2020 Scott Harvey - Zinfandel Amador County Old Vines (750ml)

Scott Harvey is a Sierra Foothills pioneer who apprenticed at Montevina before training in Germany, then returned to Amador as head winemaker at Story Winery. After a stint running Napa's Folie à Deux, he came back to his home turf in 2004 to start his own label with his wife, Jana. Since then Scott Harvey Wines has built its reputation on Zinfandel and Barbera grown in the Shenandoah Valley and Fiddletown, staying rooted in the Gold Rush-era vineyards that first drew him to the region.

This Old Vines bottling draws on some of Amador County's oldest Zinfandel plantings, many decades old and farmed on the decomposed granite and reddish volcanic soils that define the Shenandoah Valley and Fiddletown districts. Sitting at elevations between roughly 1,200 and 2,000 feet, these hillside vineyards see hot days followed by cool nights, a swing that builds ripeness while keeping acid and tannin intact. The resulting low yields and small berries concentrate flavor, giving the wine an old-world sense of structure rather than simple jamminess.

The wine offers aromas of black plum, black cherry, and blackberry wrapped in cedar, anise, and a touch of eucalyptus. On the palate it's full and mouthcoating, with firm tannins, red berry and spice layered through the finish, and just a hint of white pepper. Balanced rather than overripe, it holds up well to grilled or smoked meats, hearty stews, or a wood-fired pizza with spicy sausage.