Robert Stackowiak

9.2

A fine Sonoma Cabernet deep purple in color. Tannins are smooth after nearly 5 years. Classic balance. April 2026. — 2 days ago

Joe Flo

9.5

A solid Daou Soul of the Lion. Great Red Blend. — 2 months ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.2

Opaque purple in color, Welch's grape juice, cedar, and anise on the nose. Palate is evolved and settled with muddled blue and blackberry. Definitely nods to Porto with a tawny hint. A bit hot on the alcohol (guessing 14.8 ABV). Wine is dry, medium minus acidity. Full bodied. A bit of bitterness keeps this from presenting a rounded mouth feel. Tannins non existent at this point. Good.

92 points — 6 months ago

David Koenen

9.5

Birth year tastings, evening 4. Concentrated, deep and dark mysterious color. Blackcurrant, creamy, moisty potting soil, oriental spices, fleshy notes, firm tannins, chalky, obvious but also nicely balanced use of wood, powerful and impressive. Still a baby, or rather, a toddler, with plenty years ahead of it. — 7 months ago

Henry Fuseler

9.0

3/2026. Yes this wine has soul. Another great wine from the Davis Family. Nice full flavor and body Syrah. — a month ago

Tom Garland

9.5

+2 hour decant(decent sediment). A marvelous dark magenta color. On the nose: perfumed red fruit, potting soil, graphite, cedar lined cigar box, herbaceous. Taste: Powerful, structured wine with red fruit, currants, planting soil, spice, and a cedar-minerally-mocha lingering and evolving finish! YUM! — a month ago

with Brenda

Damian Walch

9.5

Black currant, blackberry, and cherry, complemented by notes of chocolate, tobacco, spicy oak, and hints of lavender and graphite. On the palate, it is full-bodied and rich. Espresso, and spices. Great tannins and a long, persistent finish. — 6 months ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.2

Beautifully aromatic, with ripe lemons, peach, apricot, a bit of red apple. Plus a healthy dose of salty minerality. Herby. Enticing.
Lovely fresh mouthfeel, bright acidity. Brilliant depth and such amazing tension. Salty, fresh, amazingly pure. What a lovely wine!
— 8 months ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(lots of sediment). A gorgeous purplish garnet color. On the nose: Intoxicating musky notes of dark fruit, potting soil, worn leather, truffles, stewed meat, slight menthol. Taste: velvety, seamless, balanced, intense wine with dark fruit, cassis, earth, tobacco, mineral, herbs, and a chocolate graphite long never-ending finish. YUM! This wine has aged gracefully and has more gas in the tank. Enjoy. — a month ago

with Brenda

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. — 5 months ago