Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Merry Christmas 2025! 🎅🎄🎁 🍷 ❄️ ⛄️

23 yrs since birth and 21 yrs in bottle and the evolution is beautiful. Perfect w/the ribroast.

Fruits still holding with excellent integration. Blackberries, black plum to pudding, strawberries, raspberries, black cherries, sandalwood, soft, dark spices with gentle heat, mocha powder, some milk chocolate, caramel notes, understated graphite, anise to some black licorice, gravel, dry stone, used tobacco & leather, mid berry cola presence, dry twig, moist clays, red, dark florals with a violet frame, excellent acidity, well; made, balanced, tensioned, structured with an elegant finish that lasts nearly two- minutes and falls of soft earthiness & soft spice. — 19 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I have posted a number of older vintage Jones Family Cabernets. Many 20 yrs and older. Three to four 97’s…none better than this one. I give few wines a score above 96. This is different. It is so close to perfect. Some might give it a 100. I struggle to give a wine a perfect 100. I have only done it 4 times in an estimated 25k wines tasted or bottles I’ve enjoyed. One was a port made before 1886 and tasted in Oporto at Taylor Fladgate’s tasting room in 2015, it was their Scion. Only sold there and at the time 5k at bottle. You end up there purchase the Scion taste regardless of the current cost. They put on a tasting show for you. I am half tempted here to give out a 100 but will refrain.

I am not sure what to add to that but will attempt to do so.

The nose is a beautiful, perfectly evolved Napa Cabernet. Nothing overpowers any of its singular components. I think the word I am looking for is harmony. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best, mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a flutter note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue & framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets.

The palate wire to wire is even & stupidly, gloriously, grand. It mirrors the nose very closely. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box w/ some light palate heat, best I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, kirsch not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, beautifully layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, caramel, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco w/ a hint is ash, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, dry, crushed rock powder, dry top soil, crushed limestone powder, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a fluttering note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets, perfect, rainfall acidity, extremely well balanced, even & subtle tension-structure that stands up on the long set, refined elegance with a finish that goes on and on and eventually lands on spice & beautiful, refined earthiness.

What a bottle! 98 that leans into 99. I paid somewhere between $80-$90 on the secondary market for this bottle. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

1985 vintage. Decanted and open 3.5 hours before tasting. Oh hell yes. Can go another 3-5 years in this end-game, optimal drinking window, Beguiling nose filled with feminine cocoa powder. A flavor/tasting sense of eternity here. Underrated property that usually gets plenty of recognition but ages better than expected. Would/will take a meh vintage of L'Evangile vs a solid/great vintage of many comparable Right Bank properties. 8.19.23. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

There is an origins story for me w/ this producer. You can read about it by clicking my post from 55 weeks ago.

This bottle fazed between 92-94 while enjoying. I opened it and let it breathe in bottle for 45 minutes and then decanted it in stages…a 1/3, 1/3 & 1/3. I believe that was the right decision.

This 97 still has not ridden off into the sunset, it is just the other side of its peak. 28 yrs from creation & 26 yrs in bottle. I look at a Cabernet/reds from when it went into bottle vs its birth yr. All my opening decisions are made from that point. Humans don’t count their time in womb, I see wine similarly.

The fruits are still beautiful & its evolution is amazing. There is a core of dark currants surrounded by cassis. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum with heavy skin, black cherries, secondary; raspberries, dark cherries & strawberries. Cherry cola/licorice. Dark spices w/ a touch of heat-hard to find better, moist clays, soft, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dark chocolate baking bar, mocha powder, caramel, anise to black licorice, dryish tobacco with ash, used leather, dry crushed rocks, limestone powder, volcanic ash, fire ambers, saline, some black pepper, tumbleweed, dry river stone, black tea, very lightly grilled pork, florals for days that are; dark, red, blue, lavender framed in violets, perfect acidity with a great balance, well structured/tensioned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls on dry earth & spice as it long sets. Wonderful style!

To quote Robert Lewis Stevenson, “Wine is Bottled Poetry!” — 25 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

From magnum. Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Slightly better on Day 2. The 2016 Caravina pours a deep garnet with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate seeing of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart, predominantly, dark fruit: black currant, black cherry, Anaheim pepper, purple, flowers, cocoa powder, green herbs, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long. Drink now through 2036; longer in this format. — 8 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2000 vintage. Last tasted 12.2.22. Scored a 9.6 then. This go-round, nice fill and pristine cork. Decanted and tasted over the course of 5 mins-2 hours. Throwing respectable sed. Darker than expected given the age. Huge funk on the nose which remained for approx 4-5 mins despite much decanter swirling/agitation. Wine angular and tight upon first sip after 5 mins. Large, decaying leaves presence in the nose that morphed into a beefy espresso mélange at the 15 mins decanted mark. Gradually started to unfold, revealing massive graphite and cocoa powder flavors. Some forest floor aromas/flavors cruised by around the hour mark. Really started to show anticipated balance slightly thereafter. No absence of tannins/structure. Plenty of time left on the "in the zone" plateau but feel the wine crested the top of the bell curve in the last year or so. Not improving but enough components to keep this one in the rocking Y2K conversation as best of show. 2.7.24. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Day 1 took a couple of hours to really start showing its best (though the quality was obvious). Day 2, it was much more open. The 2021 Margheria pours a 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 fresh raspberries, tiny forest strawberries, Morello cherry (especially on Day 2), tar, rosebushes, fresh sage, talcum powder and dry gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose; the fruit showed more ripeness on Day 2. The finish is long, loaded with minerals and very savory! Considering the amount of air this enjoyed, I expect a long life of enjoyment. You can drink now with patience but this will be better after 2031 and through 2061+ — a month ago

Tyler Felous

9.0

Have not had an “a-ha” moment with these wines and hence, have stopped buying. What am I missing? — 4 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Straight up my wheel house for Old World Syrah.

It is called Cote-Rotie or translation roasted slope for a reason.

The nose has beautifully, lightly floral fruits that are; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries and hues of blueberries. Some black pepper, steeped black tea, hues of roasted chestnuts, sandalwood, some dry tobacco, used leather, red cola, dark, rich earth, dark, red, blue withering florals framed in amazing violets.

The body is smooth as silk. The fruits are ripe & juicy; blackberries, dark cherries, plums for days, black raspberries, poached strawberries and hues of blueberries. Some black pepper, shades of lightly, grilled meats, steeped black tea, hues of roasted chestnuts, sandalwood, some dry tobacco, crushed rock powder, river stone, dry top soil, used leather, red cola, dark, rich earth, dark, red, blue withering florals framed in a. amazing field of violets. Rainfall acidity, soft structure & tension, well balanced and an elegant, beautiful, lush finish. Damn beautiful wine.

Sofia & I walked the La Landonne vineyard with Pierre and tasted in the cellar w/ Rene & Pierre.

Excellent with both Tri-tip’s…rubbed & marinated. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Margaux and Rack of Lamb. I’m in. The 05 vintage…magic!

Lamb w/ just enough fat, spice meet perfect ripe, bright, floral fruits of; blackberries, black plum, dark cherries, strawberries, red & black licorice/cola, perfect mid spice, sweet, lead pencil shavings, charcoal, cedar, not old, not fresh, tobacco, touch of nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, pea gravel, dry twig, dry limestone powder, steeped tea, dark, rich soil with dry leaves, herbaceous notes-bay leaf, moist clay, an array of fresh, withering, floral bouquet, amazing, rainfall acidity, perfect, tension, balance, structure and polished finish for days. Absolutely stunning! — 2 years ago