Gorgeous and best JJ ever. Nose is full of mid season cherries, spice, gentle wood shavings from woodshop when one was a kid. Really aromatic and alluring. Really huge spice. So so aromatic and casts a spell on you. Palate is so juicy and full of life. Sweet and sour cherry fruit and big time acids and wonderful structure and purity. This needs mega mega air. The sweetness on the finish and mid is to just die for and then gets tamed by the incredible acidity and mineral spine. — 2 years ago
Very nice wine. On the nose a mixture of mostly red fruits, sweet floral aroma; palate with crunchy red fruit, good acidity and length. On the palate there initially was a strong taste of what I best describe as potpourri; almost like a Christmas candle. Initially this was too much for me. I let the bottle sit for 48 hours and revisited, and it was much more integrated. I think a few years of aging might benefit. — 2 months ago
Lemon yellow hue, moderately viscous. Aromas of white flowers, orchard fruit, hazelnut, marzipan. Orchard fruit, mixed nuts, marzipan, and a mineral edge on the palate. Oak seems mostly neutral. Nice texture. Nicely integrated acidity. Alcohol is not overpowering. A balanced wine, excellent. — 4 months ago
1996 vintage. Redonkulous, mid-neck fill and pristine cork (have had 17-20 similarly stored/performing bottles of different producers, varietals, regions from this particular cellar). Decanted with a mix of small chunk and coffee ground sed. Tasted immediately and over the course of two hours. That aged, silvery sheen in the color with a noticeable meniscus. Quiescent nose in the early going and showing. Took approx 30 mins of repeated decanted agitations to coax out a mix of herbs, orange zest/peel and slight beefiness. All this plus some American milk chocolate coalescing in flavor land. Light body. Still going strong after two hours. Likely another 7-10 years of drinking pleasure left from an above average vintage. 12.30.23. — 2 years ago
Some pretty oak on the nose. Roses.
Palate is elegant cherry fruit. Really elegant. Great texture. Some hint of cherry licorice. Lovely sweet fruit.
As this opens it’s losing some verve. Interesting though. There is an impactful precision. Balancing bitterness.
Fass selections. — 2 years ago
1979 vintage. Last tasted 07.15.25 (9.4). Bottom neck/top shoulder fill. Employed Durand with cork (60% saturated) easily extracted. Decanted with a funnel + decently small screen. Godzilla-styled sed. Tasted immediately after decanting and 30 mins later. Light-medium/medium body. Initially reticent but started to blossom after 20 minutes. Chunkiness flowed to cocoa powder, spearmint and milk chocolate. There was a 10-15 minute period of subtle, raw green bell pepper that shook out. Wine was gonzo after an hour so no further developments noted *shrugs.* Great time capsule enjoyed with more than a few people that could appreciate the history and experience. 13.7 ABV. Haha that is a current Napa pipe dream. 08.15.25. — 2 months ago
1995 vintage. Light-medium body. Opened but not decanted. High neck fill. Solid cork. Relatively light sed. Tasted after one hour. Dusty with velveteen notes up front and a gradual thinning of intensity on the finish. As per the LR style, no explosive characteristics, only a seamless quality evident. This will hold in place for 7-8 years. 8.16.24. — a year ago
1994 vintage. Incredible color for a nearly three decade, Napa cab offering. Decanted and tasted after 5 mins and 2 hrs. Threw an absolutely ridiculous ton of sed...1963 vintage ports are both envious and jealous. Tight meniscus...looked like a 5 year old wine. Drank with the combined passion of age and youth. Shocking amounts of richness and integrated fruit. That pleasant surprise mated with the anticipated, back door tannins. Acidity still on point. Neck and neck with the 1994 Chateau Montelena estate Napa cab as the best 1994 Napa cab enjoyed this year. This has miles to go before it sleeps. 10.19.23. — 2 years ago
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego
2005 vintage. Last tasted 11.23.23 (9.4), 11.15.19 (9.4), 06.01.17 (9.5) Last bottle. Respectable, low neck fill. Used a Durand and excellent cork. Decanted with sticky (to the bottle) sediment and not that much floating loose to navigate. Tasted after 30 minutes. Those inimitable, sexy Cos stylings. Medium/medium heavy (still!?) bod. Richness. Ample fruit. Slight amount of aged George Clinton/Bootsy funk. Highly restrained tannins. Woah. This. Did. Not. Suck. Time to reorder. 9.13.25. — a month ago