Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I have posted a number of older vintage Jones Family Cabernets. Many 20 yrs and older. Three to four 97’s…none better than this one. I give few wines a score above 96. This is different. It is so close to perfect. Some might give it a 100. I struggle to give a wine a perfect 100. I have only done it 4 times in an estimated 25k wines tasted or bottles I’ve enjoyed. One was a port made before 1886 and tasted in Oporto at Taylor Fladgate’s tasting room in 2015, it was their Scion. Only sold there and at the time 5k at bottle. You end up there purchase the Scion taste regardless of the current cost. They put on a tasting show for you. I am half tempted here to give out a 100 but will refrain.

I am not sure what to add to that but will attempt to do so.

The nose is a beautiful, perfectly evolved Napa Cabernet. Nothing overpowers any of its singular components. I think the word I am looking for is harmony. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best, mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a flutter note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue & framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets.

The palate wire to wire is even & stupidly, gloriously, grand. It mirrors the nose very closely. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box w/ some light palate heat, best I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, kirsch not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, beautifully layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, caramel, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco w/ a hint is ash, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, dry, crushed rock powder, dry top soil, crushed limestone powder, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a fluttering note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets, perfect, rainfall acidity, extremely well balanced, even & subtle tension-structure that stands up on the long set, refined elegance with a finish that goes on and on and eventually lands on spice & beautiful, refined earthiness.

What a bottle! 98 that leans into 99. I paid somewhere between $80-$90 on the secondary market for this bottle. — 11 days ago

Mark Farrell

9.9

Head to head. Mike Smith and Thomas Rivers Brown. Both are fantastic wines, but for me the Maybach is more my style. It is darker and fuller bodied than the Myriad. Color is a dark ruby/purple. Nose of cassis, blackberries, violet, lavender, and a hint of vanilla. Full-bodied with flavors pumping through the long finish. It has all of the power of a full-bodied cab., with a lingering ride akin to a pinot. Amazing wine. One of the best if not the best I have ever had. I will be making this a regular splurge in my cellar. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Deep Ruby, aromas of sweet red and black fruits with pepper spice and oak. 4 grape blend from some of CVNE's best vineyards in the Rioja Alta (85% Tempranillo, rest Garnacha, Mazuelo & Graciano), aged in both French and American oak for 24 months. On the palate flavors of blackberry and currants with licorice, vanilla, tobacco & toasty oak tones. Soft full ripe tannins, wonderful balance, lively acidity on a long finish ending with an earthy mineral character. Very nice! Tried several bottles! — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Deep Ruby, aromas of sweet red and black fruits with pepper spice and oak. 4 grape blend from some of CVNE's best vineyards in the Rioja Alta (85% Tempranillo, rest Garnacha, Mazuelo & Graciano), aged in both French and American oak for 24 months. On the palate flavors of blackberry and currants with licorice, vanilla, tobacco & toasty oak tones. Soft full ripe tannins, wonderful balance, lively acidity on a long finish ending with an earthy mineral character. Very nice! — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

It is really no surprise that this 05 is incredible and yet still extremely youthful. This 05 will out live almost anyone 50 years old. It is good for another 45 years.

I had their 16 La Dame last weekend & commented it should not be opened for another 10 years.

The core on the nose is dark velvet black currants. There’s a bit of melted dark chocolate-mousse. Ripe but subtle blackberries, black raspberries, black plum-plum pudding, very dark cherries, some mulberries, mocha powder, dark, rich earth, dry river stone, limestone, anise, mix of dry/fresh herbs, fine, undertone of baking spices, moist grey clay, slightly dry tobacco, sandalwood, mild, elegant spice, just the slightest hint of mint, very, slightly candied, dark, withering flowers & red roses.

The palate is rich, round with velvety M+ tannins. The core is dark fruits blended in melted dark-mocha chocolate. Blackberries, black raspberries, both plums w/ heavy skin, dark cherries, poached to slightly baked strawberries & raspberries over the top. Dry bay leaf-sage, moist clay, rich, dark, turned earth, dry river stone, limestone powder, stem inclusion, red licorice/cola, anise to black licorice candy, sandalwood to soft cedar, slightly moist tobacco, used leather, mild, dark spice, a touch & just a touch of tomato leaf, hints of cardamom, dark/red withering flowers with just a touch of violets, perfect acidity and a very well knitted, tensioned, balanced, structured, elegantly polished finish that last two-minutes and lands on nice earthiness & softly muddled spice.

Paired w/ their bone-in Ribeye. Best steakhouse steak that I’ve had out and not made by friends and or myself. Rich fat, tender and nice flavor. Lacks a bit of char and Napa Valley Rub from wholespice.com.

Open in another 15-20 years.

A real shot at a 💯 in another 15-20+.

@Delmonico Steakhouse Las Vegas — 7 months ago

James Mosman

9.0

Liked the combination blend. Best of two worlds. — 3 years ago

Kristin the Wine Girl

9.1

Delicious. Fuller bodied Pinot signature of the diurnal shifts of SRH. Best region that California central coast has to offer and this is an exemplary bottle. Beautifully balanced with bright vibrant red cherries offering both fruity and tart components. Drinks young for five years of age. — 4 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Chauvin – Grand Cru Classé 2010
Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux – France 🇫🇷
Blend: 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon

Overview
A Grand Cru Classé estate on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, Château Chauvin’s 2010 vintage reflects both the power of the year and the estate’s Merlot-driven finesse. (Educational note: Saint-Émilion’s Right Bank wines are often Merlot-heavy, offering richness, depth, and long-lived structure.)

Aromas & Flavors
Plum, blackberry, and cassis at the core, layered with violet, graphite, and cigar box. Secondary notes of cedar, spice, and earthy mineral tones hint at complexity yet to fully unfold.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and concentrated, with tightly woven tannins. Decanted for over 2 hours yet still showing a firm grip — tannins remain punishing but promising. Intense fruit lingers into a long, structured finish.

Food Pairings
Best with ribeye steak, braised short ribs, or lamb shank. Also pairs beautifully with aged hard cheeses and truffle-infused dishes.

Verdict
An impactful, ageworthy Saint-Émilion. The 2010 Chauvin is both delicious and intense, a wine that needs time but already impresses with power and complexity. 🍷

Did You Know?
2010 was one of Bordeaux’s most celebrated vintages of the 21st century, known for firm tannins, high concentration, and exceptional aging potential — especially on the Right Bank.

Collector’s Rarity 📌
As a classified Grand Cru Classé from an iconic vintage, the 2010 Chauvin is highly collectible, with decades of life ahead. — 2 months ago

Will Stanley

9.5

Just rock-solid Châteauneuf, this is exemplary and for me personally my exact sweet-spot in terms of the varied styles from this region. The nose takes a little coaxing, but has a great yin / yang profile of pure, fresh blue fruit, liquorice, violets, and garrigue, versus seared meat, iron and loamy earth. This all puts it square in the middle of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ schools, broadly speaking, and it’s a wine that has the best of both worlds as a result.

The palate is huge, an iron fist in a glove of velvet and so much more, but in no way imbalanced or over-extracted - not overtly alcoholic, at a modest 14%. It spreads out in waves across the palate, ripples which are felt long after the finish. This is clearly a baby now, but it drinks well and will see its 20th birthday in damn fine fettle. Excited to have a case in the cellar.

Decanting not required nor recommended. — 3 years ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.9

Awfully close to perfection. Best Merlot I’ve ever tasted by a mile, (this vintage is 100% merlot). This might be as close to a perfect wine I have ever tasted in all honestly. Full bodied. Polished with an exceptional texture. Rich. Plums, currants, graphite, olives, espresso, chocolate, pencil shavings. Silky tannins. Endless finish. It is not a cheap bottle by any means but I don’t understand why not more people are raving about this excellent producer. They make wines in such a unique way, combining the best characters of both Napa and Bordeaux. Wow. — 3 years ago