WA 99+ · Wine Advocate · Joe Czerwinski
Visibly darker in the glass than either the 2022 or 2023, the 2021 Harlan Estate also shows more concentration and depth in the mouth, suffused with softly dusty tannins that give the wine an expansive yet weightless feel on the palate and linger elegantly on the lengthy finish, all while supporting wonderfully pure and precise cassis and violet shadings. Perhaps this rating will seem stingy to some, but I still remember the shivers I felt run through me when tasting the other-worldly 2019. Maybe this will get there in time.