Wine and Movie Pairing: Opulent Cab and Oppenheimer
Wine and Movie Pairing: Opulent Cab and Oppenheimer
A legend of Napa Valley meets the infamous 20th Century scientist.
This week’s Wine and Movie Pairing represents a grand epic of a movie, alongside a wine with equal pedigree. Let’s take a look at Oppenheimer with the legendary 2001 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
Oppenheimer is a sprawling three hour epic focusing on physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and the resulting effect both entities had on history. The movie is dense, but it moves at a solid pace, almost as if it’s really two movies in one - the first half is a heist film, detailing the beginnings of The Manhattan Project, while the last half is a legal drama with tinges of Nolan’s signature psycho-thriller sensibility.
Part of the movie is seen in black-and-white, the other part in period-authentic color, giving the feeling that there are two sides to Oppenheimer’s story. In the end, this is a movie about science and the real life implications of cause-and-effect trials on humanity. Sounds heady (and it is), but it’s also viscerally moving and thought-provoking.
Usually there’s one element in a film that I latch onto as a focal point. With Oppenheimer, there are a myriad ways to watch the movie. I approach it like I would an opera: use the first viewing to take everything in and be immersed in the world, then subsequent viewings over time will allow the audience to get in deep with one or two technical aspects/performances.
Christopher Nolan’s decidedly anti-biopic structure and pacing give the movie dramatic heft and a thrilling sense of anticipation, which is saying a lot for a three hour movie about a mid-century scientist. The production design is immaculate, both in black-and-white and color, and the technical achievements of Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography are astounding. Ludwig Goransson’s haunting score is reminiscent of Krzysztof Penderecki’s haunting Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, but manages to find a pulsing quality of its own (very Nolan-esque).
The performances here from a large (large) cast of characters are astounding. Robert Downey Jr. gives us career-best work as the conniving Lewis Strauss, Emily Blunt is magnetic and forceful as Kitty Oppenheimer, Florence Pugh and Matt Damon deliver scene-stealing performances every time they appear on screen, and just about every one of my favorite character actors in Hollywood makes an appearance in Los Alamos at some point. Carrying the banner for everyone is Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, who manages to find subtlety and unforetold nuance in a larger-than-life character.
It’s hard to find a wine that matches Oppenheimer’s ambition, scale, and pure power, not to mention its American ingenuity. And to do all of this in a way that feels old and new, with the power to change the world? This is a job for Harlan Estate, arguably one of the world’s first “cult wines” that prides itself on defining the rugged Oakville terrain in the Napa Valley.
Before releasing the eponymous wine that would change the wine market for good, founder Bill Harlan laid out a 200-year plan for Harlan Estate, his attempt at a “First Growth wine from California”. By keeping a focus on the long game, Harlan Estate has learned how to create a legacy wine for people to appreciate for years, overcome obstacles with grace, and how to hand down the business to the next generation. The first vintage of Harlan Estate was released in 1990, and the wines have continued to appreciate in value and taste over time.
The 2001 vintage is considered by many to be a classic Napa Valley vintage, and that is especially true for Harlan Estate. With most of the Left Bank Bordeaux-inspired blend consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s no surprise that ample ripe fruit from some late season heat combines with layers of mocha, vanilla bean, tobacco, and forest floor, providing a nuanced wine that drinks younger than its age indicates.
Vintage notes from the winemaker speculate that this wine could be in for 30-50 years of aging, so I will be looking for updated tasting notes as the years go on. This is a treat to enjoy on its own, but it would be phenomenal with a prime cut of steak. For a bit of additional gallows humor, top the steak with grilled mushrooms.
Harlan Estates’ flagship wine can be a tricky score, even for industry professionals, but it is available at auctions and rare wine retailers for $1500 (oftentimes more) per bottle. To get the taste at a lower price point, try The Mascot, an entry-level Harlan Estate label using fruit from the same vineyards.
Oppenheimer is now on streaming services, video on demand platforms, Blu-Ray, and DVD.
Further Reading
Bilge Ebiri interviewed Christopher Nolan for Vulture just before the film’s wide release in July 2023. There are some revealing behind-the-scenes facts here, and it’s worth a read right after watching (or re-watching) the movie.
Harlan Estate recently had a changing of the guard as its founder, international man of mystery Bill Harlan, has passed on the day-to-day operations of the Harlan empire to his two children. Adam Lechmere, who also tasted through the entire Harlan Estate lineup at the Oakville estate, profiled the Harlan family for Club Oenologique in 2020.