My Favorite Neighbor Harvey and Harriet Red Blend 2018
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
Your Rating
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Winemaker Notes
The 2017 vintage of Harvey + Harriet quickly became a fan favorite, and at a new price-point and how beautifully the 2018 vintage is already drinking... we believe that every wine-lover needs a case of this in their fridge! This wine is meant to be your every-day drinker. It is perfect to open on a Tuesday night with take out food, bring over to your neighbor's house to share at a summer potluck, or open a bottle (guilt-free) to enjoy just one glass while cooking dinner for your family. To quote critic Jeb Dunnuck, the 2018 vintage "sports a deep purple color as well as a powerful bouquet of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, smoked earth, dark chocolate, and Asian spice".
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The barrel sample of 2018 Harvey and Harriet is made up of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Syrah, 14% Petite Sirah, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot, aging in 75% new French oak. Deep ruby-black in color, it has a very layered nose with aromas of exotic spices, crème de cassis, blackcurrant bud, tar and tilled black soil with hints of violet, lilac, cardamom and baking spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is silky and has a great interplay of fruit and spice. It has a firm, pleasantly chalky frame and just enough freshness, finishing long with a youthful cloaking of oak spice. About 9,400 cases will be made.
Range: 93-95 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the reds, the entry-level Harvey and Harriet is always made in a richer, softer style compared to the classic My Favorite Neighbor cuvée. The 2018 offers a big, juicy bouquet of crème de cassis and jammy blackberries interwoven with lots of tobacco, cedar pencil, and earthy, foresty aromas and flavors. This ripe yet medium to full-bodied, polished, elegant beauty will drink nicely for at least a decade.
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Tasting
Panel
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.