A Wine Advocate 93-95+ at $50:
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.
Also Dunnuck 93-95:
Tasted out of barrel, the 2018 Harvey and Harriet sports a deep purple color as well as a powerful bouquet of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, smoked earth, dark chocolate, and Asian spice. Full-bodied, ripe, and incredibly sexy on the palate, it has hints of background oak, a rounded, opulent texture, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's one serious, pleasure-bent beauty.
He goes on to say:
The My Favorite Neighbor releases are made by Eric Jensen and there are two cuvees, the Harvey and Harriet and the flagship My Favorite Neighbor. The Harvey and Harriet release is named after Jensen’s parents and includes small amounts of Syrah, Petit Verdot, Malbec. It’s made to be the more black-fruited, richer, more powerful wine in the lineup. The My Favorite Neighbor is more Cabernet Sauvignon dominated, and it’s the more elegant, red-fruited wine of the duo, yet it never lacks for fruit or richness. Both are brilliant wines, and as I wrote in one of the reviews, they would cost 2-3 times their going rate if they were from Napa Valley.
And that’s at $50!
Wine writer Christopher Null also gives this his top “A” rating, saying:
A big cabernet-based blend from organically farmed sites on the westside of Paso Robles, named after Jensen’s parents. Boldly chocolatey but never overtly sweet, this chewy wine pours on notes of black currants, dark cherries, vanilla, and, late in the game, baking spice. A modest tannin gives the wine ample grip, though it never comes across as daunting in its astringency. In the final analysis, the wine presents exactly as it aims to: As an approachable and authentic but affordable expression of cabernet, with some guest stars in the mix, ready to drink now but able to stand a year or two in the cellar, should you be picking this up by the case. Which maybe you should be.
