Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.3

The 1989 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard from Calera is a real surprise. I am inexperienced with respect to mature Californian Pinot Noir, and Josh Jensen’s wine was a revelation. Candied red fruit commingles with blood orange and Kirsch, unmistakably not from Burgundy because it is too rich, but it is certainly not over-ripe. The palate is overly sweet and Californian on the entry. Still, there is structure behind this Pinot extant after more than three decades, with quite plush raspberry fruit on the quintessentially Californian finish. It's just a lovely wine that is, once again, perfect to drink now. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2024)
— 20 days ago

Dan R

9.2

From magnum. Wild. Savage, sanguine notes of juicy wild berry, rose, mushroom, and barrel funk on the nose. This tugs the palate in many directions at once, at times dark fruited, others herb-tinged, others earthy, smoky as well. This needs time. It's a big boy, too, with big boy tannins and real presence in the mouth. Wine of character. Good stuff. — 3 years ago

Will Fink

8.9

Rose petal, tart cherry smooth tannin. Absolutely delicious & well-integrated - on day 2. Needed time to open up, but it's a wonderful balance of rustic & elegant, with lots of what was once red fruit. The acid is still haunting. I adore this wine. It may not be top of its class, but it excels at being what it is. — 4 years ago

Michael J Clark

9.2

Takes a few minutes but really good once it's ready — 5 years ago

with Julia

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2005 vintage. Decanted and tasted immediately and through 3 hours. Great fill/appropriate aging cork. Medium sed. Noticeably dark color. Any trace of the usual Cos baby fat for the first decade+ after release long gone geek. Interesting. This was a lean, mean, street-fighting machine with "minerality" to spare. Intense. Compact. Unsure if it will continue to menace in the next decade of life or retreat into a reclusive, "turtling" period. Best guess? Street-fighter par excellence. Regardless of taking the high or low road, it's not devolving into a drink 'em if you got 'em any time soon scenario. Thanksgiving 11.23.23. — 5 months ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.2

The colour is dramatically golden, but is amazingly bright
I thought that perhaps it was gone but the wine has found a balance
It's still fresh with a nectarine fruit
After that it starts with white nougat, hay, lanolin, ferns, lemongrass, ginger, sesame, nearly laksa-like scent.
I admit this could have been a hole in the water, but the wine is singing
Perhaps not extremely long, but unique
At peak — 3 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

A very nice SB. Pours a light to medium straw color in the glass. Viscous. The nose is peach and honeysuckle and a hint of lemon. Full bodied SB from the start with a soft, rich mouthfeel. Peach, pear and lemon cheesecake. Sharp acidity still from front to back with great finish and went well with Calamari, Salmon and a spicy fish dish. Probably would have paired well with lemon cheesecake since this note is in abundance on the front.... but it was GONE before it got to that. If this isn't current vintage, it's only one vintage off...these are typically held back a few years and I think that does these WELL. Bravo Jones Family. — 5 years ago

Seth Masterson

9.2

To me good wine stands out from average wine when I can sense three things from it: time, place and intention.
This rustic garnacha clearly carries these three indices.
The top layer of smell is rustic- farm, soil. Sticking my nose in the glass I'm greeted with a maraschino liquor soaked cherry wood barrel.
The palate tells me it's been maturing and mellowing for three quarters of a decade - this is mature but eagerly waiting to be opened. There aren't layers to this- it's straight forward, direct, open and expressive. Elegant in it's simplicity but certainly not posh. Dry, but very much alive, like the garrigues that was once rooted where this vineyard now stands. This is central Spain. — 2 years ago

Roger Ray

9.1

"experience the dark aroma of pure African cacao. The darkness continues once on the palate but with a touch of spice as if to suggest that this wine has a lot more personality than it's willing to show you. Let it linger a moment to discover a burst of red fruit, roasted hazelnut and even more spice" — 4 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

Ok so I thought this one might have been past prime. Now I know....it's still got 3 years before it is at pop and pour. Still very young. Acidity on the front and back. Bing cherry and milk chocolate with a brambly middle. Took it almost an hour to get going. Would have gone well with something fatty to mellow it out. If you have this vintage or the 14s or 16s, there is still a lot of time. Not sure that this will improve note wise by additional aging but I definitely think it would help the acidity settle down a bit. — 5 years ago

with Shay and Clare