Donald Williams

9.0

Holding up really well. — 6 years ago

with Bonnie

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. — 7 years ago

Nahja Martin

9.2

Very buttery yet crisp. — 8 years ago

Paul DiCicco

8.9

It doesn't have a blast of flavor, but it's an easy drinking, light wine with great finish. — 9 years ago

Alison Soberanis

8.9

Light and crisp with hints of fruit — 10 years ago

Francois Botha

8.9

Strawberry and spices on the nose. Plenty of ripe fruit with soft tannin. Medium -bodied. Good value. — 11 years ago

Pawel

9.0

Smaczne, delikatne, aromatyczne — 11 years ago

David Racich

9.1

Extremely unique with a taste that you would not expect out of a California Chardonnay! Finding this is not easy - hard to find and extremely unique. — 12 years ago

with Ashley

Stephanie Giles Williams

9.5

In the meat of its prime. — 13 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 — 6 years ago

with Jeff

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. — 7 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! — 8 years ago

John McCarroll

Sales Rowan Imports

9.0

Floral and chenin-y and cider-y and a bizarre af riesling but super nice — 8 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 🍷😸 — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Consistently one of my favorites from James Cole. The 13 is no different. New Winemaker for the 15 vintage. We'll see if the style changes. Trained by Chuck but they've added a Wine Consultant. Interesting to see how new influences changes this wine. — 10 years ago

Cayla Dee Porter

9.5

A nice elegant zin with intense dark fruit and a soft palate. — 10 years ago

JDR

10

Amazing Sauvignon Blanc - crisp, tropical grapefruit with zesty lime and refreshing minerality. — 11 years ago

Kate Bycroft

8.9

Had at a wine dinner. Good wine. — 12 years ago

doug williams

9.9

The whole flight is distinguished and unforgettable but we came back to buy a bottle of this. It tastes like an angels breath mixed with rose petals. — 12 years ago

with Carolyn

Doug

9.1

Bursting with dark fruits balanced and rich. 2016 — 6 years ago

India

9.3

Makes me pucker. Lemon yum with a big mouth! At Kasey & Bjorn’s. — 6 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^ ^ — 7 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? — 8 years ago

with Tyson

Erik Barner

9.1

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

with Whitney

Tati Perrin

10

An experience. Amazing. — 10 years ago

Rorie Jones

9.2

Nice nose and big , well balanced. Not too peppery. — 10 years ago

Craig Benner

9.0

Gotta love the goods. — 11 years ago

Rebecca Barkmeier

10

This is an amazingly good Chardonnay — 11 years ago

V M

9.6

What a unique and once in a lifetime wine. This is a blend of ten years worth of barrels from 2000 through 2009. Wine maker bill balentine kept one brl from each of these ten harvests and then blended them together and created this wine. Tiny production and extremely special this wine is so complex as it progresses across the palate. Cherries, berries, cedar, vanilla and Caramel all make appearances in this very unique explosion of flavor. So special. — 12 years ago

Jannae Lizza

Sommelier/Wine Director Passionfish Restaurant

9.4

Spicy peach nectar?! — 13 years ago