Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90 minutes. The 2019 “Margheria” pours a pale garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous notes of ripe red fruit: Morello cherry, raspberry, orange zest, roses, talcum powder, dried herbs, and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, super grippy and slightly savory. Ooooof, I love Azelia’s expression of Margheria. It’s so transparent, so elegant. Drink now with patience but better after 2029 and through 2059.

For those who care: Historically, Luigi Scavino (Azelia) tended to treat their wines slightly different, dependent upon MGA. Margheria was getting their most traditional treatment being aged exclusively in Slavonian botti. FWIW, I always felt this was their most exciting single MGA bottling. Now, I believe all of their single MGA’s are treated in the similar, aforementioned fashion. The results speak for themselves. — a year ago

Jan de Weerd

9.7

The Stones Speak. Did they ever! Full bodied, dense concentrates of decaying fall leaves after a fresh rain shower drenched in minerals, fine polished fully integrated tannins almost leaving a sweet edge. All secondary and tertiary notes. No distinct fruit to be recognized. It was like drinking extracts squeezed from the river rock on which they grow the Syrah. A flavor explosion as soon as it hits your mouth. — 4 years ago

with Tammy

Wulf Losee

9.0

2016 vintage opened December 2020. Leather and minerals on the nose. Not much happening on the front—no fruit to speak of, but there are some soft tannins that follow through to the back of the palate quite nicely though. The finish is quite unique, though.Without looking at the label I suspect this was aged in American oak, which gives it some leathery hi notes and some bite as you swallow. I wouldn’t give it the scores that the pros are giving it, a 9.3, only because this wine is kind of weak on the front of the palate. But it’s very drinkable, indeed! — 6 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. — 7 years ago

Juhan Hwang

9.3

Tassie last day, sweet — 7 years ago

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 — 8 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. — 9 years ago

Brad Jensen

9.5

This was really unique and special. A nose that has some proper wild hints, like a natural wine, but with big bold fruits and an underlying musk, like a wet mulch, that playing in the background. Medium bodied with a deep red/purple color, the palate is more red fruit than the blue on the nose, with hardly any tannins to speak of. The palate has no sign of age, with prominent tart cranberry, rich minerality, slight smoke, and hints like Concorde grape, and some jammy raspberry or blueberry in there as well. Dry, fruity with a mineral spine, with a weight that plays lighter than it looks or smells. — 2 years ago

Kurt Schuster

9.2

Smooth like Coltrane. No tannins to speak of, wonderfully round and inviting with smooth and wonderful perfectly ripe fruit shot through with vegetable tanned leather and smoked baking spices. It’s interesting because this wine exists outside of the ideas of cooked pies and food and everything in between, it exists a wine. We had it with perfectly cut steaks, asparagus, and sweet potatoes. It complemented it well but at the same time it could stand on its own. This wine slaps you back if you try to push it down. — 4 years ago

Chris MacLean

9.1

Excellent value Chablis. No softness or sweetness to speak of. — 5 years ago

with Sarah

Bob McDonald

9.0

Mid Lemon in colour. Aromas of White Citrus flowers and a note of Mandarin. Lime and lemon on the palate with the citric acid having settled down from its youth. Not particularly complex - just a refreshing German dry Riesling 12% ABV. Good QPR at about $35AUD. Tasted again 18 weeks later on 16th January 2021 with similar impressions. There was mandarin, citrus oil and honey. No complexity to speak of but fresh and well presented - from an excellent producer. — 6 years ago

boyd

9.2

Still kicking and no real Brett to speak of. Great stuff. — 7 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. — 7 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. — 8 years ago

Daniel M

9.1

I opened this wine casually after receiving it from my former line manager as a Christmas present. I should maybe have made some research about it. It's not yet another Mosel riesling, it's a delicious, complex, soulful wine, with a tiny bit of age on it.
It bears a straw color with a golden hue, which is very different and much darker from recent kabinet I had in recent vintages. The nose shows first some petroly notes, that are quite strong and taking the stage by storm. After some air, tangerine, lemon and yuzu notes come in, it's very exciting. Some flowery notes pop out too. Wow!
The palate shows some acid drive, but it's not a laser beam acid drive, it's just one element of the whole palate experience. There is some nice width, some stewed tangerine notes, almost a sweet, buttery mouthfeel that tells me there could be some slight oxydation going on, before an elegant, tangerine finish. No lemon peel to speak of and no bitterness whatsoever. It's extremely easy to drink and very elegant. A whole new riesling experience 👍🏻 — 2 years ago

Roberto Carli

9.3

Very pretty and unique. Gives a sense of purpose to still rose that’s not just gulping it on a hot day. Orange zest and bitters, pink grapefruit, watermelon (not my term but I agree), mineral. Balanced palate with a touch of phenolic complexity but no astringency to speak of. — 4 years ago

Lauren Golanty

9.0

Delightful! Full bodied, no green pepper to speak of, earthy and layered. Some pepper and Cassis notes. Very tasty. — 5 years ago

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. — 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... — 8 years ago

with April, Jeff and 1 other

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 — 9 years ago