Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

2002 is such a beautiful vintage IMHO. In many ways, I think even better than 07. We’ll see in five years from now as I lack a time machine.

I’ve said this a couple of times over my nearly 4,200 Delectable notes. There is no amount of decanting a young wine that can reproduce the beauty, elegance, florals, integration, balance and finish as long bottle age. If you are buying expensive Cabernets and drinking them young, you are simply short changing yourself out of your deep investment.

This largely under known Napa producer is a shining example of that tonight. Proof in the pudding so to speak.

The nose reveals, sweet, ripe, lush, ruby, slightly baked/liqueured fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, black plum, understated blueberries and baked strawberries haunt the backend. Dark Asian & Indian spices, black licorice to anise, sweet tarriness, black tea, dark expresso, crushed dry rocks, limestone minerals, herbal notes, mint, incense, graphite, dark chocolate, caramel & mocha, dry top soil, moist clay, dark rich, turn earth with fresh & withering; dark, red, purple, blue flowers & just a touch of violets.

The body is; round, rich & luxurious. The tannins still have baby teeth and show chewy tarriness. The tension, structure, length and balance have hit their peak. It’s not going to improve, it will simply show you descending changes which, can be quite enjoyable but, not necessarily for the ones that appreciate wines young. Interesting, none the less, for the ones that enjoy all sides/aspects of wine evolution. Sweet, ripe, lush, ruby, slightly baked/liqueured fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, black plum, mulberries, boysenberries, more blue fruits than the nose, cherries and baked strawberries haunt the backend. Dark Asian & Indian spices with just the right amount of heat, black licorice to anise, sweet tarriness, black tea, dark expresso, crushed dry rocks, limestone minerals, herbal notes, mint, graphite, dark chocolate, caramel & mocha, dry top soil, moist clay, dark rich, turn earth, fresh tobacco, suede style leather, saddle-wood with fresh & withering; dark, red, purple, blue flowers & just a touch of violets. The ABV on this wine is really nice given today’s hotter wines. Climate change, it’s a bitch. The round acidy is as good as it gets. The long, excellent, elegant, rich, ripe, ruby, gorgeous, sexy, floral, perfectly balanced finish falls into persistent heaven.

This is a gorgeous example of what Napa Valley is capable of in grand vintages, if you have good storage & can show patience.

Photos of; an arial view of Jones Family Winery, patio tasting area, beautiful Jones Family Cabernet fruit and their amazing vineyards. — 5 years ago

Byron C Mayes

9.0

Star bright gold in the glass. No mousse to speak of; bubbles are small and persistent. Yeasty, honeyed apple nose. Palate of dark honey, baked apple, and toast. Acidity is still quite firm and mouth-watering, despite its age. Finish is medium yielding a bit of floral honey on top of the rest. Wonderful example of a wonderful vintage that’s still showing well. — 8 years ago

Miss Harvey

9.0

Great wine! Drinking it alone at the moment, so no food pairings to speak of and it's lovely — 8 years ago

Eric

9.2

Nice Rhone blend (90+% Syrah) from Dragonette cellars. Not much of a nose to speak of. Surprisingly complex palate for the price with mulberry, pepper, bacon fat, jerky, and smoke. Great mouthfeel with little to no tannin. Good QPR. — 8 years ago

Andrew Saltarella

9.0

Awesome nose of plum, fig, and cocoa. Dark fruit, chocolate and tar on the palate. Almost no tannin to speak of. — 9 years ago

Angelo Casagrande

8.9

Barnyard and a hint of gator aid in the nose. Not especially fruity; barn funk remains, plums, hint of cloves. Nice finish. No heat to speak of. — 9 years ago

boyd

9.2

Still kicking and no real Brett to speak of. Great stuff. — 5 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

9.0

wine to decant two-three hours to fully enjoy its aromas. Strong notes of caramel, chocolate or tobacco. the tannins although present remain flexible. it is an organic wine from the south west of France that tells the truth. no oak barrels or other artifices, the fruit and the earth speak and give us to taste a robust wine without exaggeration that will be associated with a southern meal. Very good value for money. — 6 years ago

Dean Bernal Sr.

9.0

2012 Papillon by Orin Swift. Deep red fruit with a smooth, peppery (Cab Franc) twist.
Shhh, no need to speak. A melody comes back to me that we’ve heard before. For all this time, entangled in thoughts, dreaming in reality, I wait... — 7 years ago

with April, Jeff and 2 others

Douglas Braun

9.0

Really enjoyed this herbs grass lime zest - gooseberry great acidity - this wine screams for seafood no oak to speak of medium minus on the body - thanks mark good find good value — 7 years ago

Mike R

9.6

Drink and be merry and SMILE

Is that what is all about

Sometimes we drink wine that speaks loudly and sometimes it just whispers / unfortunately sometimes it cannot speak and smiling can be difficult

This wine will not disappoint and will get better / being young I am grateful this wine is speaking loudly / it is saying Big Bold Beautiful

Decanted for exactly 110 minutes - and it was amazing

Dark darker color / no transparency at all / grapes are a single vineyard on an Oakville hillside with stunning results - I love the vineyard - the wine is powerful striking finessed structured and so balanced - The nose reveals blue and red berries and even the kitchen sink and yet this is 100% cab - 200 cases

Taste are full of lush fruit flavors complemented by unique exotic minerals and spices which I think they even stuck in cinnamon and nutmeg

Will last 20 plus years and will get even better but don't be afraid to drink now - bravo GV

All smiles tonight

— 8 years ago

Frank Rotello

9.1

Love those Italian reds. Cherry, cream vanilla, baking spice. No oak to speak of. Good tannins. Definitely my palate — 9 years ago

Doctor No

9.2

Sappy, fresh, almost New World fruit but with textural complexity and supple but almost dense-seeming tannins. No funk to speak of, just sweet-herbal notes. — 9 years ago

Anne Carman

9.2

Rich but not heavy, nuanced but expressively balanced. Berries, particularly blueberry, and plum. No slice to speak if. Great complement. — 6 years ago

Juhan Hwang

9.3

Tassie last day, sweet — 6 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.1

Mid 13s ABV. Very dark purple. Nose initially makes me think Shiraz. Very jammy with some high tones, light herbs, and light spice. Full and round. Palette is different. The lower ABV is apparent. The acid is med+ with little other structure. No tertiary notes to speak of. I recommend drinking this soon. I think it’s at or past peak. — 6 years ago

Daniel M

9.0

Licorice, spices (pepper), plum, strawberry jam, and a pinch of barnyard tones on the nose. The palate is very fruity. No tannins to speak of. Cherry, strawberry, a trace of vanilla. Long fruity finish. Very enjoyable — 8 years ago

Tim Munsell

9.1

Interesting and different, definitely not a typical Napa Chardonnay. Lightly sweet with some tart characteristics, but not a fresh wine either. No butter to speak of. This is a unique wine that is enjoyable by both fans and detractors of California style Chardonnay. — 8 years ago

gamos karpos

9.2

No flaws to speak of — 8 years ago

Martin G Rivard

9.4

I love this wine for its elegance. Flavored unfold seamlessly with no tannins to speak of.
Just love it. — 9 years ago

with David, Christine and 2 others