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. — a year ago

Jim Stehli

8.9

Maybe bought too many. It’s fine but doesn’t fly for me. Won’t reorder. — 4 years ago

Nicolas Duchesneau

9.0

Achat sur le fly, moins dense que d’autre Brunello bu, tres clair. En bouche cerises, un peu de boite à cigare, herbes. Bonne acidite, c’etait bien — 5 years ago

Coleman Scott

9.0

As someone who doesn’t care for red wine this Zinfandel is quite good. very sweet, well balanced but more on the alcoholic side. all in all quite good. — 6 years ago

Brett Johnson

8.9

2017 Reserve. Medium straw color. Aromas of banana esters, melon, and slate. Taste peaks early with a long finish. Elements of gravel or clay. Deliciously dry. — 8 years ago

with Tom

Roy Goble

9.4

Love the flavors. — 9 years ago

Vino Joe

9.3

Ran through the prior bottle but needed a little (375mL) something for the post game celebration. Nice showing here. Young but flinty rich and decent length. Dark fruit. Fly Eagles Fly!!! — a year ago

Brady Moore

9.0

Light and easy to drink. Slightly sweet with hints of cherry! — 3 years ago

Richard Russell

9.0

Very nice cab from Costco — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Just makes 92.

The texture is oily, gorgeous & luscious. Cream, lemon, lime, green apple, white stone fruits, beautiful chalkiness, lanolin, river stone, flinty notes, grey volcanics, sea fossils, yellow lilies, seems to show a little more used oak, excellent acidity and smartly polished.

Still surprised how Lamy generally continues to fly under the radar for the most part. — 5 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.7

Raul Perez, Mencia wizard and human garden gnome, makes some of the most innovative and highly allocated wines from anywhere. I don’t often drink stuff this good. Sometimes you need to be reminded that average and good wines are made for relaxation and enjoyment and that extraordinary wines are art.

La penitencia could be the best thing I’ve ever opened at home. It’s elegant and bootlegged. The front label probably designed in an Internet cafe, the back label looks like it was cut and glued by a five year old. These things make it lovable because it’s so bad and it’s so good.

Pours a browned purple motor oil. The aromas fly. Perfumes of red and blue colored berries, clove, spice, leather. Like a brand new catchers mitt that needs some oil and some love. Feels of plush berry fruit and flavors of prunes and macerated strawberries and boxed raisins that seem to hang around for about as many years as I waited to open this thing. — 5 years ago

Tourswede

8.9

Bubbles...and funky enough a fly found it's way into glass before I did!

With Spinach curry. — 9 years ago

Patrick Vanhoucke

9.0

LONGING FOR THE SOUTH

Yesterday I drank this very nice Macedonian semi-dry T'ga za Jug red wine.

The wine is made of the native grape variety Vranec. It has an intense red color, and the distinctive taste of raisins and raspberries, which make it a nice sweet treat (hence: semi-dry).

The wine is named after the poem ‘Taga za Yug’ of the Bulgarian poet Konstantin Miladinov (1830–1862), one of the Miladinov brothers, who originate from Ottoman Macedonia. Both brothers are thought to have laid the foundation of the Macedonian literary tradition.

‘Taga za Yug’ means ‘longing for the South’ (el anhelo por el Sur): "If I had an eagle's wings, I would rise and fly on them to our shores, to our own parts [...] Here are frost and snow and ashes, blizzards and harsh winds abound [...] There the sunrise warms the soul".

When it is cold outside, and fiercely raining, I can assure you that it makes you long for the sun that warms the soul. Drinking the T'ga za Jug wine in good company and nice surroundings makes for a wonderful or sometimes even better alternative.
— 9 years ago

Nicolas Greinacher

9.8

Tasted blind. This bottle was purchased directly from the winery on allocation and stored in a cold cellar since release. The ruby color is frightfully deep, almost black. Intense aromas with a laser-like precision of blackcurrant, crushed rocks, orange rind, chocolate, black cherry, mint, cloves and a dash of bourbon vanilla introduce the 2007 Screaming Eagle. The palate is a complete knockout: Full-bodied, extremely concentrated with pixelated, polished tannins, built like a skyscraper with an almost never ending finish. This is a massive Napa Cab, but despite all its power, it still retains freshness and elegance. The top of the cork reads "fly high and proud". Drink now until 2040. — 3 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.2

Back to Idaho and ‘visited’ the GSM of Sawtooth Winery. The lighter body style wine actually paired quite well with our bbq chicken. The sauce amplified the spice and the dark red fruit notes in the wine. Very pleasant finish. — 4 years ago

with Tammy

Wulf Losee

9.1

2016 opened July 2021. Still a little too young for it’s maximum potential IMHO. Leather and loam on the nose. Distinct cherry fruit on the front. Heavy tannic structure — more so than the average Bordeaux — and more so than the most of the Margauxs I’ve had. The tannins kick in on the mid palate. They’re velvety (With a lot of complexity that might be revealed in few years). Unfortunately some sour high notes appear at the mid palate and amplify themselves to the end of the pallet. Very much sour cherries. But this wine redeems itself by having a long but subtle mineral finish. I might retry this wine in three or four years. I can’t give it a better score than 9.1 right now, though. But I might’ve the score in 2024 or 2025. Hopefully, I’ll have a personal jet pack by that time. But heavens no, I won’t drink and fly. — 5 years ago

Neil Valenzuela

8.9

Pale straw color. Aromas of tropical fruits, lemon and orange blossoms. Grapefruit, pineapple and a tangerine rind finish. — 5 years ago

Marshall Todd Herron DPM

9.8

One of my very favorites!!!!!! Blackbird XV Paramour 2017 blend. Cab franc, cab sav, merlot. Black bird is born to fly baby!!!!!!!! Loads of black berry and elderberry fruit. This is followed by dark chocolate and smoke. There is a well rounded silkiness that tantalize is the tongue. Then there is a spicy, earthy, oaky finish leaving you screaming for more. See what happens when the bottle is taken away and you’re ready for more!!!!!!  Or someone over pours themselves a big glass and they dont even know what good wine is. You will SCREAM!!!! Im ordering more!!!!!!!!!!!!!! — 6 years ago

Michael McNabb

9.3

With Jerrod & Josh after fly fishing. Nice wine and nice piedmont steaks in Winter Park, CO, at Deno's. — 9 years ago

Christopher Losa

Owner/Wine Director Bar Bambino

9.0

9 points just for the name and the kickass blend. and, oh yeah, a great bottle to drink too. — 9 years ago