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 days ago

Aaron Tan

9.1

Rowly can have this on Delectable, but it's really made my three dudes (see label) - hence the name "PRC", which isn't best wine name imo. Irrelevant though, since this chard's so bloody delicious. Well-spun balance between sulphites, oak, and acid. Great value. Wish there was more to go around.

P.S. Perhaps the last time we'll see this from Lusatia Park too, given it's now been absorbed into the deBort family. "Vinified independently" it says - curious to know if there was any communication at all between the 3 winemakers given how well this turned out. — 8 years ago

President Obama

9.3

"Let me be a scion to the stars!" -- Louis Pasteur

Had the old vine version. Fu€ked with the 2023 vintage even though... — 3 months ago

Ben Nieuwkerk

9.1

Awesome flavour. Glad we put it down for a couple years. Ages a bit like a Riesling — 6 years ago

Manuela S. Zoninsein

10

Manuela Z tasted 2011 vintage Amore & Follia Super Tuscan on 2017 December 06. Biodynamic winery from the Illy scion. Bold, structured, chewy, very drinkable, will impress guests without breaking the bank. — 8 years ago

Olivia Gonzalez

10

Incredible depth and complexity. Smoky apricot. Only six bottles distributed in Texas. A family Port from Portugal - only two barrels in existence. A taste of a lifetime. 1855. — 9 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.4

Dense, youthful purple. This has plenty of life left and may have been opened too early. Aromas with air show a black cherry, bitter almond and cherry pit. The palate is equally tannic as nebbiolo but offers a fleshier texture, perhaps due to the anthocyanin content. Having been lucky enough to meet a scion of the winemaking family this week I understand that they expect that this wine will be able to age for at least a decade. — 3 years ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

Haven't had Durif in the longest time. Not my favourite grape but the last one I had was quite memorable, admittedly. Blinded... Rowly's durif viognier (Scion wines) was a stroke of genius... elegant and perfumed. This, however, was what some would call classic... elegant wouldn't be first thing that comes to mind... but it's well-built. Huge fruit, heaps of spice, oak wasn't particularly intrusive but present, tannins was as expected... the concentration was really admirable. I reckon the vine age does show. Imagine if this fruit was treated like Rowly's... Damn! Then again, what fun would wine be if everyone made it in the way I like it 🤣

NB: Would have been nice to see it after a couple of days. Tbh, I'm not sure about the vine age but the Petite Sirah from Stags Leap supposedly comes from pretty old plantings. — 7 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.1

That touch of viognier is a stroke of genius 😍 well done, Rowly. Well done. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Port to pair with our chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. This bottle is a 375ml. It's flows onto the palate with; brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup, toffee, nuts with skin, butterscotch, figs, dates, prunes, raisins, burnt toast, orange peel liqueur, Drambuie, a touch of the long finish of scotch, crumbled minerals, high acidity & sugar with an elegant, lush finish that rolls on and on. Gotta love old vintage Port! Even in 375ml, this port has at least 15-20 years of life ahead of it. If you find yourself in Portugal, get to the houses in Porto and try Taylor Fladgate's Scion last...a perfect 10! Have it last because after you taste it, you won't want anything else. Only available at the Taylor house in Porto. It's a 165+ years old...from pre-phylloxera vines. What are your memories from 1990? — 9 years ago