by Mike Filigenzi » Sat Aug 05, 2006 4:26 pm
This is the wine that Scott Harvey made in the Napa Valley from Finger Lakes grapes. There's no official vintage on the label, but it was all from the '05 harvest. 10.5% alcohol, $21.
Very light color, crystal clear. Couldn't pick up much of anything on the nose - maybe a little bit of peachy fruit. In the mouth, it's pretty austere. There's a touch of pear/peach fruit on the entry which is quickly overtaken by lemon-lime acidity. Finishes very clean with a slight chalkiness to the aftertaste. The level of acidity is attested to by a sheet of tartrate crystals on the bottom of the bottle the next morning.
Overall, I got the sense that this wine needs some time to open up. It's very refreshing but lacking in complexity and interest (for me, anyway). With a year or two in bottle, I would hope it would have more to it. One thing it does have going for it is the low alcohol - I guess you have to import grapes if you're going to make a dry wine with 10.5% alcohol in Napa! At present, the price tag is too high for my liking, but maybe worth it if some bottle age helps. Also, the right food might help this wine to shine.
Mike
"People who love to eat are always the best people"
- Julia Child