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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.1 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 78 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Joelene on 4/2/2022 & rated 95 points: Incredible again, enjoyed at Altius with Filet Mignon (411 views) | | | Tasted by Rick Gomez on 11/7/2021 & rated 94 points: Amazing taste! The tannins are well integrated and this vintage is certainly at its peak. I tasted tobacco, vanilla and berries before a long, supple finish (546 views) | | | Tasted by Joelene on 4/18/2021 & rated 95 points: This wine was singing! Amazing Bordeaux like bouquet with sour cherry, hay and even some barnyard, some leather and baking spices. This is classy and drinking perfectly. Red and dark fruits on the smooth mouthfeel with Ludens cough drops and black cherry pie. This was really impressive and the wotn.... I have to check out more Melka wines! (730 views) | | | Tasted by Sid G on 7/10/2020 & rated 93 points: Beautifully balanced and ultra-smooth drinking. Classic cabernet nose. Dark color, dark fruit, delicious taste. A superior wine. (948 views) | | | Tasted by Jd6725 on 1/2/2020 & rated 92 points: Solid Napa wine, quite smooth at first but then tanins showed. Pnp, should have tried some with a decant. Stained my tongue purple though. Not sure what that was about (1040 views) | | | Tasted by Hi.its.Don.4.Wine on 10/19/2019 & rated 94 points: Sip…....Smooooth, Sip…….Smooooth!
This has to be the shortest review I’ve ever done.
If you really believe that I’ve got a bridge or two to sell you. Honestly, that’s what was going through my mind as I began drinking the wine for this episode of “Wine-Sum-More.”
Unlike me, the last ten years have been good to this fantastic wine. A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot but 100% Napa Valley and aged for 20 months using 45% new French oak, the wine has integrated into the likes of a well-oiled machine. Wait, that’s a terrible metaphor. How about a subtle yet luxurious wine with a mouthfeel that lures you into ecstasy and beckons you to savor more of the dark rich fruit embraced by those smooth tannins and slight spice note for a long rapturous finish. Yeah, that’s A LOT better!
It’s been a couple of years since I last reviewed this wine. My notes reflecting slightly more taut tannins that have, as you can guess, smoooothed over the last two years. Named for their children, Chloe and Jeremy, and made by one of my favorite winemakers, Philippe Melka; their CJ Wine represents an outstanding value for a wine from Napa Valley. Classically trained and a native of Bordeaux, his resume would contain working for and with some of the most notable winemakers in the world. Working with his wife, Cherie, they combine their talents to produce exceptional wines. For those seeking a slightly more “Old World” style yet favored by gorgeous lush fruit, this is a label you should seek out and try for yourself.
It’s SMOOOOTH.
Cheers (1038 views) | | | Tasted by Hi.its.Don.4.Wine on 12/25/2017 & rated 94 points: Having recently reviewed the 2008, I can say that the 2009 is far superior with regards to fruit integration and complexity. I recall that after the phenomenal 2007 vintage 2008 was considered good but with more earthiness then 2009 returned to better fruit notes. I would say that the difference between the 2008 CJ and 2009 reflects those same characteristics. A gorgeous wine with lush dark fruit, good tannins and a spiciness on the long finish. A great accompaniment to a beef tenderloin, sauteed mushrooms and roasted fingerling potatoes. Glad I have more. (2034 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 10/31/2017 & rated 92 points: Pop and pour improving slightly with time but likely a year or two past peak (my preference is to drink stuff like this younger). Super extracted style with minimal acid and even less structure. Cherry syrup, blackberry liqueur, vanilla extract, plums, chalky cassis... Some unfortunate barnyard on the nose that does not mesh well with this seeet style. Overall enjoyable to drink without food. (1911 views) | | | Tasted by michigan dogs on 5/24/2017 & rated 92 points: initial funk on opening quickly blew off and everyone very much enjoyed. (2065 views) | | | Tasted by Weino on 12/6/2016 & rated 94 points: A wonderful full bodied wine! A lot going on! All of the classic cabernet notes to include dusty candied cherries on the nose. Slight anise, hint of licorice, tobacco, an interesting cherry-chocolate-cola aroma. Decanted for thirty minutes and then drank over the next two hours. I wish I had more. (2222 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 11/26/2016 & rated 92 points: Ripe, raisiny, plummy dark fruit aromas with asphalt and herb notes later on. Plum and chocolate flavors. Ripe, but tasty. (2153 views) | | | Tasted by ChewCoco on 6/26/2016: Absolutely delicious! (1991 views) | | | Tasted by drmarc61 on 9/7/2014 & rated 92 points: Drinking wonderfully right now! (3461 views) | | | Tasted by drmarc61 on 6/27/2014 & rated 93 points: A wonderful, full-bodied wine for the price... (3211 views) | | | Tasted by jcbrand on 10/26/2013 & rated 92 points: Much improved over last bottle..... (4269 views) | | | Tasted by Mel-o-Vino on 7/15/2013 & rated 90 points: Popped and poured. I'd recommend at least an hour decant. The longer in the glass, the silkier the wine became. Lots of great things happening in this wine....nose of dark fruits, currants, sweet tobacco, cedar. Tannins were noticeable at first, but settled in nicely after about an hour. Red fruits on the finish. Earthier notes came out over time. A fun wine! Enjoyed with my hubby and a perfectly grilled beef tenderloin. (4934 views) | | | Tasted by drmarc61 on 5/19/2013 & rated 93 points: always a wonderful drink..... (4346 views) | | | Tasted by vegasoenophile on 3/9/2013 & rated 91 points: Sour currant and red berry fruit with camphor on the nose. Roasty, grilled herb quality aroma as well. Big and rich on the palate with lots of dark fruit, smoke, tobacco and licorice. Rich and generous. Evolves nicely on the palate with red and black berry fruit, smoke, tobacco. Has a chalky plum and tobacco aftertaste. Very nice wine. (3254 views) | | | Tasted by Dasbird on 3/6/2013 & rated 93 points: Drinking very well after a few hours in a decanter. Time to reload (3065 views) | | | Tasted by peternelson on 3/2/2013 & rated 91 points: Opaque black purple; Rich plum, blackberry, tobacco, condensed cassis, smoke, loganberry, vanilla extract; creamy, extracted and rich but still retains balance; ample tannins, good structure and a tart blackberry/cassis finish. (2203 views) | | | Tasted by AngryPrez on 1/25/2013 & rated 91 points: took about two hours for this to really start opening up - enjoyable, a touch austere and elegant cab - sweet, silky tannins - once it opened up a wonderful nose of graphite - fruit flavors are still primary, looking forward to see how this ages. (2111 views) | | | Tasted by nfafoglia on 11/2/2012 & rated 94 points: Beautiful nose of cocoa, vanilla, cedar, and coffee. Pomegranate, bittersweet chocolate, and candied red fruit. Long finish with sweet tannins and pretty smoke and red licorice. (2713 views) | | | Tasted by BigBoy_Sonoma on 10/7/2012 & rated 91 points: Dark fruit, cocoa dust, herbal tea, hints of tobacco, smokey oak A- (1517 views) | | | Tasted by whits on 7/5/2012 & rated 90 points: big Napa Valley Cab bouquet of blueberries, mint and vanilla bean, round, fruit-forward flavors of currant, red cherry, sage and red berry cereal, well-made, I find this to be a good representation of Napa Valley Cabernet, there is clearly a balance and structure, steakhouse wine, will cellar well (2939 views) | | | Tasted by SkeBum on 6/9/2012 & rated 89 points: Okay wine, it did get better as the bottle was drank. I may buy more just to try it again. There is a lot of wine out there at this price point that is better. (2957 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Melka Producer websiteCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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