Harlan Estate VS Bryant Family Taste Off

“I like my wine like my women -- ready to pass out.”
Robin Williams

This is an all out battle of the Cult wines of Napa Valley. These two wines are considered to be among the upper echelon of Cabernet Sauvignons made in the Napa Valley today. They are not only hard to find but they are exorbitantly expensive. Tonight we will see just who makes the best wine with a duel of 4 vintages of these two cult wines. This tasting costs less than 1 bottle of either of the wines on the table and this event includes dinner!   Toni Lampasone from Wine Watch Catering will be making a special menu to accompany the tasting wines and the cost for this event is $350 + tax.  For Reservations call 954-523-9463.

Harlan Estate VS Bryant Family Taste Off at Wine Watch
Friday, September 30, 2011
7:00 PM

Tasting Line-up:

1993 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

(97 Points) There are just under 1000 cases of this extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon produced from a vineyard on Pritchard Hill, a viticultural area most associated with one of Napa Valley's most conspicuous underachievers, Chappellet. Production of Bryant's Cabernet Sauvignon will drop to just over 600 cases in 1995 as one-third of the vineyard was recently replanted. Bryant's opaque black/purple-colored Cabernets are fermented with wild yeast and bottled without any clarification techniques such as filtration. They also receive a pre-fermentation five day cold maceration. This technique is used by consultant Helen Turley for all the Cabernet Sauvignons she makes. The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon has turned out even better than I predicted last year (and I thought it was an amazing wine from barrel). It exhibits an opaque purple/black color, and a huge, fragrant, penetrating bouquet of minerals, licorice, toast, and remarkable layers of black fruits. Although extremely full-bodied, the wine's hugeness and massive concentration come across as beautifully poised, balanced, and delineated. The tannin is not as sweet as in the 1994, but it is ripe. The quantity of tannin should ensure this wine's graceful evolution for another 20-25 years, although it will be easy to drink within 2-3 years. Readers are well-advised to get on the Bryant Family Vineyard's mailing list in order to secure a handful of bottles of these reference point Napa Cabernet Sauvignons. Wine Advocate # 102, Dec 1995

1993 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

(95 Points) The 1993 should be as prodigious as the 1992. It is an opaque purple-colored wine with spectacular ripeness, purity, and potential. Dense, full-bodied, with a chocolatey, toasty, mineral, and blackcurrant-scented nose, this wine has a rich, full-bodied, chewy texture nicely buttressed by ripe tannin. In addition, the wine reveals more noticeable tannin in the finish, particularly when it is compared to the 1992 or 1994. This is another 20-25 year wine. Wine Advocate # 108, Dec 1996

1997 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

(100 Points) I have consumed several bottles of the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill. One of the most awesome young reds I have ever tasted, it possesses a black/purple color, a seamless texture, and freakishly high levels of intensity (cassis, black and blueberries infused with espresso, chocolate, and licorice) that are flawlessly presented in a full-bodied, massive yet elegant wine. Nothing is out of balance in this explosively rich, thick, highly-extracted Cabernet. A compelling, historic Cabernet Sauvignon, it will drink well for 30-35 years. It is not too much to suggest that in the future, Bryant's Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon might well be one of the wines that redefines greatness in Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: now-2035. Wine Advocate # 132, Dec 2000

1997 Harlan Estate Napa

(100 Points) “The 1997 Harlan Estate is one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines I have ever tasted. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this enormously-endowed, profoundly rich wine must be tasted to be believed. Opaque purple-colored, it boasts spectacular, soaring aromatics of vanilla, minerals, coffee, blackberries, licorice, and cassis. In the mouth, layer after layer unfold powerfully yet gently. Acidity, tannin, and alcohol are well-balanced by the wine's unreal richness and singular personality. The finish exceeds one minute. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2030.” Wine Advocate #132 (Dec 2000)

1999 Harlan Estate Napa

(92 Points) "The 1999 Harlan Estate (1,700 cases) reveals moderately intense aromatics of sweet vanilla, menthol, espresso, chocolate, and cassis. The wine is medium to full-bodied, suave, and elegant. It is more restrained and not as intense as previous vintages, reflecting 1999's cool growing season. Nevertheless, this is still an outstanding wine. The finish is long, elegant, and Bordeaux-like. It is not as prodigious as the Harlans produced between 1991 and 1998. I would rank it behind all those wines. Anticipated maturity: now-2016. The objective at Harlan is simple ... low yields, ripe fruit, no razzle dazzle in terms of fermentation, a natural upbringing, and bottling without clarification." Wine Advocate #142 (Aug 2002)

2000 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

(95 Points) The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon is an amazing tour de force. Quality like this was rare, if not impossible to obtain in 2000. From bottle, the wine is performing even better than it did from cask. The color is an opaque black/ruby/purple, and the amazing aromatic concoction includes notes of melted licorice, minerals, smoky toast, and blackberry as well as cassis liqueur. Full-bodied, thick, and juicy, it is a voluptuous effort to drink now and over the next 15-16 years. It is a brilliant achievement, surpassed by none, and equaled only by a few other northern California 2000s. Wine Advocate # 150, Dec 2003

2005 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

(90-92 points) The 2005 continues to exhibit a European-styled finesse, elegance, and a certain austerity. The wine also shows considerable new oak, lots of acidity, which is almost atypical for this vineyard site, and a deep ruby/purple color with notes of cedar, bay leaf, cigar box, and copious quantities of black currant liqueur. It is a streamlined, classic, but slightly austere style for Bryant. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.Winemaking consultant Philippe Melka was let go at Bryant, with Mark Aubert becoming the full-time winemaker working in conjunction with globe-trotting oenologist and consultant Michel Rolland.  Wine Advocate # 174 Dec 2007

2005 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

(97 Points) Not unexpectedly, the 2005 Harlan Estate performed slightly better than it did last year. As these wines often do, it continues to put on weight as it is bottled very late by Napa standards, and there is no fining or filtration. The 2005 exhibits a gorgeous thick-looking, ruby/purple color in addition to a beautiful nose of burning embers interwoven with creme de cassis, roasted meats, sweet black truffles, and spring flowers. A hint of lead pencil shavings also emerges from this cuvee, which seems to want to be both a Pauillac and a ripe vintage of La Mission Haut Brion. Full-bodied, dense, pure, and revealing sweeter tannin than I remember, it can be drunk now, but it will no doubt display even greater complexity in 10, 20, and 30 years. Wine Advocate # 180, Dec 2008

Menu

Assorted Cheeses:  Beemster Gouda, Reggiano Parmesan,

Veal Carpaccio with Watercress, Roquefort Crostini, EVO, Cracked Pepper and Crispy Shallots

Pork Belly with currants, black cherry BBQ Glaze with rosemary roasted red baby bliss potatos

Harlan Estate Wines Available:

Founded in 1984, Harlan Estate is a winegrowing estate in the western hills of Oakville, California – in the heart of the Napa Valley. Consisting of 240 acres (97 ha) of natural splendor set above the fabled Oakville benchlands, the property rises in elevation from 225 to 1225 feet (68 to 374 m) above sea level.

Harlan Estate is comprised of forty acres (17 ha) under vine, planted to cabernet sauvignon (70%), merlot (20%), cabernet franc (8%), and petit verdot (2%).

All hillside siting, on both volcanic and sedimentary bedrock; a combination of terraced vineyards and closely spaced vines on spare soils over fractured rock; vertical trellis with shoot positioning, 360º of exposition.

Bill Harlan and Bob Levy are the marterminds behind Harlan Estate but then entire team here is one of the best in the business in Napa Valley from Don Weaver (Estate Director), Mary Maher (Vineyard Manager), Cory Empting (Winemaker) John Daniels (Project Manager), and Micah Flynn (Ranch Manager).

2005 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (Magnum)
Price: $1300.00                  Sale $975
Quantity in Stock: 2

2005 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $640.00                    Sale $495.00
Quantity in Stock: 6

(97 Points) Not unexpectedly, the 2005 Harlan Estate performed slightly better than it did last year. As these wines often do, it continues to put on weight as it is bottled very late by Napa standards, and there is no fining or filtration. The 2005 exhibits a gorgeous thick-looking, ruby/purple color in addition to a beautiful nose of burning embers interwoven with creme de cassis, roasted meats, sweet black truffles, and spring flowers. A hint of lead pencil shavings also emerges from this cuvee, which seems to want to be both a Pauillac and a ripe vintage of La Mission Haut Brion. Full-bodied, dense, pure, and revealing sweeter tannin than I remember, it can be drunk now, but it will no doubt display even greater complexity in 10, 20, and 30 years. Wine Advocate # 180

2003 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum
Price: $1110.00                  Sale $895
Quantity in Stock: 3

 (95 Points) The bottled 2003 Harlan Estate is as good or even better than I had hoped. With a dark ruby/purple color, silky tannin, and abundant quantities of licorice, graphite, chocolate, espresso, black currant, truffle, and earthy characteristics, it comes across like a hypothetical blend of a top-notch Pauillac and Graves. Superb texture, low acidity, and gorgeous purity as well as richness suggest it will drink well for two decades or more. Wine Advocate # 168, Dec 2006

2000 Harlan Estate Napa
Price: $425.00                    Sale $340.00

(91 Points) I have never been totally convinced by the 2000 Harlan Estate, but now that it’s in bottle, it is a very fine offering. The problem is that it must be compared with the other Harlan Estate wines made to date. A Graves-like perfume of roasted coffee, scorched earth, black currants, cedar, and a hint of menthol emerge from this dense dark ruby/purple-colored 2000. Lighter than normal, but medium to full-bodied and elegant, with soft tannin as well as a silky, precocious personality and texture, it can be drunk now and over the next 12 years. Harlan Estate and its perfectionist owner, Bill Harlan, who is backed up by the peerless team of Michel Rolland and Bob Levy, is truly an estate of monumental aspirations that more often than not hits the proverbial bull’s eye. None of the wines produced since 1990 has yet reached full maturity. While the 2000 is their lightest vintage to date, it is no wimpy wine. As I have written so many times before, what makes Harlan such a singular tasting experience is that while it is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated offering from the hillsides above the Oakville Corridor, and it obviously has the power and extraordinary ripeness afforded by Napa Valley’s favorable viticultural climate, it has a degree of complexity that is only shared by a handful of other California Cabernet-based wines, and the finest Bordeaux. Harlan Estate represents exactly what a genius owner, who suffers no fools, and refuses to make any compromises, is capable of achieving ... is that a surprise? Wine Advocate # 150, December 2003

1999 Harlan Estate Napa
Price: $485.00                    Sale $412.25
Quantity in Stock: 4

 (92 Points) "The 1999 Harlan Estate (1,700 cases) reveals moderately intense aromatics of sweet vanilla, menthol, espresso, chocolate, and cassis. The wine is medium to full-bodied, suave, and elegant. It is more restrained and not as intense as previous vintages, reflecting 1999's cool growing season. Nevertheless, this is still an outstanding wine. The finish is long, elegant, and Bordeaux-like. It is not as prodigious as the Harlans produced between 1991 and 1998. I would rank it behind all those wines. Anticipated maturity: now-2016. The objective at Harlan is simple ... low yields, ripe fruit, no razzle dazzle in terms of fermentation, a natural upbringing, and bottling without clarification." Wine Advocate #142 (Aug 2002)

1998 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum
Price: $1250.00 Sale $995.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

1998 Harlan Estate Napa
Price: $525.00                    Sale $425
Quantity in Stock: 2

(95 Points) “The 1998, which is a candidate for the ""Wine of the Vintage,"" was produced from yields of 0.9 tons per acre. There are only 1,100 cases, and it is the first Harlan Estate to be composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. A spectacular achievement, it boasts an opaque plum/purple color as well as a sumptuous nose of espresso, mineral, blueberry, blackberry, tobacco, licorice, Asian spice, and roasted meat smells. In the mouth, it is seamless, full-bodied, with an unctuous texture, gorgeously sweet tannin, and layer upon layer of concentration. This is a tour de force in winemaking. It is hard to believe that a wine such as this has emerged from 1998. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2030." Wine Advocate #132 (Dec 2000)

1997 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Magnum
Price: $2550.00                  Sale $2175.00

1997 Harlan Estate Napa
Price: $1400.00                  Sale $1050
Quantity in Stock: 3

 (100 Points) “The 1997 Harlan Estate is one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines I have ever tasted. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this enormously-endowed, profoundly rich wine must be tasted to be believed. Opaque purple-colored, it boasts spectacular, soaring aromatics of vanilla, minerals, coffee, blackberries, licorice, and cassis. In the mouth, layer after layer unfold powerfully yet gently. Acidity, tannin, and alcohol are well-balanced by the wine's unreal richness and singular personality. The finish exceeds one minute. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2030.” Wine Advocate #132 (Dec 2000)

1996 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Magnum
Price: $1650.00                  Sale $1295.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(98 Points) “The 1996 Proprietary Red Wine appears to be one of the vintage's most noteworthy offerings. Some 1996s tend to be rustic, with more obtrusive tannin than their 1995 and 1994 counterparts, but that charge cannot be made here. The 1996 exhibits a tell-tale opaque purple/plum color, as well as a spectacular soaring nose of wood fire, roasted herbs, black currants, tobacco, minerals, and all spice. The wine is full-bodied and multi-layered, with terrific flavor concentration, well-integrated tannin, and a blockbuster finish. This is another candidate for perfection. As accolades spilled from my mouth like a baby dribbling milk, I was told the wine had been bottled the day before my visit! Anticipated maturity: 2004-2035. Proprietor Bill Harlan, his winemaker, Bob Levy, and consultant, Frenchman Michel Rolland continue to produce what may be the single most profound wine in California. This wine possesses all the elements of greatness - individuality, power combined with elegance, extraordinary complexity, remarkable aging potential, and compelling richness without ponderousness. The vintages produced to date give signs of improving in the bottle for 20-30+ years. In 1995, a second wine, which has not yet been named, has been produced, which allows the selection process to be even more severe once the 35-acre vineyard is in full production. Recent production has been 1,500 cases for the 1994, 1,200 cases for the 1995, 1,500 for the 1996, and approximately 2,500 cases for the 1997. Many readers who have been on the waiting list for Harlan Estate may finally receive an allocation in 1997. This year produced the highest yields to date (a still modest 2.7 tons per acre) at this hillside vineyard.” Wine Advocate #120 (Dec 1998)

1995 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $815.00                    Sale $695
Quantity in Stock: 4

(99 points) The 1995 Proprietary Red Wine is almost as perfect as the 1994. It has gotten even better in the bottle, and remains one of the most remarkable young Cabernet Sauvignons I have tasted. The wine, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, was aged in 100% new oak, which adds subtle pain grille/toasty scents. This opaque purple-colored Cabernet offers up a nose of smoke, coffee beans, black and blue fruits, minerals, and roasted herbs. It is extremely full-bodied, with spectacular purity, exquisite equilibrium, and a seamless personality with everything in total harmony. The finish lasts for more than 40 seconds. This extravagantly rich, profoundly complex 1995 will give its 1994 sibling a run for its money. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2027.

Proprietor Bill Harlan, his winemaker, Bob Levy, and consultant, Frenchman Michel Rolland continue to produce what may be the single most profound wine in California. This wine possesses all the elements of greatness - individuality, power combined with elegance, extraordinary complexity, remarkable aging potential, and compelling richness without ponderousness. The vintages produced to date give signs of improving in the bottle for 20-30+ years. In 1995, a second wine, which has not yet been named, has been produced, which allows the selection process to be even more severe once the 35-acre vineyard is in full production. Recent production has been 1,500 cases for the 1994, 1,200 cases for the 1995, 1,500 for the 1996, and approximately 2,500 cases for the 1997. Many readers who have been on the waiting list for Harlan Estate may finally receive an allocation in 1997. This year produced the highest yields to date (a still modest 2.7 tons per acre) at this hillside vineyard. Wine Advocate # 120 Dec 1998

1994 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Magnum
Price: $3000.00                  Sale $2095.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

1994 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $1375.00                  Sale $875
Quantity in Stock: 4

(100 Points) 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. Much of this wine will be sold to the winery's mailing list customers. If you miss out on the 1994, try and get on the waiting list for future vintages. While perfect wines are few and far between, history has taught me that wineries with such lofty aspirations as Harlan Estate will continue to push the envelop of quality. Wine Advocate # 114, December 1997

1993 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $540.00                    Sale $459
Quantity in Stock: 4

 (95 Points) The 1993 should be as prodigious as the 1992. It is an opaque purple-colored wine with spectacular ripeness, purity, and potential. Dense, full-bodied, with a chocolatey, toasty, mineral, and blackcurrant-scented nose, this wine has a rich, full-bodied, chewy texture nicely buttressed by ripe tannin. In addition, the wine reveals more noticeable tannin in the finish, particularly when it is compared to the 1992 or 1994. This is another 20-25 year wine. Wine Advocate # 108, Dec 1996

1992 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $740.00                    Sale $629
Quantity in Stock: 3

 (96 Points) The newest release, the 1992, offers a dense purple color, and a splendid sweet nose of minerals, blackcurrants, toast, and spice. Opulent and rich, with full body, and well-integrated sweet tannin, this expansive yet graceful wine possesses layers of flavor that caress the palate. The wine is accessible, yet still youthful and unformed. It should drink well for 20+ years. Dazzling wines! I urge interested readers to get their names on the winery's mailing list if they want to purchase these wines. Wine Advocate # 108, Dec 1996

1991 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $825.00                    Your $699
Quantity in Stock: 3

 (98 Points) This is a profoundly great wine. It came across in a blind tasting as one of the most remarkable wines there, with most tasters mistaking it for a first-growth Medoc. The wine revealed an opaque purple color, a fabulously complex, sweet nose of minerals, fruitcake, cedar, toasty new oak, and pure blackcurrant fruit. Although huge in the mouth, the wine is remarkably well-balanced, with its high tannin level well-concealed by copious quantities of sweet ripe fruit, as well as huge amounts of glycerin and extract. I have consistently rated the 1991 Harlan Estate in the mid to upper nineties, but in this blind tasting with so many high quality wines, it was a big-time winner. Approachable now, this wine should be at its best by the turn of the century and last for 2-3 decades.

2003 The Maiden by Harlan Estate Napa
Price: $155.00                    Your Price $136.40
Quantity in Stock: 5

 (91 points) Made in the Harlan Estate style, but more supple and evolved, the 2003 The Maiden exhibits plenty of caramel, black currant, and espresso roast characteristics, a fleshy mid-palate, and a long, supple finish. Consume it over the next 10-15 years. Wine Advocate # 168 Dec 2006

2002 The Maiden by Harlan Napa
Price: $220.00                    Your $187
Quantity in Stock: 4

 (94 Points) Sweet, deep black currant fruit, espresso, licorice, graphite, and earth aromas emerge from the dense, ruby/purple-colored 2002 The Maiden, which cascades over the palate without a hard edge. Like its bigger sibling, it’s impossible to resist at present, but promises to age well for 15 years. Wine Advocate # 162, Dec 2005

2001 The Maiden by Harlan Estate Napa
Price: $165.00                    Your $140.25
Quantity in Stock: 5

 (93 points) The 2001 The Maiden’s dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by a lovely bouquet of melted chocolate, espresso roast, black currants, berries, licorice, and underbrush. This full-bodied, well-balanced, opulent second wine is as good as many California producer’s primary cuvee. Its sweet, supple tannin and forward personality suggest consuming it over the next 10-15 years. Wine Advocate # 157 Feb 2005

2000 The Maiden by Harlan Estate Napa
Price: $135.00                    Your $114.75
Quantity in Stock: 1

 (89 points) The 2000 The Maiden reflects the softness and easy-going nature of the vintage. Attractive in a fruit-driven, earthy style with notions of dried herbs intermixed with espresso roast, cappuccino, white chocolate, and black currants, this modestly-endowed, evolved 2000 is best consumed over the next 8-10 years.

Harlan Estate and its perfectionist owner, Bill Harlan, who is backed up by the peerless team of Michel Rolland and Bob Levy, is truly an estate of monumental aspirations that more often than not hits the proverbial bull’s eye. None of the wines produced since 1990 has yet reached full maturity. While the 2000 is their lightest vintage to date, it is no wimpy wine. As I have written so many times before, what makes Harlan such a singular tasting experience is that while it is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated offering from the hillsides above the Oakville Corridor, and it obviously has the power and extraordinary ripeness afforded by Napa Valley’s favorable viticultural climate, it has a degree of complexity that is only shared by a handful of other California Cabernet-based wines, and the finest Bordeaux. Harlan Estate represents exactly what a genius owner, who suffers no fools, and refuses to make any compromises, is capable of achieving ... is that a surprise? Wine Advocate # 150 Dec 2003

Bryant Family

Situated high above Lake Hennessey, Bryant Family Vineyard is one of a handful of Napa Valley vineyards that can claim the moderating influence of a large body of water. Winds blow over the mountains from the west, are drawn down to and across the cool waters of Lake Hennessey and travel directly up a natural chute to the Bryant Family Vineyard.  This breezeway makes the vineyard unique and enhances the quality of fruit as the winds cool the grapes on hot summer days.  The uniqueness of the fruit is the basis for this special wine along with an outstanding winemaking team and brand new, gravity fed winery that was specifically designed and constructed for this vineyard.

Bryant's opaque black/purple-colored Cabernets are fermented with wild yeast and bottled without any clarification techniques such as filtration. They also receive a pre-fermentation five day cold maceration, This technique is used by former consultant Helen Turley for all the Cabernet Sauvignons she makes. Unfortunately, Turley and Bryant had a falling out which turned into big news in the wine industry when Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer won $255,000 in back pay from Don Bryant for breach of contract.  The only good news for Don, was that this was way below the $556,958 that the couple had asked. The jury decided that Ms. Turley had not looked for work elsewhere or something like that.

The winemaker today is Helen Keplinger and David Abreu is the vineyard manager. 

2007 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $575.00                    Your $488.75
Quantity in Stock: 6

(97+ points) The star of this trio is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (907 cases). Beautiful aromas of blueberry liqueur, blackberries, camphor, incense and acacia flowers is followed by a well-textured, full-bodied, stunningly opulent, voluptuous wine with plenty of structure lurking beneath the surface. Super-pure and intense, it is the strongest wine produced by Byrant over the last 4-5 years. It needs 3-4 years of cellaring and should keep for three decades.

One of Napa Valley’s most beautiful vineyards is Don Bryant’s vineyard high on Pritchard Hill, just below Colgin and Tim Mondavi’s Continuum and not far from such other benchmark properties as Chappellet, Del Dotto and David Arthur. These are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, but the production rarely passes 1,000 cases, even in the most abundant vintages. Don Bryant told me he is also launching a second wine called DB Four but I did not taste it.  Wine Advocate # 192 Dec 2010

2006 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $436.00                    Your $370
Quantity in Stock: 3

 (94+ points) A very strong effort, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a sweet perfume of blue and black fruits intermixed with hints of toasty oak, graphite, truffles, and forest floor. Full-bodied, rich, and concentrated with remarkably silky tannins for a 2006, it will benefit from 3-4 more years of cellaring, and should keep for 20-25 years.  This superb 13-acre hillside vineyard on Pritchard Hill, one of the great sites in Napa, has produced some remarkable wines. I recently had the compellingly perfect 1997, which continues to age at a glacial pace.  Wine Advocate # 186 Dec 2009

2005 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $411.00                    Your $349
Quantity in Stock: 5

(90-92 points) The 2005 continues to exhibit a European-styled finesse, elegance, and a certain austerity. The wine also shows considerable new oak, lots of acidity, which is almost atypical for this vineyard site, and a deep ruby/purple color with notes of cedar, bay leaf, cigar box, and copious quantities of black currant liqueur. It is a streamlined, classic, but slightly austere style for Bryant. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.Winemaking consultant Philippe Melka was let go at Bryant, with Mark Aubert becoming the full-time winemaker working in conjunction with globe-trotting oenologist and consultant Michel Rolland.  Wine Advocate # 174 Dec 2007

2004 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 
List $550               Sale $484
(3 Bottles available)

(95-97 Points) As for the grand vin, there are 600 cases of the beautiful 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cabernet Sauvignon), which is scheduled to be bottled in November, 2007, is about six months later than former winemaker, Helen Turley, used to bottle this cuvee. Philippe Melka, who now oversees the winemaking, believes this wine merits more time in wood because of its intensity and richness, although that is a vintage by vintage decision. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a deep opaque purple color as well as a big, blackberry and floral-scented perfume offering notions of creme de cassis, spice box, and licorice. Beautifully opulent, full-bodied, and forward, it should drink well young, yet age gracefully for 12-15 years. Previously recommended: 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (96). Wine Advocate # 168, Dec 2006

2003 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
List $475               Sale $418
( Bottle available)

(96 Points) There are 400 cases of the brilliant 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was tasted several months after bottling. This broodingly dense opaque purple-colored wine offers an extraordinary nose of blueberries, smoky oak, chocolate, and licorice. Powerful, rich, and concentrated, with sweet tannin, a thick, juicy style, and excellent delineation, this large-scaled Cabernet should hit its peak in 4-5 years, and last through 2020. Following the troubled 2001 vintage and the disruptive and litigious departure of former winemakers Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer, things appear to be back on track at Bryant. Philippe Melka now heads up the team led by Don Bryant, and plans are underway to double the size of this estate from 7 to 14 acres. All the wines are fermented in open top fermenters, and are bottled 18-19 months after the harvest. Wine Advocate # 162, Dec 2005

2002 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 
List $650               Sale $572
(4 Bottles available)

(96 Points) The 2002 (800 cases) was bottled in June of 2004. It exhibits a classic Bryant profile of blueberries, blackberries, chocolate, and smoky notes (100% new Taransaud barrels are utilized), a full-bodied, powerful palate, great texture, tremendous purity, and a long, heady finish with high tannin, but it is well-integrated and sweet. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020. Wine Advocate # 157, Feb 2005

2001 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
List $425               Sale $375
(5 Bottles available)

(91 Points) Undeniably ripe and fleshy, with a pretty scent of cedary oak leading to a supple core of currant and red cherry flavors that are fine and persistent on the finish. Needs time to shed its fine-grained tannins. The flavors are long and persistent on the finish, though it shows simpler than it did from barrel. Drink now through 2012. 1,000 cases made. -JL for Wine Spectator

2000 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
List: $650              Sale $572
(7 Bottles available)

(95 Points) The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon is an amazing tour de force. Quality like this was rare, if not impossible to obtain in 2000. From bottle, the wine is performing even better than it did from cask. The color is an opaque black/ruby/purple, and the amazing aromatic concoction includes notes of melted licorice, minerals, smoky toast, and blackberry as well as cassis liqueur. Full-bodied, thick, and juicy, it is a voluptuous effort to drink now and over the next 15-16 years. It is a brilliant achievement, surpassed by none, and equaled only by a few other northern California 2000s. Wine Advocate # 150, Dec 2003

1998 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
List $425               Sale $375  
(2 Bottles available)

(93 Points) The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is a fine wine. While it does not reveal much weight, it is a dense plum/purple-colored, big, thick, concentrated effort. Evolved aromas of smoke, cedar, tapenade, blackberries, creme de cassis, and creosote are followed by a lush, full-bodied, voluptuously-textured 1998 exhibiting superb intensity as well as low acid, sweet, pure flavors. This is a dazzling example of extremely ripe Cabernet Sauvignon made under less than ideal conditions. It will drink well upon its release, and over the following two decades. Wine Advocate # 132, Dec 2000

1997 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 
List $2200             Sale $1936 
(1 Bottles available)

(100 Points) I have consumed several bottles of the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill. One of the most awesome young reds I have ever tasted, it possesses a black/purple color, a seamless texture, and freakishly high levels of intensity (cassis, black and blueberries infused with espresso, chocolate, and licorice) that are flawlessly presented in a full-bodied, massive yet elegant wine. Nothing is out of balance in this explosively rich, thick, highly-extracted Cabernet. A compelling, historic Cabernet Sauvignon, it will drink well for 30-35 years. It is not too much to suggest that in the future, Bryant's Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon might well be one of the wines that redefines greatness in Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: now-2035. Wine Advocate # 132, Dec 2000

1996 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 
List $850               Sale $748 
(1 Bottles available)

(99 Points) The opaque purple-colored 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon offers a spectacular, exotic bouquet of Peking duck skins, blackberry and cassis liqueur, roasted herbs, and burning charcoal. It is phenomenally intense, with record levels of dry extract and glycerin. This hedonistic blockbuster is crammed with jammy fruits nicely buttressed and framed by adequate acidity and tannin. Drink this marvelous Cabernet Sauvignon now or cellar it for two decades. This is mind-boggling stuff! The wine from this hillside vineyard near Napa's Pritchard Hill, has already become mythical (1992 was the debut vintage). This is a wine of world-class quality, and is certainly as complete and potentially complex as any first-growth Bordeaux. To date, it has been characterized by extraordinary richness, complexity, and harmony, as well as the potential to evolve and improve for 20 or more years. Release date, Spring 1999. Wine Advocate # 120, Dec 1998

1995 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 
List $850               Sale $748
(1 Bottle available)

(99 Points) The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon is cut from the same mold as the profound 1996, displaying astonishing levels of black fruits (the usual suspects - blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cassis), phenomenal concentration, and virtually perfect balance and equilibrium. I recently wrote an article in Food and Wine magazine itemizing the characteristics of a great wine. They are: 1) the ability to please both the palate and the intellect, 2) the ability to hold the taster's interest, 3) the ability to offer intense aromas and flavors without heaviness, 4) the ability to taste better with each sip, 5) the ability to improve with age, and 6) the ability to offer a singular personality. This wine satisfies every one of those requirements. I often wonder if I get too excited about wines such as this. Yet time is on their side. I truly believe that in 20, 40, or 60 years, when the history of what appears to be a golden age for California wines is analyzed, these wines, and the work of their winemaker, will be even more admired and appreciated by future generations than they are today. Wine Advocate # 114, Dec 1997

1994 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 
List $695               Sale $611
(3 Bottles available)

(93 Points) The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is a fine wine. While it does not reveal much weight, it is a dense plum/purple-colored, big, thick, concentrated effort. Evolved aromas of smoke, cedar, tapenade, blackberries, creme de cassis, and creosote are followed by a lush, full-bodied, voluptuously-textured 1998 exhibiting superb intensity as well as low acid, sweet, pure flavors. This is a dazzling example of extremely ripe Cabernet Sauvignon made under less than ideal conditions. It will drink well upon its release, and over the following two decades. Wine Advocate # 132, Dec 2000 

1993 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 
List $495               Sale $435
(4 Bottles available)

(97 Points) There are just under 1000 cases of this extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon produced from a vineyard on Pritchard Hill, a viticultural area most associated with one of Napa Valley's most conspicuous underachievers, Chappellet. Production of Bryant's Cabernet Sauvignon will drop to just over 600 cases in 1995 as one-third of the vineyard was recently replanted. Bryant's opaque black/purple-colored Cabernets are fermented with wild yeast and bottled without any clarification techniques such as filtration. They also receive a pre-fermentation five day cold maceration. This technique is used by consultant Helen Turley for all the Cabernet Sauvignons she makes. The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon has turned out even better than I predicted last year (and I thought it was an amazing wine from barrel). It exhibits an opaque purple/black color, and a huge, fragrant, penetrating bouquet of minerals, licorice, toast, and remarkable layers of black fruits. Although extremely full-bodied, the wine's hugeness and massive concentration come across as beautifully poised, balanced, and delineated. The tannin is not as sweet as in the 1994, but it is ripe. The quantity of tannin should ensure this wine's graceful evolution for another 20-25 years, although it will be easy to drink within 2-3 years. Readers are well-advised to get on the Bryant Family Vineyard's mailing list in order to secure a handful of bottles of these reference point Napa Cabernet Sauvignons. Wine Advocate # 102, Dec 1995 

1992 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 
List $375               Sale $330
(1 Bottles available)

(91 Points) Over the next year readers should be on the lookout for some of the 1,000 case production of Don Bryant's Cabernet Sauvignon from an old vineyard on Pritchard Hill near the Chappellet Vineyard. Bryant's 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon offers an impressive black/purple color, rusty tannin, immense concentration, full body, and enormous richness in the finish. Wine Advocate # 99 Jun 1995