WINE PRESS Gold Medal Wine Club Newsletter: Vol. 18 No. 06 mador County veteran winemaker AScott Harvey strikes gold in Sierra foothill vineyards. Scott Harvey’s accomplishments rank high on the scale with other modern wine industry pioneers. Amador County’s wine industry can boast being older than both Napa and Sonoma. Zinfandel vines in Amador County date back to the mid 1800s. GOLD MEDAL WINE CLUB - AMERICA’S LEADING INDEPENDENT WINE CLUB SINCE 1992 2005 SYRAH The Scott Harvey 2005 2005 VINTAGE: Mountain Selection Syrah is produced exclusively from DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL – FIDDLETOWN the mountainous vineyards WINE COMPETITION; 88 POINTS – “HIGHLY of Amador County that make up a good representation RECOMMENDED” – BEVERAGE TASTING of the county’s ability to INSTITUTE; 3 SILVER MEDALS produce world class Syrah. Awarded a Double Gold Medal by the Fiddletown LEGACY: PREVIOUS VINTAGES Wine Competition, this wine OF SCOTT HARVEY MOUNTAIN SELECTION was produced in a drinkable SYRAHS HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE SILVER fruit forward, rich style with firmly structured tannins that’s MEDAL WINNERS WITH EXCEPTIONAL developed into a well-rounded wine with delicious REVIEWS, MAKING THE 2005 SYRAH drinkability. The 2005 Syrah was honored with a deserving 88 Points – “Highly Recommended” A FITTING ADDITION TO THE LABEL’S from the Beverage Tasting Institute, as well as REPUTATION. 3 Silver Medals from various international wine competitions. A varietal mouth filling creamy texture with big red berry cherry fruit comes alive in the first taste, supported by aromas of blackberry, cedar, blueberry and Just the facts: sweet light oak. Concentrated flavors of fresh, pH . 3.6 bright, spicy fruit and firm tannins carry through Alcohol . 14.5% the long finish of Scott Harvey’s Syrah. Try Total Acid. 0.63 g/100 mls pairing the wine with leg of lamb, spicy stews, and hearty steaks. Aged 21 months in oak. Cases Produced . 1,280 100% Syrah. Enjoy now until 2015. Drink Now or Up to Year. 2015 cott Harvey Wines Scott Harvey Wines became a reality in 2003, when founder Scott Harvey learned that Folie A Deux Winery in Napa Valley would soon be sold to the Trinchero Family of Sutter Home Winery fame. Along with noted winemaker Richard Peterson, Harvey was then a partner in the Folie A Deux venture, in addition to serving as both president and winemaker for the much respected winery that was begun in 1996. “When I realized that the sale was going to take place, I immediately saw it as an opportunity to do something that some of my friends and supporters had been urging me to do for a number of years,” recalled Harvey in a recent Sinterview. Harvey then approached the other owners of Folie A Deux and gained permission to begin producing a small amount of grapes from the Sierra Foothills, the region in which he was born and had formerly worked. His intention was to make a number of small lot wines from particular grape sources that he knew to be among the best in that part of Northern California. He wanted to produce the wines prior to the actual sale of Folie A Deux. “I was fortunate to have some great growers that were willing to give me long term contracts on some exceptional Page 2 2005 ZINFANDEL 2005 VINTAGE: The 2005 Mountain Selection Zinfandel represents Scott 94 POINTS – “EXCEPTIONAL” – Harvey’s unique winemaking BEVERAGE TASTING INSTITUTE; style and his commitment 6 SILVER MEDALS to making world class Zinfandel for the past three decades. This wine was made LEGACY: ZINFANDEL IS A WINE FROM from the soils of Amador “SCOTT HARVEY’S ROOTS,” AND GROWING Country that are well suited THIS ENDEARING WINE CONTINUES TO BE A to producing distinctive, earthy, full bodied Zinfandels PASSION OF THIS WINEMAKER. CONSISTENT that have a wonderful PRAISE AND CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED character all to themselves. VINTAGES KEEP SCOTT HARVEY ON THE A crowd-pleasing wine of the County, the 2005 Zinfandel was awarded an outstanding CLOSE RADAR OF ZINFANDEL ADVOCATES 94 Points – “Exceptional” by the Beverage ACROSS THE COUNTRY. Tasting Institute, in addition to 6 Silver Medals. This wine is bold and rich, with full, lush fruit flavors and rounded complexity. Spice, cloves, bay leaf and raspberry tart flavors contribute to Just the facts: the good balance and firm tannins that are pH . 3.38 present throughout the long, lingering finish. Alcohol . 14.5% An Old World inspired style, this is a Zinfandel Aged in Oak . 19 months to enhance any meal from spicy Thai dishes Total Acid. 0.65 g/100 mls to filet mignon. Aged 19 months in oak. Cases Produced . 881 100% Amador County Zinfandel. Enjoy now Drink Now or Up to Year. 2015 until 2015. grapes,” he added. “Since I had cut made its initial release of almost my teeth in the wine business in the 2000 cases in 2004 (even before the foothills, I knew where the finest company officially existed) and has grapes were grown and made use grown steadily to be able to produce of the personal contacts I had about 8,000 cases this year. Harvey developed throughout my career. has set a soft goal of 10,000 cases for the future Scott Harvey’s wines have garnered a but is in no particular hurry great deal of critical acclaim since their to reach that plateau. “I am View of the Scott Harvey inception some five short years ago. certainly more interested in vineyard in Amador County It was great of the other Folie A maintaining my quality than I am in just before harvest. Deux owners to allow me to get a growing the business,” he related. jump start on making wines as Scott “In the wine business, who knows Harvey Wines.” The new winery what will happen down the road?” Page 3 Scott Harvey Wines’ label sales and marketing as she did for features a formidable griffin that several outstanding Napa Valley Scott found one day while visiting an wineries including Cuvaison. The he old typesetting business. “I was going couple’s nephew, Bill Crowe, has T through some old fonts from the 1880s worked with Harvey for years and is Wine and came across this wonderful griffin now a production mainstay who gets that had vines in his hands and tail. involved in practically every aspect Wizard The griffin also traced its roots back to of the winery. Another nephew, the Saxons who conquered England Michael Harants is a noted graphic 1) True or False. and was part of the crest of the artist whose first work was for the All grape juice is white. Scottish Harvey Clan that were my winery. Today, Harants does all of ancestors. I thought it would make a the company’s labels and has a say 2) Why is cork used to stop remarkable logo for our wines so I regarding some of the marketing and wine bottles? bought it on the spot.” sales materials. 3) When was Zinfandel Scott Harvey’s wines have Recently, the winery has opened a introduced to California? garnered a great deal of critical acclaim marvelous new tasting room in historic since their inception some five short Sutter Creek, California, often referred See Page 7 for Answers. years ago. The wines can be found in to as the “Jewel of the Mother Lode” for the California gold rush. Harvey’s daughter, Paulette Harvey Williams About The Winemaker welcomes all visitors to the must see tasting room that is neatly located at Few California winemakers 21 Eureka Street. have taken the course that Scott In many ways, Scott Harvey Harvey chose for his career. The Wines could fit the definition of a near early German apprenticeship and perfect winery. It continues to produce the years at Folie A Deux with a number of wines that are palate Dick Peterson have truly stamped thirty states and on friendly and food satisfying. Its ownership his wines. Scott Harvey is a The morning many upscale wine has stuck to their guns and produced throwback to classic winemaking fog rises over the lists around the wines that they enjoy making as since he literally learned his trade vineyard before a country. opposed to attempting to duplicate from the ground up. beautiful warm Scott Harvey some of the weathered day in Wines is a Califor- more “modern Amador County. nia corporation that style” wineries has some thirty that get great owners, with attention in the Harvey and his wife, Jana, owning wine industry’s half of the entity. journals. Since its inception, Scott Harvey Wines has remained mostly a family operation. Jana Harvey, a long time Scott Harvey wine industry veteran with an impos- works in his lab ing resume of her own, handles all the while looking out to the valley Page 4 The Wine Region Unknown to but a few wine Scott and Jana Harvey hope you enjoy the fruits of their labor historians, the grapes of Amador County can boast being older than either Napa or Sonoma, with the first winery dating back to 1856. By 1880, more than 3,000 acres were under vine, a situation that lasted until the advent Scott Harvey of prohibition. To better understand the evolution of this In the early 1970s the area was month’s Gold Series selections from Scott Harvey rediscovered and wineries began to Wines, it is necessary to trace the career of the sprout up all over the area. Many namesake founder/winemaker for the past three prestigious Napa wineries used Old Vine Zinfandel grapes to enhance their decades. Scott Harvey’s career and accomplishments reputations. rank high on the scale with other modern wine The area is ideal for many varietals industry pioneers and ground breakers who with a number of elevations available orchestrated a number of different entities during for potential growers to select from.