THE MASCOT

The Harlan Family, who have been making wine in the Napa Valley since the late 1970s, have assembled a portfolio over the decades consisting of some of the region's finest vitivultural land. As their vines mature, a small percentage of the vineyards of BOND, Harlan Estate, and Promontory must be replanted each year following a 40-year cycle. Although these new vines are indisputable thoroughbreds, their fruit, in youth, only intimates at the individual character they will one day reveal in the family's grands vins.

The promising components - averaging 5 to 12 years of vine age - intrigued vintner H. William Harlan's son, Will, who began to experiment with different blends from replanted blocks in the mid-2000s. The results of these efforts were at first unlabeled and served at the family table. The wines, however, showed great heart and perseverance, and the enthusiasm of a band of close friends gradually convinced the family and the winegrowing team that a certain number of barrels could be shared with the wider world each year. And so, with the 2008 vintage, The Mascot was born. Deep and complex, gorgeously balanced and accessible on release, yet graced with the structure to evolve for decades in the cellar - The Mascot is a second-generation wine with impeccable heritage.