Harvey & Harriet is another collaborative effort, in the My Favorite Neighbor portfolio, from Eric Jensen of Booker Vineyard. Harvey & Harriet is a red Bordeaux blend, made for Eric’s parents. The website (www.harveyandharriet.com) says Eric’s parents are “a hardworking duo who shouldered the trials and tribulations of raising a large family in a modest home on a small budget. Harvey and Harriet loved wine, but in today’s world, couldn’t have afforded a quality bottle. So, Eric created Harvey & Harriet for them.” On the website, the wine is called “an affordable, cult-style wine.” I’m not sure what that means, really, but the wine is very nice and quite quaffable.
The wine is a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, 10% Malbec. While the inclusion of Syrah and Petite Sirah takes the wine outside of a true Bordeaux blend, the overall experience is a reasonable facsimile of the real thing.
From their website, there are three important aspects of the wine:
HONEST WINE – Made from grapes thoughtfully farmed with minimal impact on what the land intended.
CULT AFFORDABILITY – A quality, cult-style wine at an affordable price.
COMMUNITY – Committed to sustainable growing and wine making practices.
I’m not sure these aspects influenced my buying decision, nor did they factor into my opinion of the wine, but in today’s “cause-conscious” society, I guess it’s nice to know that the family behind the wine cares about what they are doing and their impact on the community and environment. However, there is a jaded part of my personality that feels this is just another marketing ploy to sell wine.
In the end, it really doesn’t matter – The Harvey & Harriet red blend is a very nice bottle that most can afford to enjoy on a regular basis.
My tasting note:
Fruit-forward nose with black cherry, currants, eucalyptus, and lilac notes. Full-bodied with moderate acidity and firm, tight tannins – well-balanced. Dark fruit core, cocoa dust with currant and vanilla hints. Long finish with layered complexity. Very nice!
Cheers!