Winemaker Notes
Harvey & Harriet Red Blend continues to deliver at a high level with dark, complex notes of blackberry, fig, and currant. Its deep ruby hue is accompanied by a palate driven by cocoa, spice, brown sugar, and leather. The incredible density, finely grained tannins, and bright finish that seems to go on forever make this wine the ultimate crowd pleaser.
Blend: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 12% Syrah, 7% Petit Sirah, 7% Malbec, 2% Grenache, 2% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackcurrants and blackberries with hints of violets, black olives and vanilla. Rich and ripe character but with balance and focus. Full-bodied with finely polished tannins and a deep dark-fruited character.
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Tasting Panel
This Cabernet-driven blend from Paso Robles' Booker family of wines is shadowed and stern yet ultimately easy drinking, tamed as it is by blackberry and licorice. Espresso and graphite impact dusty, dry tannins as the wine exhibits a decisively structured beauty.
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Vinous
The 2021 Red Blend is vividly fruit-focused, with a burst of wild blueberries, cherries, cloves and cedar shavings forming its seductive bouquet. This is juicy in character yet refined in feel. Ripe wild berry fruits find a lovely balance through brisk acidity as sweet tannins form toward the close. It leaves a resonance of dark chocolate and rum raisin to linger while finishing with a pleasantly grippy sensation. The Red Blend is a fun and energetic mix of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 12% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, 7% Malbec, 2% Grenache and 2% Cabernet Franc that was created by the team at Booker. This wine is a fantastic value.
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.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.