I guess you could say I’m a big fan of Scott Harvey. I’ve gushed over his Syrah many times here. So the other day when I was wandering through the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant, I picked up a bottle of Scott’s 2000 Cabernet.

Other than Scotts imprimatur, I don’t know much about this wine — where he gets his fruit, the winemaking, and the production volume are all a bit of a mystery, as Scott doesn’t have much publicity going for his own label.

At the end of the day, though, what matters is how it tastes, so on with the notes!

Tasting Notes:
Perfect ruby in the glass , this wine has a strongly aromatic nose of cherry candy, roses, with a hint of basil. Because the nose is so floral I wonder if there is any Cab Franc in here. The body of the wine is mellow with a nice lift in the front palate with strong flavors of cola and cherry throug the finish. This is a light Cabernet that is not heavily oak driven, nor overwhelmingly tannic.

Food Pairing:
Because of the lighter, less structured character of this wine, I would warn against pairing it with anything too salty, garlicky, or herbally intense. This is a perfect comfort food wine and one that would go well with a beef brisket with pearl onions and baby carrots.

Overall Score: 8.5/9

How much?: $20

Other than the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant, this may be tough one to find. It doesn’t seem to be available for sale online anywhere that I can see.