Last tickets remaining: Decanter’s Harlan Estate masterclass in New York

We are delighted to be returning to New York for the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter on Saturday 10 June 2023, to bring visitors an array of outstanding wines to discover and taste with the unrivalled Grand Tasting and a series of exceptional Masterclasses.

One of the most hotly anticipated masterclasses features Napa’s highly regarded Harlan Estate, one with true cult status. Just tiny amounts of the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated Bordeaux blend from the Oakville hills are made each year, and the wines are notoriously difficult for wine lovers to get hold of – which makes this tasting of six vintages of Harlan Estate, Domain H. William Harlan’s flagship wine, such an auspicious event.

Harlan Estate was established by the legendary Bill Harlan, a southern Californian who came to Napa Valley as a student at Berkeley in the early 1960s and, struck by the wild beauty of the land and attuned to its winemaking potential, soon began to dream about one day owning a winery – not just any winery, but a winery that could stand could stand shoulder to shoulder with Bordeaux’s very best – a Napa ‘first growth’. That desire has been Harlan Estate’s “philosophical heartbeat” ever since.

The first 40 acres of raw land in the hills above Oakville were acquired in 1984, the first vines planted in 1985 and, over subsequent years, further land was bought and planted with Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (about 70%), Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The 1990 vintage was the first Harlan Estate wine to be released, in 1996. In 1997, Bill founded Napa winemaking project BOND, made from five select Napa sites, followed by the Cabernet-dominant Promontory, first made in 2009, and The Mascot in 2013. Harlan’s winemaker is Cory Empting.

During this masterclass, expertly led by Will Harlan – who has been managing director since taking the reins from his father in 2021 – tasters will experience first-hand how Bill Harlan’s ambition has come to life by comparing six vintages of the flagship Harlan Estate across three decades, from the mid-1990s, including 1994, which ranks among California’s greatest vintages of the modern era, alongside more recent releases. A glimpse into the past and present of one of Napa’s truly great wines.

Wines

Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 1994
Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 1997
Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 2001
Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 2005
Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 2013
Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA 2018

Tickets for the Three Decades of Harlan Estate Masterclass cost $545 (+ sales tax) and are selling fast. Masterclasses are also available for Château Léoville Las Cases, Gaja and Louis Roederer so we recommend booking today to avoid disappointment.

Grand Tasting
As well as attending masterclasses, guests can purchase tickets for the walk-around grand tasting, trying highly acclaimed vintages and mingle with top wine producers from all over the world whilst enjoying panoramic views of New York. With over 200 wines to be presented, the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter NYC is set to be a truly unforgettable day of fine wine tasting.