Jade Mountain
Paras Vineyard Mt. Veeder Syrah
Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley, California, USA
2003 | Syrah
Jade Mountain Winery; Paras Vineyard
Napa Valley; Mount Veeder, CA, USA
(92-94; Drink 2018-28)
4H decant.
This vineyard burned to ground during the 2017 California wildfire season. CA Syrah perfection tonight...
2003 | Syrah
Jade Mountain Winery; Paras Vineyard
Napa Valley; Mount Veeder, CA, USA
(92-94; Drink 2018-28)
4H decant.
This vineyard burned to ground during the 2017 California wildfire season. CA Syrah perfection tonight...
2003 | Syrah
Jade Mountain Winery; Paras Vineyard
Napa Valley; Mount Veeder, CA, USA
6H decant.
I can't believe how much ass this wine is still kicking at 19-20Y. Another perfect cork pull, storage is everything.
2003 | Syrah
Jade Mountain Winery; Paras Vineyard
Napa Valley; Mount Veeder, CA, USA
6H decant.
I can't believe how much ass this wine is still kicking at 19-20Y. Another perfect cork pull, storage is everything.
Nose has ripe blackberry, blackberry jam, fruit Roll-up, dried meats, iodine (?), wet leaves, toasted pistachio, fresh violet, wet leather and dark chocolate chunks.
Palate has raspberry jam, dried blackberry, black currant jam, wet leather, dehydrated black cherry, moist cigar and mild tannins persist.
A great showing on this bottle tonight, proof positive on the pedigree of the vineyard. This should age gracefully for the next 8-10Y without concern.
Paired to mesquite smoked pork chops from a 1/2 pig purchase from our dear farmer friend Courtney at Highland Farm (Old Chatham, NY). Please support your local resources.
Nose has ripe blackberry, blackberry jam, fruit Roll-up, dried meats, iodine (?), wet leaves, toasted pistachio, fresh violet, wet leather and dark chocolate chunks.
Palate has raspberry jam, dried blackberry, black currant jam, wet leather, dehydrated black cherry, moist cigar and mild tannins persist.
A great showing on this bottle tonight, proof positive on the pedigree of the vineyard. This should age gracefully for the next 8-10Y without concern.
Paired to mesquite smoked pork chops from a 1/2 pig purchase from our dear farmer friend Courtney at Highland Farm (Old Chatham, NY). Please support your local resources.
A producer bottling I’ve not had. This came to be in my procession via a wine exchange with @Severn Goodwin.
This 03 Jade is In fine shape due to its quality production and Severn’s excellent storage of it.
Nose reveals ripe, slightly stewed & baked; dark cherries, blackberries, mixture fresh of our fruits as well as blue fruits with hints of faint poached strawberries. Sweet tarriness, black licorice, black pepper, dark steeped fruit tea, expresso roast, bay leaf, dry crushed rocks, barrel shavings, dark, rich earthiness with dry leaves, mid dark spice, limestone minerals, dry top soil, underbrush with fresh & withering; dark, red, purple, blue florals framed in heavy lavender and soft violets.
The palate is, ripe, rich, elegant, round and lush. After roughly 15 years in bottle, she shows, rounded, dusty, chewy/meaty, dry tannins. The structure, tension, balance & length are just the other side of its peak. The fruits like the nose are slightly stewed & baked; dark cherries, blackberries, mixture fresh of our fruits as well as blue fruits with hints of faint poached strawberries. Sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, cinnamon, vanilla, black pepper, smoked meats, dark steeped fruit tea, expresso roast, bay leaf, dry crushed rocks, old tobacco, barrel shavings, dark, rich earthiness with dry leaves, mid dark spice, limestone minerals, dry top soil, very dry underbrush, some tree bark/sap with brilliant, fresh & withering; dark, red, purple, blue florals framed in heavy lavender and soft violets. The acidity is really nice...like a cool mountain stream. The long finish is delicious and persist endlessly into dry, dark spice on the long set.
Still has another 3-5 years of good drinking ahead of it depending on your storage and the age you like your wine to show.
Photos of; Previous Owner-Jim Paras (left) with Winemaker Douglas Danielak, Paras Vineyard Syrah clusters ready for harvest and their Paras Vineyard.
Producer notes, San Francisco Lawyer Jim Paras started the winery in 1984. At the time, he produced about 8,000 cases a year of Syrah, Merlot, Mourvhdre and Viognier. In 1994, Chalone began distributing his wines and eventually bought the winery in 2000.
A producer bottling I’ve not had. This came to be in my procession via a wine exchange with @Severn Goodwin.
This 03 Jade is In fine shape due to its quality production and Severn’s excellent storage of it.
Nose reveals ripe, slightly stewed & baked; dark cherries, blackberries, mixture fresh of our fruits as well as blue fruits with hints of faint poached strawberries. Sweet tarriness, black licorice, black pepper, dark steeped fruit tea, expresso roast, bay leaf, dry crushed rocks, barrel shavings, dark, rich earthiness with dry leaves, mid dark spice, limestone minerals, dry top soil, underbrush with fresh & withering; dark, red, purple, blue florals framed in heavy lavender and soft violets.
The palate is, ripe, rich, elegant, round and lush. After roughly 15 years in bottle, she shows, rounded, dusty, chewy/meaty, dry tannins. The structure, tension, balance & length are just the other side of its peak. The fruits like the nose are slightly stewed & baked; dark cherries, blackberries, mixture fresh of our fruits as well as blue fruits with hints of faint poached strawberries. Sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, cinnamon, vanilla, black pepper, smoked meats, dark steeped fruit tea, expresso roast, bay leaf, dry crushed rocks, old tobacco, barrel shavings, dark, rich earthiness with dry leaves, mid dark spice, limestone minerals, dry top soil, very dry underbrush, some tree bark/sap with brilliant, fresh & withering; dark, red, purple, blue florals framed in heavy lavender and soft violets. The acidity is really nice...like a cool mountain stream. The long finish is delicious and persist endlessly into dry, dark spice on the long set.
Still has another 3-5 years of good drinking ahead of it depending on your storage and the age you like your wine to show.
Photos of; Previous Owner-Jim Paras (left) with Winemaker Douglas Danielak, Paras Vineyard Syrah clusters ready for harvest and their Paras Vineyard.
Producer notes, San Francisco Lawyer Jim Paras started the winery in 1984. At the time, he produced about 8,000 cases a year of Syrah, Merlot, Mourvhdre and Viognier. In 1994, Chalone began distributing his wines and eventually bought the winery in 2000.
The vineyard is (was) on Mount Veeder, until 2017's very unfortunate wildfires, studiously documented by @David T
Decanting now, notes forthcoming... Smelling like a positive outcome.
Bottle variation on this drives me a little crazy...
Nose is heavily plum with milk chocolate, but that tinge of alcohol today is annoying. Damn you finicky Syrah.
Palate has cedar plum, cassis jam, dark chocolate and moist leather. High cacao notes are really pushing forward the longer the bottle sits in the decanter, so very nice!
Very good, but not at it's absolute best, based on prior bottles.
The vineyard is (was) on Mount Veeder, until 2017's very unfortunate wildfires, studiously documented by @David T
Decanting now, notes forthcoming... Smelling like a positive outcome.
Bottle variation on this drives me a little crazy...
Nose is heavily plum with milk chocolate, but that tinge of alcohol today is annoying. Damn you finicky Syrah.
Palate has cedar plum, cassis jam, dark chocolate and moist leather. High cacao notes are really pushing forward the longer the bottle sits in the decanter, so very nice!
Very good, but not at it's absolute best, based on prior bottles.
I'm always impatient for this bottle to open, some do, some don't. Tonight we do indeed have a winner!
Nose is very close to my take on the '02, ripe plum sprinkled with dark chocolate, and violets passing by the glass, but today we're picking up a cigar box aroma as well...always developing this wine, so interesting.
On the palate, plum flesh (not skin), blackcurrant/blackberry jam, dark chocolate and tanned leather. The finish just runs and runs.
We still have several bottles and it has been quite fun to watch this bottle go up and down over the years. Aside from fresh release, this might be the best it's been drinking in years. Tonight I'm very happy.
We paired this with a beautifully grilled, local flank steak from a farmer just over the State line from us in upstate NY, and freshly dug new red potatoes...oh how I love your newness early summer every year! Yum yum yum!
The vineyard is (was) on Mount Veeder, until last year's very unfortunate wildfires, studiously documented by @David T
I'm always impatient for this bottle to open, some do, some don't. Tonight we do indeed have a winner!
Nose is very close to my take on the '02, ripe plum sprinkled with dark chocolate, and violets passing by the glass, but today we're picking up a cigar box aroma as well...always developing this wine, so interesting.
On the palate, plum flesh (not skin), blackcurrant/blackberry jam, dark chocolate and tanned leather. The finish just runs and runs.
We still have several bottles and it has been quite fun to watch this bottle go up and down over the years. Aside from fresh release, this might be the best it's been drinking in years. Tonight I'm very happy.
We paired this with a beautifully grilled, local flank steak from a farmer just over the State line from us in upstate NY, and freshly dug new red potatoes...oh how I love your newness early summer every year! Yum yum yum!
The vineyard is (was) on Mount Veeder, until last year's very unfortunate wildfires, studiously documented by @David T
We've been working through a case on this pulled from storage, some bottles good, some not so and some right down the middle, that's how we come along this evening. Fruit is still tight, I'm always impatient on how long it takes this to unwind in the decanter.
On the nose, a little heat of alcohol is the first aroma, then moving towards ripe plum sprinkled with dark chocolate, and violets passing by the glass.
On the palate, late season blackcurrant, tanned leather with medium finish.
I constantly struggle with this bottle, not knowing if it's still too young, or too old... Damn you finicky Syrah, why are you so hard to read at middle age?
We fell in love with this bottle on the 2000 vintage, thought I was drinking a cup of coffee with plums in it, most memorable experience on this vineyard site, imprinted to my taste memory forever.
We've been working through a case on this pulled from storage, some bottles good, some not so and some right down the middle, that's how we come along this evening. Fruit is still tight, I'm always impatient on how long it takes this to unwind in the decanter.
On the nose, a little heat of alcohol is the first aroma, then moving towards ripe plum sprinkled with dark chocolate, and violets passing by the glass.
On the palate, late season blackcurrant, tanned leather with medium finish.
I constantly struggle with this bottle, not knowing if it's still too young, or too old... Damn you finicky Syrah, why are you so hard to read at middle age?
We fell in love with this bottle on the 2000 vintage, thought I was drinking a cup of coffee with plums in it, most memorable experience on this vineyard site, imprinted to my taste memory forever.
With Turkish lamb and quince stew, a great pairing.
With Turkish lamb and quince stew, a great pairing.
Nov 1st, 2018
1996 vintage has integrated the barn yard, toffee, briar and black pepper notes/Flavors. Another reason to cellar wines.!
1996 vintage has integrated the barn yard, toffee, briar and black pepper notes/Flavors. Another reason to cellar wines.!
Sep 13th, 2015