Pale lemon-yellow. High-pitched aromas of orange blossom, lemon and minerals. Bright, lively and intense, with citrus, nectarine and stone flavors nicely framed by strong but well-integrated acidity. Very juicy, tautly structured chardonnay with a youthfully firm, lingering finish. I like this!
Bright ruby-red. Roasted red berries, tobacco, game, coffee and animal fur on the nose. Lush, layered and sweet, with sexy flavors of roasted berries and game. Finishes uncompromisingly dry, with building, ripe tannins.
Full ruby-red. Varietally expressive aromas of wild berries, cola, sassafras, roasted herbs and smoky oak; reminded me of Morey-Saint-Denis. Sweet, dense and highly concentrated, with the wild berry flavors nicely framed by juicy acidity. Bright and classically dry, finishing young and strong. This was bottled in January of '04, while the other pinots were finished last August.
Full medium ruby. Liqueur-like aromas of raspberry, leather, sassafras and cocoa powder; superripe but less roasted than the 2001 version. Impressively opulent, even unctuous, with compelling sweetness of fruit. A very large-scaled wine that appears to have enough freshness and structure for balance. Offers impressive potential.
Full ruby. Cassis, licorice and bitter chocolate on the nose. Dense, fat and broad but uncompromisingly dry, with flavors of currant, leather, licorice and tobacco. Finishes strong and long, with serious but ripe tannins. Highly promising.
Good medium ruby. Highly aromatic nose combines black fruits, sassafras, violet, chocolate, coffee, smoke and game. Large-scaled, seamless and rich, with lovely dept of texture. The wine's briary black fruit flavors are nicely complemented by violet and white pepper. Dense, sweet, generous cabernet, finishing with ripe tannins and excellent length.
Good dark red. Musky, nuanced aromas of red berries, earth, minerals, truffle and cocoa powder. Fatter, sweeter and juicier than the Seascape, with sound acids framing the complex flavors of strawberry, minerals and earth. Full without being at all heavy. Persistent and authoritative on the finish, with subtle complexity. From a crop level of under two tons to the acre, according to winery president Don Hartford, who is also CEO of Jackson Family Farms' Artisans & Estates group.
Pale lemon-yellow. Bright, ripe, complex aromas of crystallized citrus fruits, smoke and flint. Juicy and fruit-driven, with very good breadth and sweetness. For a wine in a very ripe style, this finishes firm and gripping.
Full ruby. Riper aromas of blueberry, boysenberry, sassafras, allspice and chocolate. Juicy and intense in the mouth, with lively flavors of berries and bitter chocolate. Finishes with strong tannins that reach the front teeth, but also very good length and lingering sweetness.
Good, bright ruby-red. Aromas of raspberry, strawberry, menthol, earth and violet. Flavors are distinctly purple: blackberry, violet and minerals. Supple but not yet filled in; in a rather closed stage today. The fruit character is complicated by a suggestion of exotic woodsmoke. Finishes firmly tannic and in need of patience.
Bright medium ruby. Red berries, leather, brown spices and flowers on the nose, with strong suggestions of exotic oak. Broad, sweet and generous, with sexy oak tones and lovely floral lift giving the wine inner-mouth aromatic character. Firmly structured without being hard. Finishes with sweet tannins and a lingering leathery nuance.
Pale color. Lemon drop, grapefruit, pineapple and melon on the nose. Juicy, fresh and intensely flavored, with good weight for a sauvignon without any loss of shape. At once riper, fruitier and firmer than the 2001.
Lemon drop, pineapple, crushed stone and a suggestion of caramel on the nose. More austere and less sweet and spicy than the Sonoma County bottling, showing less texture today. But this is ultimately more minerally and more powerful, and more sharply delineated. Firmly built, youthfully unevolved and persistent.
Bright, aromatic nose of pear, pineapple and wet stone. Juicy and stony in the mouth, with ripe flavors of soft citrus fruits. Nicely layered, supple wine with very good inner-mouth energy. Slightly warm on the back, but boasts better fruit than the 2001 version.
Full medium ruby Cassis, raspberry, licorice and smoky oak on the nose. Rich, sweet and spicy, with enticing flavors of black raspberry, chocolate and spices. The tannins seem sweeter than those of the 2001. Finishes with lovely persistence.
Full ruby-red. Reticent nose hints at blueberry, blackberry, espresso and game. Lush and rich but quite dry, and less forthcoming than the Helena Montana. Quite closed today, with the tannins coming across as a bit youthfully tough.
Full ruby-red. Aromas of blackberry syrup, chocolate and game. Rich, sweet and fat, with briary black fruits complicated by mocha, leather and minerals. Denser and sweeter in the middle palate than the Jackson Park merlot but quite tannic on the lingering finish, with notes of briary berries, leather and game.
Pale yellow. Pineapple, green apple, pear, honey, white flowers and a steely note on the slightly oily nose. Sweet, rich and layered, with nicely integrated acids. In a softer style but maintains good freshness.
Intriguing nose melds grapefruit, lemon drop, fresh herbs and minerals, plus hints of smoke and fig. Light and tangy; bone-dry but supple, with the lemony quality dominating. Finishes with very good persistence and varietal cut.
Full ruby-red. Musky aromas of currant, espresso, chocolate and tobacco. Generous, lush and sweet, with a flavor of blackcurrant but also a slight greenness. Offers a distinctly creamy texture. Finishes with solid but nicely supported tannins and a strong element of baking spices.
With a major component from the Anderson Valley, this wine has big tannins...They frame some rich blackberry and cherry flavors that have notes of vanilla and mocha. Very full-bodied, this wine needs to be cellared through 2005 or even longer.
Bright ruby. Deep, smoky aromas of berry liqueur, violet, spice cake and bitter chocolate. Lush on entry, then rather penetrating but slightly green in the middle palate, with dry flavors leading to rather tough, drying tannins. I recall that the 2000 version of this wine also seemed tougher in bottle than it did from barrel.
Bright ruby. Briary black fruits, dark chocolate and menthol on the youthfully medicinal nose. Broader and sweeter today than the 2001, with black fruit and menthol flavors. Then finishes with a substantial load of chewy, tough tannins that reach the teeth.
Aromas of lemon drop and earth. Sweet, fat and a bit exotic, with flavors of pear, mirabelle and spices. Rather fat, lush Chardonnay, but a tad blurry in the middle. Finishes with good spice character.
Dried cherries, whiffs of cocoa and a hint of pastry shop richness set this one off in the right direction, and its rounded, fleshy texture and ripe cherry flavors follow on nicely.