Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I coravined some of the 97 early this week and as I sipped it, it was had not to think it was the best Jones Family I’ve had. A score of 98 and I have not given a wine 98 in a very long time. But no matter where you go, there you are.

Tonight I had the 01 at the “Tasting House” and it was amazing. Their Short Ribs are amongst the best I’ve had. A deliberate wine bring knowing the wine & how well it pairs w/ short ribs.

1997 was an outstanding vintage. I think we can all agree on that. Jones Family is a TRB wine that should not fly under the radar in any vintage and I have had nearly all those good vintages since 97.

The 1997 is ethereal. The nose is pure beauty. Perfectly ripe and resolved fruits. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums & juicy strawberries. Perfect baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, sandstone/limestone, fresh tobacco, cedar to sandalwood, dark, Indian/Asian spices, camphor, black licorice, berry cola, sun tea, volcanics, tree bark w/ hints of sap, dark & red fresh flowers.

The palate is incredibly, beautiful, balanced fruit & earth. Bright cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums, hovering raspberries & juicy strawberries. Perfect baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, sandstone/limestone, beautiful Indian/Asian spices w/ some plate heat, fresh tobacco, sandalwood, volcanics & dry clay, camphor, dark chocolate baking bar, black licorice, some warm caramel, berry cola, sun tea, volcanics, dark rich soil with dry leaves, tree bark w/ hints of sap, fresh & dry herbs, dark & red fresh flowers framed in lavender & liquid violets, excellent acidity with perfect; elegance, tension, balance and structured finish that last minutes landing on fresh fruit, dark spices and earth tones.

I’ve posted other bottles of 97 Jones Family that were incredible, 95-96. This one perhaps had better storage, evolution & timing. Magic. — 7 days ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Brimming with pear and white peach aromas and flavors. Hint of lemon on the long and refreshing finish. Great neutral balance but with some concentration. Light bodied but very well rounded. Quite good. Revisited in December 2020. Great pairing with Indian cuisine. — 4 years ago

Brad Kligman

9.4

Great random weeknight red wine — 5 months ago

Abbas Zand

9.2

Dark red color. Dusty red fruit nose.
Dark cherry, blueberry, spicy notes.
Full bodied w/ integrated tannins.
Delicious long finish.
$19, on sale for $13. — 5 months ago

Elyse P

9.4

👍🏼 I’d buy again — 3 years ago

Nandita Bhagwat

9.0

Excellent with Indian food. Got it from Costco. — 5 years ago

Carla

9.8

Chris smith really likes. Ben and I like too — 5 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Very fruity on the nose with black currants, blackberries, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, cola, Indian spices, pencil lead, light alcohol and black pepper.

Full-bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, ripe cherries, spices, cedar, licorice, peppercorn, chocolates, vanilla, espresso, cola and light herbs.

Long finish with fine grained tannins, spices and cherries.

This delicious 5-year-old Napa Cabernet is drinking very nicely now. Nicely balanced with good structure. Complex and entertaining. Rich and elegant.

This Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is very approachable right out of the bottle, and better after 90 minutes of airtime. Gets more complex as it opens up.

The nose really blossoms after 3 hours, with lots of cedar, chocolate and cola notes.

Will continue to age nicely over the next 10 years. Would be nice to visit it again in 5 years. Has good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

Really good by itself as a sipping wine, and good with food too. I paired it with meats, crackers and cheeses. Paired very nicely with the French Blue cheese.

A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. Aged for 19 months in (55% new) French Oak barrels. Only 7,200 bottles made.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$90. — 8 months ago

Ivy Hastings

9.0

Perfect with Indian food. — 5 years ago

Richard Benitez

9.0

Fruit forward, slightly acidic, clean and full berry with clean lingering tannic finish at the end. — 6 years ago