Scott Harvey 2011 Syrah, Amador County Mountain Selection (California)
23 Mar 2015- Details
- Category: Uncorked Tonight
(December 30, 2014) ... I met Scott Harvey a few years ago and very much enjoyed his Syrah at that time. While I was in Michigan over the holidays I met up with my good buddy Dave and he recommended the latest vintage of Scott Harvey's Syrah, that just so happened to be on sale and only two bottles remained on the shelves at Champane's in Warren. I waited to drink this till I got back home, put it in my Cru Classic Bordeaux glass (by Schott Zwiesel of course) and gave this wine my undivided attention. Aromas of black raspberry, mocha, black cherry, licorice and sweet spices ... Palate was also layered with blackberry, spiced-black cherry, black pepper, and anise. After an hour or so the wine became smoother and seemed silky while the wine changed its fruit/spice profile to cassis, blackberry, white pepper, a little coffee, and some gentle spice on the finish. I'd have to say I was quite happy with this bottle of Harvey Syrah, quite different from the past vintage I had, but still a delight for the senses.
(December 27, 2015) ... Dinner chez nous, and our Chardonnay-friend is in attendance, time to pull out something interesting, like a Mission Hill 2006 Perpetua from Canada's west coast. I don't know what I was expecting here but I got more than I bargained for. At first the wine was muted and didn't reveal much on either nose or palate, but it soon came around and the nose doled out small doses of butter, apricot, and cinnamon; palate proved to be creamy, with poached peach notes that were seasoned with cinnamon then showed off an applesque finish. In the end the wine showed itself to be light, creamy, and easy drinking ... I would not wait any longer with this one and was glad to have caught it in the phase it's currently in.
Next wine was an Albert Bichot 2006 Beaujolais-Villages, Domaines Monthoux ... I love Beaujolais and Gamay wines, this one in particular was a delight when I first tried it, and one I definitely thought aging would make even more interesting. Imagine my shock when I pealed the capsule to find plastic cork ... Luckily I chilled the wine which I was hoping would counterbalance any effects the cork may have had. Its a nice dream that can defeat a bad closure. The cherry comes through and a little anise seed, but the wine also seemed muted and dumb, though this could also be due to its age. It does develop a hint of raspberry and bitter cherry on the mid-palate to finish, but overall was an uninspiring wine.
I just picked up the recent vintage of the Cline Big Break Zinfandel from my Michigan connection, so I felt the need to try an older version; so out came one of my bottles of the 2006. Without a doubt this was the best wine of the night with its spiced raspberry and vanilla aromas, and a complex and layered palate full of black raspberry, cassis, white pepper, spiced-plum, and mocha/coffee notes - finished proved to be a little simpler with its plum, spice and vanilla-cola linger; all-in-all this was one delicious bottle of wine and quite possibly this wine is at the peak of its life.
