More wines available from The Mascot (Will Harlan)
![The Mascot (Will Harlan) Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/f1/f13d1d285d027f175612f3d181ea3222.jpg)
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The Mascot (Will Harlan) Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$242.44
Made from the younger vines of Harlan Estate, BOND, and Promontory, The Mascot shares a unique glimpse into the...
![The Mascot (Will Harlan) Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/d7/d794c0d17de780feca623314d5311933.jpg)
Pre-Arrival
The Mascot (Will Harlan) Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$251.58
Made from the younger vines of Harlan Estate, BOND, and Promontory, The Mascot shares a unique glimpse into the...
![The Mascot (Will Harlan) Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/d7/d794c0d17de780feca623314d5311933.jpg)
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The Mascot (Will Harlan) Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$210.73
Made from the younger vines of Harlan Estate, BOND, and Promontory, The Mascot shares a unique glimpse into the...
![The Mascot (Will Harlan) Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/f1/f13d1d285d027f175612f3d181ea3222.jpg)
Pre-Arrival
The Mascot (Will Harlan) Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$183.99
Made from the younger vines of Harlan Estate, BOND, and Promontory, The Mascot shares a unique glimpse into the...
![The Mascot (Will Harlan) Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/d7/d794c0d17de780feca623314d5311933.jpg)
Pre-Arrival
The Mascot (Will Harlan) Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$181.90
Made from the younger vines of Harlan Estate, BOND, and Promontory, The Mascot shares a unique glimpse into the...
More Details
Winery
The Mascot (Will Harlan)
Vintage: 2009
Despite less than ideal climatic conditions, featuring storms which threatened an otherwise perfect year, most parts of California had an excellent year for viticulture. Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs were picked at optimum ripeness, and Californian white wine was just about as good as it could be. Surprises and overcoming difficulties summed up much of the United States' wine industry in 2009, and many of the results from Oregon, Washington State and all over California speak for themselves, with the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon grapes having developed healthy, thick skins and thus plenty of character and distinction. Elsewhere in the New World, South Africa had a very good year in 2009, and wineries across the cape of the African continent are proclaiming it a truly great vintage.
In most of Europe, fine weather and punctual ripening periods produced some excellent wines, with many of the best coming out of France's Bordeaux and the surrounding regions. Merlot had an exceptionally good year in France, and wineries are proclaiming that the 2009 Merlot harvest was one of the best in living memory. Indeed, across most of France, ripening was relatively even, and red wine grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Syrah and others were reportedly highly characterful, with plenty of the required tannin levels with which to make high quality wines. Italy, too, had a very good 2009. Piedmont reported extremely favorable conditions throughout 2009, and their signature Nebbiolo grapes were more or less perfect when harvested, having benefited from the slight drop in temperature at the end of their ripening period. Veneto, too, had an enviable year, producing superb Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay wines in 2009.
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
There is little doubt about the fact that the most familiar red wine grape varietal in the world is the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, seen listed on bottles from more or less every single wine producing country across the globe. Part of the reason for this is the fact that Cabernet Sauvignon is a particularly hardy grape, resistant to both frost and rot, and can grow well in a number of climatic conditions so long as it receives enough sunlight and water. Of course, this is only half the story – we cannot ignore the fact that wines made from the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal are prized not only for their strong acidic fruit flavors, spicy and earthy notes and high tannin content, but also for the fact that they age beautifully in oak, resulting in wines which are on another level from those made from lesser grapes. Aged wines made using primarily Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are widely recognized to be the finest in the world. The aging process rounds out the tannins, softens the acidity and allows a wide range of fascinating and complex flavors and aromas to come through, making them an unquestioned highlight of the red wine world.
Region: California
California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.
Country: United States
The first European settlers to consider growing grapevines in the United States must have been delighted when they discovered the now famous wine regions within California, Oregon and elsewhere. Not even in the Old World are there such fertile valleys, made ideal for vine cultivation by the blazing sunshine, long, hot summers and oceanic breezes. As such, it comes as little surprise that today more than eighty-nine percent of United States wines are grown in the valleys and on the mountainsides of California, where arguably some of the finest produce in the world is found. However, American wine does not begin and end with California, and due to the vast size of the country and the incredible range of terrains and climates found within the United States, there is probably no other country on earth which produces such a massive diversity of wines. From ice wines in the northern states, to sparkling wines, aromatized wines, fortified wines, reds, whites, rosés and more, the United States has endless surprises in store for lovers of New World wines.
Appellation: Napa Valley
In the United States of America, one wine region seems to stand head and shoulders above all others. The Napa Valley of California has long been considered one of the world's premier wine regions, and the wineries which operate in this idyllic landscape now have generations of expertise when it comes to coaxing the very finest flavors and aromas from the imported varietals which thrive there. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Zinfandel have become the flagship grape varietals of the Napa Valley, however, recent years have seen much expansion and experimentation undertaken by the large and small wineries which call the valley their home. With ideal climatic conditions for viticulture, and wonderfully rich and fertile soils, the Napa Valley continues to grow and impress each year.