Showing posts with label San Luis Obispo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Luis Obispo. Show all posts

Sunday, August 6, 2023

Harvey & Harriet San Luis Obispo Red Blend

Harvey & Harriet San Luis Obispo Red Blend 2019

We had son Alec and Viviana over for Sunday evening dinner following our father/son (s) golf outing at beautiful Cantigny Golf Club in adjacent Winfield. Alec brought this interesting red from his cellar to pair with the ribs, haricot verts and roasted potatoes that Linda grilled on the deck. 

This label is from Eric Jenson, winemaker and farmer, who gained experience working with Central California Coast neighbors Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure, and friend Justin Smith of Saxum. He produces this Bordeaux-style blend sourced from select vineyard sites in San Luis Obispo.

The label's namesake, Harvey & Harriet, are Eric's Mom & Dad, and as the rear label states, "everyone's favorite neighbors. Or Not."

Harvey and Harriet is a Bordeaux Red Blend created by Eric Jensen of Booker Vineyard. As it is written, this is an homage to his parents, an "attempt to make a wine that his parents would love and could afford. It is a wine that’s made by hard work, the best vineyard sites, the best barrels, the best team and of course no additives or concentrates. A world class wine for everyone who appreciates high quality without the high price tag."

As Jenson writes, "Harvey & Harriet were my parents - loving, kind, thoughtful people. Kind to everybody - no enemies. They loved wine, but in today's world, they couldn't have afforded a high end wine. So I created Harvey & Harriet for them. A thoughtful, delicious, cult-style wine that can land on everyone's dinner table."

It is an interesting red blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, and 10% Malbec from San Luis Obispo County in Central Coast of California. 

It was aged 18 months with 60% new oak equivalent.

It was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Jeb Dunnuck, and 93 Points and #4 WCC Top 5 Wines of 2021 by Kevin Vogt, Master Sommelier.

"A world class wine for everyone who appreciates high quality without the high price tag".

Jeb Dunnuck writes, "It’s a smoking value, and while it has plenty of up-front charm, it certainly has a decade or more of overall longevity, .... would run two to three times the cost if they were from Napa Valley." 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate writes, "a style that will appeal to a wide range of red-wine drinkers, from lovers of Zinfandel to fans of Cabernet"

WCC writes, "Although it will drink beautifully for another 8 - 10 years, there is no reason to wait because it is delightful now." 

Deep ruby purple colored, medium full bodied, complex, concentrated forward fruits, a cacophony of black and blue berry flavors with notes of tobacco, tar, cocoa, expresso, spices and hints of cedar. This is nice complex drinking that seems to be a good value, but needs to age a bit further in bottle to integrate and settle. 

RM 90 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3981172

https://harveyandharriet.com/

https://harveyandharriet.com/collections/our-wine/products/2020-harvey-harriet-red-blend?gad=1

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Edna Valley Vineyards Central Coast Chardonnay 2014

Edna Valley Vineyards Central Coast Chardonnay 2014


For a casual team dinner outing at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, Las Vegas, we ordered this pleasant easy drinking Chardonnay that complemented our seafood plates and salad entrees.

Edna Valley sits five miles inland from the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

This entry level label is a blend of fruit from vineyards in Monterey County in the North and from the Edna Valley estate vineyards near San Luis Obispo in the South Central Coast regions, (shown on the rear label above).

The diversity of fruit results in a moderately complex full flavored Chardonnay with a range of flavors that come together in a nicely integrated and balanced blend.

Good value, high QPR in this pleasant easy drinking sipper that is complex enough to accompany a light dinner.

Bright yellow-golden colored, light-medium bodied with full mouthfeel, rich tangy acidity from lemon citrus tones accented by tropical fruits, notes of pear and white peach with hints of green apple, pineapple and brown spices.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2304244