repeatedly drawn to the Napa Valley at the end of the 1950s, where he tasted his way from vineyard to vineyard. After travelling the world by sailboat, Harlan was one of the founders of Pacific Union, a property company in San Francisco that made billions in sales. After selling most of his shares, Bill Harlan invested his fortune in the Meadowood resort before fulfilling his other two dreams with his Harlan Estate winery and his wedding.

2. Who or what inspired H. William ‘Bill’ Harlan's wine style?

With his wines, Bill Harlan consistently follows his vision of making the best possible wines in the world. This intention is no coincidence. Initially, Harlan was inspired by Robert Mondavi in 1966, who awakened the Napa Valley from its slumber after Prohibition by consistently focussing on exceptional quality. In 1980, Bill Harlan also took part in a five-week trip to France organised by Robert Mondavi. Mondavi was also the initiator of the Napa Valley Wine Auction, which was modelled on the Hospice de Beaune in Burgundy and held for the first time in 1981. And it took place at Harland's Meadowood resort. That's why Harlan travelled to France.

Here he mainly visited producers of Bordeaux wine and Burgundy wine - and had a big aha moment. For the first time, he understood the terroir principle. He realised that location and soil can be decisive for the quality of a wine. He wanted to make wines like this, which tell of their origins and can age for a little while!

3. When was Harlan Estate founded?

As early as 1972, Bill Harlan was looking for the right sites for his own winery. And not only in Napa Valley, but also in Europe! Ultimately, he decided to focus his search on the slopes of Oakville, because the best wines in the region had been coming from there since the 1800s. But before he bought land, he founded a small winery in 1980, which he ran together with a team led by Bob Levy and Don Weaver. Bill Harlan began practising with purchased grapes. In 1983, he brought a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay onto the market. He sold the winery immediately afterwards and finally used the money to found Harlan Estate in 1984.

4. How big is Harlan Estate?

Although the total area of Harlan Estate covers almost 100 hectares, only 17 hectares are planted with vines. The speciality: Bill Harlan acquired so-called raw land. In other words, land that still had to be completely reclaimed. Before he could even think about planting the first vines, trees had to be felled, for example, to build roads and thus make infrastructure possible. Harlan also had wells dug and an irrigation system installed to create the ideal conditions for his future wine. In 1999, five hectares of vineyards had to be replanted due to phylloxera infestation. But in principle, hardly anything has changed in the vineyards since 1984 - that's how well Bill Harlan thought everything through in advance.

5. Does Bill Harlan do everything himself on his vineyard?

No, of course not. 17 hectares can certainly be managed by just one winemaker, but Harlan is a real quality fanatic - and a real team player. What's more, he has now reached an age when it's better to take it easy and enjoy his retirement. This is precisely why his son Will Harlan has been Managing Director of Harlan Estate for some time now. Bill Harlan worked closely with winemaker Bob Levy for decades. The trio was completed by Don Weaver as director of the winery. In addition, Harlan Estate continues to be advised by oenology legend Michel Rolland. Incidentally, winemaker Cory Empting is now responsible for the cellar, while François Vignaud has replaced Don Weaver as director.

6. Which grape varieties are cultivated at Harlan Estate?

You won't find a white wine at Harlan Estate, as they only produce two red wines in Oakville. Cabernet Sauvignon forms the basis for both - supplemented by varying proportions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. We are therefore dealing here with the classic Bordeaux grapes. The speciality: Different clones of each grape variety were planted back in 1984. And they were also planted on different rootstocks and at different row spacings. This allows each vine to develop maximum character - which in turn brings even more depth and complexity to the wines.

8. What makes the wines from Harlan Estate so special?

In addition to the exceptional quality, which we will discuss in detail in the next question, it is above all the limited availability that has made Harlan Estate's flagship wine a real legend. Very few merchants in the world (like Best of Wines) have the honour of receiving a small allocation from Harlan Estate. The wine is also one of the best rated in the world. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate alone has awarded it the legendary 100 points seven times to date. Robert Parker personally awarded the highest score six times. His successor Lisa Perrotti-Brown also honoured the 2015 with 100 points - and also promised this dream score for the 2016. This shower of points naturally arouses additional desire.

9. How does the flagship wine from Harlan Estate taste?

If you had to give intensity and full-bodied flavour a name, both would be Harlan Estate! The flagship, with its dark purple colour and smoky notes of camphor and crème de cassis, is hard to beat in terms of intensity and complexity. It's no wonder that the variety of flavours is increasing by the minute. The flavours can vary from vintage to vintage, but you will usually detect hints of dark soy sauce, cedar wood, espresso and a hint of damp forest floor. Then there is the extremely precise texture and the almost minute-long finish - simply stunning. And: this is a wine for the ages. Thirty or more years of additional ageing are no problem here. A truly great wine!

10. What's the special label all about?

The picture of a copperplate engraving that adorns the Harlan Estate label is instantly recognisable. But what many people don't realise: It took ten years to develop this very label! It was developed by Herb Fitcher, a retired engraver from the US Treasury Department. Of course, Bill Harlan also had an enormous influence here. He wanted the label to really come into its own by candlelight - and not on the shop shelf. A more than wise decision, as we now know. After all, this absolute rarity is very, very rarely seen on a shop shelf.