Matthew Cohen

9.3

This is the barbaresco cole.

Nose is cherry flower with some spice. Expansive. Beautiful perfume. As it opens the nose gets a bit darker. Deep Lilacs?

Palate has that quazzolo just grab you by your socks better than fruit fruit. Some spice. A hint of cherry licorice. Super fresh. As it opens a bit Plummer but still fresh.

Bought from fass selections — 4 years ago

Donald Williams

9.0

Holding up really well. — 5 years ago

with Bonnie

India

9.3

Makes me pucker. Lemon yum with a big mouth! At Kasey & Bjorn’s. — 5 years ago

Kazuhiro Kiyokawa

9.3

ソムリエのお土産。
このベーリーAはとても良い！
らしさがとても出ている。いちごの華やかさがピカイチ。常に家に置いておきたい一品^ ^ — 6 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.3

@Bryce Wiatrak here is another one. Is there someone else at Delectable that I should bother with these updates/fixes? Desire Lines Wine Co is the producer. Cole Ranch is the vineyard. The assistant winemaker at Bedrock and his wife started this project recently. Any help possible? — 7 years ago

with Tyson

John McCarroll

Sales Rowan Imports

9.0

Floral and chenin-y and cider-y and a bizarre af riesling but super nice — 7 years ago

Erik Barner

9.1

Our first time trying since the honeymoon... such a treat!
— 8 years ago

with Whitney

Paul DiCicco

8.9

It doesn't have a blast of flavor, but it's an easy drinking, light wine with great finish. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

It’s good to follow Winemakers. I follow Charles Hendricks. However, Charles last James Cole vintage was 2013.

100% Petit Verdot in anyone’s hands is tricky. This 09 made by Charles is elegant young...just as it is now. It’s just rounder & softer after 9 1/2 years in bottle. It still has teeth but, complex & floral with dark, grippy tarry, round tannins. The darkest of roasted & used expresso grounds, dry earth with dark & brilliant florals. Beautiful acidity and elegant persistent finish.

This offering has another 10-15 of good drinking ahead. Properly stored of course.

Photos of; James Cole Winery, outside tasting lounge, signature bronze logo statute and James’ classic car in their fermentation cellar. — 5 years ago

Mike R

9.5

Big bold beautiful- smiles for days - love this wine and a shout out to my bud who brought one of my favorites @Jeff Lanter — 5 years ago

with Jeff

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Our first bottling from this small production family winery in Calistoga.

My first impressions of this wine, it’s a classic older Calistoga Cabernet. It’s nicely resolved but, not at the end of its life as some have predicted. It is a shade past its prime but, drinking nicely with the exception it’s a touch hot, even after all this time in bottle and when temp’s were not pushing alcohol levels like they can now. However, heat aside, I enjoy wines just the other side of their prime and beyond. Brings out additional complexity-characteristics and are infinitely more interesting.

The nose reveals, stewed & baked fruits of; blackberries, black plum, black cherry extract, black raspberries with some deep blue fruits. Loads of baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Dark spice, dark chocolate, sweet tarriness, mocha, caramel, walnut shells, anise to black licorice, steeped, dark fruit teas, mint/eucalyptus, dry crushed rocks, leather, tobacco, graphite, used charcoal, dark liqueur and cola, dry herbs with dark, red, blue, purple, fresh & withering flowers accented with lavender.

The body is rich, lush, ruby, statin, velvety and thick. The tannins are rounded & softened but, still speaking loudly. The structure, tension, length and balance are in a very good place. This wine has legs to stand for another 5-10 years depending on how you enjoy them. Stewed, candied & baked fruits of; blackberries, black plum, black cherry extract, black raspberries deep blue fruits, purple fruit blend, haunting raspberries with poached strawberries as it sets. Loads of baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Dark spice with good palate heat, dark chocolate, sweet tarriness, mocha, caramel, walnut shells, anise to black licorice, steeped, dark fruit teas, mint/eucalyptus, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, slightly, moist clay, pronounced, fine volcanic minerals, leather, tobacco, graphite, used charcoal, dark liqueur and cola, dry herbs with dark, red, blue, purple, fresh & withering flowers accented with lavender. The acidity is round & exquisite. The long finish is; well balanced fruit & earth, very complexity, rich, delicious and persists endlessly.

Photos of; Stephanie Jones Bailey, Rick and Elaine Jones, Estate view, their Cabernet fruit close to harvest and vineyard staff managing fruit clusters & leafing.

Producer notes...they were founded in 1996. Jones Family Vineyards specializes in estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Thomas Rivers Brown makes their wines, two Cabernet wines...Jones Family Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and The Sisters. TRB also makes an extremely limited production of aged Sauvignon Blanc that is cellared for over 3 years in barrel and bottle.

Jones Family has ten acres of south facing vineyards that lie 600 to 800 feet off the valley floor, resting above the fog line, an ideal altitude for growing Cabernet in the Napa Valley area.

@Paul T- Huntington Beach FYI. — 6 years ago

Nahja Martin

9.2

Very buttery yet crisp. — 7 years ago

Paul Weil

9.0

I needed to drink three bottles of this one before making a proper review. I think this wine will be somewhat divisive. It is one of those wines upon which one's enjoyment is, more than usual, predicated upon tasting order, food pairing or cocktail usage, and above all decanting (as it is still quite young).

There is a lot to like about this blend. It is a big wine with a solid yet complex tannic structure, with some dusty tannins right up front rather than in the finish. There is a healthy dose of caramel oak, but not so much that it tastes like candy (and this decreases with decanting, and, presumably, cellaring). The predominant flavors are those I expect from a Bordeaux blend - dark cherries and mocha -- but with the brighter acidity of a Zinfandel or Syrah.

Bottle number four will languish in my cellar for another year or two, so that I may give Bacchus his due 🍷😸 — 8 years ago

Mike R

9.6

One of favorite boutique Napa winery - decanted 2 hours - love the 09, 10 and 12 - not tried the 13 yet - singing in prefect pitch - color is deep red and stunning, smell is intoxicating, taste is with every sip reminding me to smile and the finish is damn right runway model sexy - in honor of @Carl Fischer and the amazing Christmas carol story last night and as a tribute to all delectable folks including the WNH gang - my 2nd seasonal posting is an adaption from Home Alone 2 - "hold it right there - and you respond by saying "this is wine drinkers everywhere" - I say knew it was you as I could smell you near my cellar - you were at my cellar last night and You been drinking with everybody and not always smiling - you been drinking with "Snuffy. Al. Leo. Moe, with the gimpy leg. Cheeks. Boney Bob, Cliff" - you say "I am mistaken and have been not drinking with everybody and when you drink your wine you do smile" - so I say I believe you but tommy gun don't so I going to give to the count of three to pour a glass of wine and start smiling one two and wait you are smiling so keep smiling and Merry Christmas you wine drinking animals!!!! — 8 years ago

Jody Scharf

9.3

Oak- nice Chard — 5 years ago

Nicole Carpenter

9.5

Cole loved this one, Josh said its ok — 5 years ago

Doug

9.1

Bursting with dark fruits balanced and rich. 2016 — 5 years ago

Alex

9.2

Amazing. Dark and inky on the nose. Palate of stone fruit, but not as baked as Napa cabs can sometimes get, which is good in this case. Manages to balance being fresh and bright with dark fruit. 100% would buy again. — 6 years ago

Paul Weil

9.1

Unoaked Chardonnays are usually quite good, allowing the fruits to shine. This one is exceptional, refreshing and balanced with no cream or butter. What a great Summer Wine! It sports peach and honeysuckle flavors, with just a touch of lime.. Here’s to more tree-free wines! — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

On the nose, ripe, ruby, fruits of; mulberry, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum, black cherries, blueberries & creamy raspberries. Vanilla, hints of sweet tarriness, black licorice, whiff of spice, soft understated limestone minerals & crushed rock powder, fruity black tea, hint of fresh herbaceousness, rich, black turned earth, fresh dark floral bouquet and fields of lavender & violets.

The body is rich, ripe & full. The tannins are a little sticky but well softened, round and a touch chewy. The structure, tension, length, balance, tension and balance are very close to perfect and harmonious. Fruits are; mulberry, huckleberry, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum, black cherries & creamy raspberries. Vanilla, hints of sweet tarriness, black licorice, whiff of spice, soft understated limestone minerals & crushed rock powder, fruity black tea, hint of fresh herbaceousness, rich, black turned earth, fresh dark floral bouquet and fields of lavender & violets. The acidity is round and rains like a waterfall perfectly over the palate. The very long, ruby, rich, well balance lasts minutes and is absolutely heavenly. Gorgeous, elegant, stunning wine.

Photos of; the vertical tasting we attended of all Hendricks Cabernets; 04, 05, 09 & 12 at the time w/ one of our favorite paintings in the background, Charles Hendricks working in the cellar, very old rootstock from the Stag’s Leap Vineyard where the fruit to make this wine normally comes from and a wide shot of the Stag’s Leap Vineyard.

Producer notes and history...Hendricks Cabernet Sauvignon is consistently sourced from a few of Napa Valley’s finest vineyards. In those near perfect vintages, Charles only makes a small production wine of around 250-300 cases. Charles only produces it when he has exception fruit. He’s made Hendricks Cabernet in; 2004, 2005, 2009, 2012 & 2014. Notice he didn’t make Hendricks Cabernet in a great vintage year like 2013. He wasn’t happy enough with his fruit in 2013 to put his name on it. That says a lot and maybe all you need to know about his standard for quality. I do know what wine his 13 fruit made as I’ve had and it’s an unbelievable wine for far less money.

Charles also makes a fantastic Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands that is really quite amazing. Especially, if you give it 5 or 6 years in bottle. All his wines are sold exclusively through the Hope & Grace tasting room in Yountville as he is also the Hope & Grace Winemaker.

Charles graduated in 1982 from UC Davis in viticulture. He was also able to tailor his own curriculum and was one of the earliest to integrate winemaking and viticulture course work. Having knowledge of both viticulture and enology forms the basis for his well-rounded winemaking.

Over the years Charles has worked in both Napa and Sonoma Counties, gaining hands on experience in all aspects of winemaking. He has a strong reputation for excellence. In his career, he’s been a consulting winemaker for many wineries; Viader, Barnett Vineyards, Paoletti Vineyards, Regusci Winery, James Cole, T-Vine and Tamayo family Vineyard.

I asked Charles, “how does he make wines that are amazingly good in their youth but will age effortlessly for 15-20 years?” His answer was simply this, “its not that hard, you just have to know the perfect time to harvest fruit.” I would agree with that to a degree. But, you also have to know how to gently guide fruit onto it’s path into the barrel and not get in the wine’s way or overwork the process. — 7 years ago