1996 Harlan Estate, The Maiden Napa Valley Proprietary Red

The 1996 Harlan Estate, The Maiden Napa Valley Proprietary Red 750 ml is from the Napa Valley region of California. Almost as good, but a fraction of the price of its "big sister," Harlan Estate's The Maiden represents the second selection. Since its first commercial release of the 1995 vintage, Harlan's The Maiden has been producing top notch wines that impress critics and are coveted by enthusiasts. Wine Advocate, for example, consistently scores The Maiden 91-94 points. Market demand for The Maiden wines has pushed aftermarket pricing into the $300+ range, which should give you an idea of its quality and value. Production is from the Harlan Estate vineyards in the western hillsides of Oakville, planted to 70% cabernet, 20% merlot, 8% cab franc and 2% petit verdot. From the Harlan website: "[The Maiden] is a highly detailed and sumptuous wine, remarkably faithful to the vineyard's pedigree. Accordingly, the resemblance to her "big sister" is unmistakable." In addition to the critic tasting notes below, read more about Harlan Estate and the interesting history of Bill Harlan at https://aabalat.com/wine-insights/wineries/harlan.