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. — 15 days ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose and full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Showing black fruits, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, espresso, chocolates, earth, light vegetables, herbs and peppercorn.

This 8-year-old Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking very nicely right out of the bottle, and even better after 90 minutes of airtime.

Rich and fruit forward. Elegant and complex. Spicy and entertaining.

Peaking now and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Wine Spectator 90 points. Wine Enthusiasts 92 points.

Easy drinking and good by itself as a sipping wine. Will also pair nicely with barbecue meats.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$45 (current vintage). — 3 months ago

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9.4

Darkly floral and intense, the 2021 Casual Encounters blends black raspberries with cedar shavings, tobacco, and exotic spice. This is elegant in feel, with silken textures and decadently ripe red berry fruits. Cooling acidity maintains a fantastic balance as dark chocolate and balsamic spice firm up the finish, tapering off long and gently tannic. The 2021 is juicy yet expertly balanced. (Eric Guido, Vinous, July 2024)
— 9 months ago

"Odedi"

9.4

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish/brick rim.

Fruity nose with blackberries, black plums, dried figs, cedar, vanilla, licorice, tobacco, chocolates, spices, herbs, light eucalyptus, light earth, black tea and black pepper.

Full-bodied, soft and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, toast, light vanilla, licorice, light herbs, spices, light earth, chocolates, tobacco, peppercorn, coffee and cola.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa valley. Rich and extracted. Fruit forward and complex. Well balanced and elegant.

An iconic wine that still needs more time in the bottle to mature properly. Although it is 9 years old, it still feels very young. Will continue to age nicely in the next 25 years. This Single Vineyard is showing great potential.

Good right out of the bottle, and so much better after 3 hours of decanting.

Wine Advocate 98 points. Wine Spectator 96 points.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$750. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Full-bodied and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Showing plums, blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, earth and dark chocolates.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Rich and elegant. Tangy and interesting.

Good right out of the bottle, and so much better after 3 hours of airtime.

This 7 year old Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is already drinking beautifully, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years. Has good potential to become a 95+ point wine.

Wine Spectator 93 points. Wine Advocate 94 points.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. Aged in (78% new) French Oak barrels for 20 months.

15.2% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$160. — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black fruits, cedar and chocolate notes.

Full-bodied and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruit forward on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blackberries, black currants, plums, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, cooked cherries, herbs and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 14 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is just delicious. Bold and beautiful, with a great mouthfeel.

Elegant and robust at the same time. The high alcohol is nicely integrated at this point.

Excellent right out of the bottle, and better after 90 minutes of airtime.

I've had many different vintages of this wine, and it always delivers.

Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Robert Parker 95 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$150. — 8 months ago

"Odedi"

9.4

#AgedWineTuesday

Inky in color with a short purple rim.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Showing blackberries, cooked cherries, dried fruits, cedar, vanilla, Mediterranean spices, tobacco leaf, light earth, herbs, chocolates and black pepper.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This 15 year old still feels young, but drinking beautifully now. Nicely balanced and powerful, yet elegant.

Needed 5 hours to open up properly, but was good right out of the bottle too.

Rich and extracted. Fruit forward with nice complexity. Showing a great experience at this point.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$300. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose and full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blackberries, black currants, cooked plums, cedar, tobacco leaf, vanilla, light earth, herbs, spices, cola, chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, licorice and pencil lead.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Rich and extracted. Tangy and elegant.

Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel, and good by itself as a sipping wine.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

Drinking much better now than when I had it three years ago.

This 10 year old is peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

A blend of 85% Cabernet, 8% Petit Verdot and 7% Malbec. Aged in (93% new) French Oak barrels for 20 months.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$180. — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Strong nose of black fruits, cedar, spices, chocolates, coffee, licorice, light vanilla and black pepper.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, cooked cherries, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, cedar, earth, dark chocolates, licorice, cola, spices, vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 17 year old Napa Cabernet Sauvignon feels more like a Left Bank Bordeaux. Fruit forward with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Showing great complexity and delicious, but I expected more from this great 2007 vintage. I had the 2001 not too long ago, and it was so much better.

Nicely balanced and good by itself or with food. A good food wine too.

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$350. — 4 months ago

"Odedi"

9.4

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Deep purple in color with a short purplish rim.

Beautiful nose with lots of chocolates and light earth notes.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black currants, cooked plums, cedar, tobacco, vanilla, dried figs, raisins, licorice, light earth, peppercorn, cola, spices and dark chocolates.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and crushed peppercorn.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Big and bold. Spicy and tangy. Showing nice complexity at this point.

This 6 year old is drinking beautifully now. Rich yet elegant. Extracted and easy drinking. Well balanced and really delicious.

A beautiful surprise. I had the 2016 a few years ago, and this is drinking much better now. I did not expect it from the 2017 vintage.

Thank you Mike for sharing this with me.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself as a sipping wine. Robert Parker 93 points.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

15.2% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$110. — a year ago