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. — 3 months ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.3

Raspberry coulis, blackberry juice, mushroom, violet, minerals and barnyard. Tart, explosive purple fruit, some feral, bramble notes on the structured palate, and a succession of furry, prickly tannins. Finish is smoky and bitter. Really massive and opaque, in its own way, hard to evaluate even on day 2. Expect this could gain .2 or more in score as elements resolve. — 3 years ago

Ming L

9.6

Deep nose of ripe plum, cassis, blackberry, cedar, dark roasted coffee beans, herbal spices, hint of cigar box and violet. Warm and soft lightly extracted dark fruits lead the initial attack. Dense yet smooth with impeccable balance. Full of energy. Firm polished tannins. The pairing of 14 days dry age Rohan duck was magnificent.

Immensely powerful with old world charm and grace, this 10’ Saint Julian earns a perfect score from WE, and I think it’s deservedly so. — 4 years ago

John Malcolm

9.3

Rated this wine a 9.0 in 2021. Opened a magnum last night and let it breathe for several hours. Noticeably improved, so I am upping the score. — 7 months ago

John Van Trijp

9.9

A potential perfect score in future. Still dark forrest fruit — a year ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2005 vintage. Almost tastes like it could have been released last week. Super youthful with dark berry and plum blasts. Decent structure but not oppressive. Catching this one just below the top of the bell curve. Hopefully, you’ve got more than one bottle kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown. Other-worldly now but methinx it’s about to get even better. Last tasted in mid-June and same score but this bottle was slightly better. Seek this out-now. — 3 years ago

Brent Young

9.2

Served with the Vinloq System from a 375ml after CNY dinner

Day 1
👃Apricots and honey🍯. Also peaches, and with time: pineapple and some light florality.
👅Peaches, tropical fruit, acetone. Hints of vanilla/oak especially on the finish.
Proper acidity and med sweetness
Alcohol not exposed. Nice 👍

Preserved in fridge under preservation gas. Sauternes resists oxidation well for multiple days or longer without preservation. However, I didn’t return to this bottle for over 4 weeks

Day 29
A new perfume note this time that I didn’t be notice on Day 1
A little more soft and rounded in character now but the same score
Still drinking nicely — 3 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2020 vintage. Last tasted 3.16.24 (9.2). Medium-heavy body. Nice richness, dill and fruit up front along the dial. Took approx an hour but the tannins finally started rolling in. Tannic handshake upped the score from a 9.2 to a 9.3. 7.7.24. — a year ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

1986 vintage. Ripped through six bottles (one corked) for a 1986 BDX dinner @ Mister A's-San Diego. All bottles appropriately aged fill and decent+ corks. Double decanted and tasted over the course of 5 hours. Mix of powdery and stubborn (non-chunky) sed amongst the 6 bottles. Light-medium body throughout. Somewhat muted experience overall. None of the bottles (with variation) shone/sung. Wine is firmly on the downside of the bell curve with best days behind it (based on the 5 + corked bottle examples). There was none of the usual P-L flavor markers but the body hung in there. Pains me to say this but drink up now unless you've got a larger format bottle. Maggie (+) would probably yield a higher score. 3.14.24. — a year ago

Kenneth Rosal

9.5

Appearance: Medium Garnet.

Nose: Pronounced Strawberry, Raspberry, Oak, Tobacco and Earth.

Palate: Dry. Medium Acidity. Medium Tannin. Medium Alcohol. Medium Body. Pronounced flavours of Blackberry, Plum, Cedar, Mocha, Leather and Earth. Long Finish.

Conclusion: Very Good Quality Wine.

Score: 95 — 4 years ago