Investment Tips - Other - 15. December 2021

The Harlan Estate is overloaded with praise and high ratings. Invest in the popular treasures – but you better hurry.

When Napa's best wines are on the agenda, the enthusiasm increases. +20.3% in just two years, and scores all winemakers are striving for. Harlan Estate is coveted and elite.

”Harlan Estate might be the single most profound red wine made not just in California, but in the World.”

– Robert Parker

When statements about wine come from Parker's experienced mouth, it is worth listening. And indeed, the above quote is one hundred percent spot-on for the essence of this investment tip, in which the Harlan Estate is facing a complete overhaul.

This investment tip is about one of the world's best, sky-high scores and historic Harlan returns under the administration of RareWine Invest. We are excited, and we believe you will be excited too.

Harlan Estate - The Dream Of The Best Wine In California

Bill Harlan actually had a successful career as a real estate developer. He also owned properties in Napa Valley, which is why he was familiar with the area's wine industry. However, it was a trip to Bordeaux and Burgundy with Robert Mondavi in the 1980s that really ignited his own desire for winemaking, and in 1984, he decided to produce some of the best wine in California. A California "first growth" from the hills of Oakville.

The bar was set high, and it turned out that real estate was not the only thing Bill Harlan had a flair for.

He acquired 97 hectares in Oakville and planted 16 of them with Cabernet Sauvignon. He also allied himself with renowned winemaker Bob Levy and consultant Michel Rolland. It was after three vintages produced that Harlan found the wine worthy of sale.

Three Decades And Absolute Perfection

In 1984, the project started, and the first vines were planted. Competent forces were brought in, and in 2002, the Harlan vineyard was established, in which both organic and biodynamic methods are increasingly used. In April of 2021, Bill's son Will Harlan was appointed CEO of Harlan.

However, the policy is consistent across decades. Great wines are made in the vineyard. Therefore, the grapes are selected according to strict criteria, followed by the magic in the cellar. This policy is Harlan's way of ensuring the freshness, elegant texture, and complexity that their wine masterpieces are receiving global acclaim for.

Bill Harlan Belongs To The Top Of Napa Valley

Bill Harlan does not believe that perfectionism is a good thing. He believes, on the other hand, that imperfection is what creates unique and interesting things. Harlan is visionary, determined and, indeed, cautious. And for a man who does not strive for perfectionism, it is paradoxical that he will not release a vintage unless it scores over 95 points.

Bill Harlan does not want perfectionism, but he has achieved it several times.

The goal was to create a wine that would be recognised worldwide, and this has certainly been achieved. Bill Harlan's philosophy and great talent for creating a strong team has taken Harlan Estate to the very top where the very best winemakers are. Not just in Napa Valley - but all over the world.

This success is reflected in high scores, which every time are awarded to the wines from the honorable Harlan Estate. Wines of which only 2,000 cases, equivalent to 24,000 bottles, are produced in each vintage.

Bill Harlan does not want perfectionism, but that is what he has achieved with the Harlan Estate Bill Harlan does not want perfectionism, but that is what he has achieved with the Harlan Estate

Crazy High Scores Are A Common Thing For Harlan

The table below speaks for itself. With a score across the critics between 96.7 and 99.7, the wines in this investment tip* place themselves in the absolute top.

The table consolidates Harlan's position on the wine world's most coveted podium. In this case, the ratings of the respective vintages are accompanied by a corresponding price, which is why the choice of investment is purely a matter of temperament. The quality is outstanding in all of them.

*The following vintages are currently available for investment: 2008,2009,2010,2012,2013,2014 and 2016.

VintageWAVIJSAVG
201897-10095-9710098,2
201797+96+9796,7
201610098+10099,3
2015100979998,7
201498989898,0
20131009910099,7
201299+979898,0
201193949794,7
201098+9810098,7
20099797-97,0
200896969896,7
2007100989798,3
200696979897,0
200598+959696,3
20049897-97,5
WA: Wine Advocate, VI: Vinous, JS: James Suckling, AVG: Average

Magnum: Why So?

In this investment tip, you can only choose magnum, so you are exempt from choosing between formats. Nevertheless, it makes sense to present the qualities of magnum.

Magnum bottles are twice the size of regular 0.75 l. bottles. However, the amount of oxygen in the bottle is not correspondingly higher, which generally means that wine in magnums matures more slowly and better, and thus has greater storage potential.

Another quality is that there are usually significantly fewer magnum bottles produced than regular sized bottles. This also makes them rarer, even at release.

Harlan Estate Has Presented Great Returns

Over the past two years, the price of Harlan Estate* has increased by 20.3%, which means that over the same period, the top wines from Harlan Estate have outperformed both Californian wines (+9.3%**) and even Burgundy as a category (19.2%***).

This underlines the quality of both the wine and the brand, and it is precisely the value of these two attributes that will help to create future returns.

Because although the price has increased over the past two years, there is no reason to believe that it stops here. The premise for price increases is still there: We are still dealing with some of the most famous and prestigious American wine, and the leading critics' scores are very much in Harlan's favour.

* Across all Harlan Estate under administration of RareWine Invest varying vintages from 1996 to 2015 in mixed sizes, from 1/1-20 to date

**All California wines, regardless of vintage and size, under administration of RareWine Invest from 1/1-20 to date to date.

*** Across all Burgundy wines, regardless of vintage and format, under administration of RareWine Invest from 1/1-20 to date.

RareWine Invest's Opinion

The dream became a reality. Harlan Estate ranks among the world's best winemakers, the result of a flawless approach to winemaking. When it comes to the Napa Valley, Harlan is one of the brands that gets special attention – both from the wine lover, collector, and investor.

Harlan Estate is great and is by no means ordinary - not even for us. That is why we expect that there will be a lot of demand for the few bottles we have managed to get our hands on.

Check available vintages below - note that all are on magnum.

Invest In Harlan Estate

Contact us via the contact form at the bottom of the page if you want to know more about your investment options or order the wines directly through the form.

VINTAGEWINEVOLPACKINGQTYPRICE/.BTL*
2016Harlan Estate1500OWC12€ 2.650
2014Harlan Estate1500OWC12€ 1.850
2013Harlan Estate1500OWC36€ 2.650
2012Harlan Estate1500OWC33€ 2.000
2012Harlan Estate1500OWC24€ 2.000
2010Harlan Estate1500OWC36€ 2.500
2009Harlan Estate1500OWC24€ 1.800
2008Harlan Estate1500OWC13€ 1.700
*All prices are in EUR ex. customs duty, tax, and VAT for delivery to a bonded warehouse. Prices including customs duty, tax and VAT can be sent on request. The wines are only sold in whole cases unless otherwise specified and the price is per bottle. Minimum order size € 2,500. Assumes a total minimum investment of € 10,000. Prices may have changed since release of this article. Reservations are made for errors.

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