The Mascot is the Harlan family's Napa Valley Cabernet from the younger vines of Harlan Estate, BOND and Promontory. The 2012 comes from a generous, even vintage and, like every Mascot, was held back for several years before release so it is ready to enjoy.
About This Wine
2012 was a warm, steady season in Napa with a generous crop after two cooler years, and it produced ripe, rounded wines. The 2012 Mascot is Cabernet Sauvignon-based, drawing on vines of roughly 6 to 12 years across the three estates. Its long pre-release ageing softens the tannins, so the wine is supple and open, and it still has the structure to keep for many years.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Blackberry, dark cherry and plum, with cedar, crushed rock and cocoa.
- Palate: Full-bodied and layered, with ripe dark fruit, fresh acidity and fine, dusty tannins.
- Finish: Long and savoury, with dark fruit and a gravelly finish.
Serving & Food
Decant for 45 minutes to an hour and serve at 16 to 18°C in Bordeaux glasses. Because the estate holds it back before release, it is ready now and should hold to the early 2030s. Roast prime rib, slow-cooked lamb shoulder or grilled Ibérico pork suit it.
How to Enjoy
Dinner parties, and a first taste of the Harlan family's wines alongside Harlan Estate and BOND.
Product Details
Producer: The Mascot (Harlan family)
Country: USA
Region: Napa Valley, California
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon-based
Vintage: 2012
Format: 750ml
About the Winery
When the Harlan properties replant, the young vines are kept out of the flagship wines until they are around ten years old. For years their fruit went into an unlabelled wine poured at family dinners. Will Harlan, Bill Harlan's son, bottled it commercially as The Mascot from the 2008 vintage, released in 2013.
The fruit comes from seven hillside vineyards: Harlan Estate in the western Oakville hills, Promontory, and the five BOND sites. Each lot is fermented and aged at its own winery and only comes together as The Mascot at the final blending, under winemaker Cory Empting. The wine spends around three years in barrel plus further time in bottle before it leaves the estate.