4/30/2010 - beezer6 wrote:

Taste at Lush West Town.
Nice qualities. Fig, cassis, some dark all spice. Black, green peppercorn and some roasted red peppers.
Rounded out with a bit of anise on the back end the palate shows a little bit of heat at 14.8%, but overall is well balanced.
A unique thought provoking bottling.

4/30/2010 - Racer117 wrote:

Wow! What a fabulous wine. Hedonistic aromas of grapefruit, honey/honeycomb, vanilla(?), lanonlin soon to be followed by a firm citric/acidic spine supporting prominent minerality. A moderate finish wraps it all up. Excellent. Can't recommend a food pairing as I just about dusted the whole bottle after work before I even got around to dinner. 13.5% abv. Yes, I'm a bit toasted. This review made by someone who drinks a dozen bottles of red juice for every white one.

2/16/2010 - milwaukeewino wrote:

Funky, sweaty, cumin.
Palate was the richest and most intense, both in flavor and texture. Better than Martini but nowhere close to Inglenook.

4/30/2010 - milwaukeewino wrote:

Gorgeous and wonderful, of course.
Different than other Montes. Fatter, early.
Mint basil nose.
Awesome.

4/30/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:

Man, this is a nice wine with deep fruit and it stays the course and doesn't seem to get phat or sryupy. The dark color portends the wine to come, showing a maroon type color with some purple edges. Big plum, raspberry that sits on a dark core with yet the red fruited cherry acidity to help lift it and carry it. After about 2 hours, as it breathes out and warms from the chill I put on it at the start, it shows the same flavors but also some nice tannin on the finish with cherry acidity and mineral. You know, this wine is still a few years away from being ready and will live for several years after that. My drink window is 2011-2015. Delicious, lively and not heavy at all.

4/30/2010 - tbone wrote:

Tried to like this but proved to be too much of everything tonight. Even pairing it with a ribeye couldn't tame this beast of a wine.

4/14/2010 - jonradus wrote:

Red licorice, tar, violets, and leather (almost mature barolo-like) jump out of the glass on the nose. The taste continues to show off the red licorice and tar with some refined tannins. The finish is spicy, floral, blood-textured, almost chewy, but thin at the same time. This is a great wine that kind of reminds me of a French Bordeaux/Italian Barolo hybrid. Well-done, and not your typical overdone Napa cab.

4/14/2010 - Brad B. wrote:

Bright, red fruity nose with a touch of barnyard. Simple strawberry flavors that are a bit too candy-like for me. I agree with the Hawaiian punch description. Not terrible but I would not buy again.

4/14/2010 - Barry Notes wrote:

A friend bought wines from the mid 80 vintages when first released. Most were either German dessert or CA Cabs. Sadly, 10 years later while out of town, the AC in his apartment went out resulting in temps exceeding 100 degrees for a number of days. He kept them regardless but figured none were any good. A couple years ago, we started opening them. All the old whites were bad but some of the better reds prevailed. Every year, we hold an "Open That Bottle Night" and will try his 83 & 84 Jordans next month. This SL Cab's cork had only 1/4 inch left that was still intact, the remainder was rotten and/or badly stained and soft. The wine was slightly hazy and had some purple showing with brown edges. Althought not really corked, it did have the typical very old wine/old Napa nose. The bottle was certainly still enjoyable but clearly well over the hill, pretty much as expected. Even so, it was lots of fun drinking it even if not in very good condition. We hope for better luck with the Jordans, notes to follow.

4/12/2010 - charbo wrote:

really drinking nice right now

3/27/2010 - TJolley Does not like this wine:

***IMPORTANT NOTICE***PLEASE READ***
The first shipment of the Stump jump that I received was exceptional, you can see in my previous notes. I just received another shipment, the bottle now has a 90 point WS sticker on it.

I hate to be the one to call out this wine, but it is in no way the same wine that received the 90 WS rating.

The first shipment needed nearly 3 hours to open up, the new shipment is pop and pour and lacks in complexity.
We tried the first shipment side by side with the new, and it is in NO WAY the same wine what so ever. I still do not understand how something like this could be legal.

Here are my tasting notes on the juice that is currently bottled with a\the 2008 stump jump label with the 90 point sticker on it on it.

Upon opening:
Aromas of herbs asparagus, and raspberry fruit. Rich and mouth filling, the essence of fruit. very flavorless on the palate. No minerality is experianced on the finish with this one what so ever.
Where WS brags about this wines Minerality
________________________________________________________
Here is my brief tasting note I posted when this vintage first came in: Without the 90PT WS sticker on it.
Upon opening this bottle smells like a vitamin and mineral jar. I cannot stress enough that this wine must sit open in a decanter for at least 2.5 hours before the vitamin aromas, and flavor masking, chalky tannins dissipate.
At around 3 hours after opening, this Shiraz drinks like a $30+ shiraz.
________________________________________________________
I couldn't figure out how this wine was getting such poor ratings on CT, and now I know why, and feel sorry for those who purchased this expecting something great and never had the opportunity to try the original Stump Jump which received the actual 90 Point rating.

I have tried 7 bottles of the first shipment, and now 5 of the new in the last 8 weeks
This discovery will be a tremendous outrage to the wine community.

---->I have also confirmed from one of my resources that my discovery IS a fact.<----
Here is what you will see in the future:
Soon you will see the 2008 Stump Jump with White screw caps rather than the red screw caps originally on it, at this point this will be the 3rd different wine bottled under the 2008 Stump Jump Label.

3/27/2010 - eporres wrote:

Decanted 3+ hours; berries still a bit too thick this young, chocolaty licorice combo as typically found in GSM combos, good nose, better QPR. Needs more time to mellow.

3/29/2010 - jdabrowski1027 wrote:

Thin and light. A good amount of dusty cherry plus some juicebox strawberry flavor. Some spice, but not what I would call delicious. Better with food.

3/26/2010 - cgrimes wrote:

Similar to my previous note. This has put on a bit of weight with better balance. Great wine. Paired well with lamb loin chops grilled in the fireplace.

3/22/2010 - daveste wrote:

Nice middle weight red wine, but generic fruit -- If had not known it was Cab Franc I would have had a hard time guessing. Maybe overly blended? Soft tannin, fair acid, not a long keeper.

3/27/2010 - wineismylife wrote:

Saturdays at One - Volume 15: WIML91

Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of thistle, licorice, black berries, plums and light notes of currants. Flavors of currants, plums, black berries and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold into the medium term.

3/14/2010 - Mr. Muga wrote:

Stellar California Pinot as usual. I just can't stay away from this wine! Both bottles were spot on and drinking extremely well.

3/19/2010 - GoCubsGo wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours. Very deep purple in the glass. Rich and big, I was hoping for just a little something (not sure what!) more in terms of complexity, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

3/20/2010 - Grape Stuff wrote:

Screwcap. 60-120 minute decant. Drank over an hour after a 60 minute decant. Great nose of dark berry fruit, dark cocoa and a spicy, meaty note. A sensually well balanced wine, with extremely pure, crisp fruit, great acid balance, good tannins (which still need a little time) and good length. Dark (yet fresh/crisp) berry notes on the attack, with a very subtle creamy licorice, spice, fruit-leather on the mid-palate to finish. Saved half bottle for tomorrow and will post an update...will probably wait at least a year to open my next. 92+ (definitely see this score improving over the next 2-6 years)

3/19/2010 - nschmidt wrote:

Drank with Adrianne at Market. Nice medium weight. Tasted sort of like a muted California cab.Nothing offensive. Nice and enjoyable but not a repeat buy.

3/17/2010 - viadomitia wrote:

feels like somebody added sugar to this. not for my palate. some people might like it, not me.
I gave an original score of 82 but downgraded after trying it on days 2 and 3. This was simply sub par and totally off for my palate!!

3/17/2010 - winolee wrote:

Unexciting. Fair table wine for the price. A little characteristic garrigue, otherwise one dimensional.

3/14/2010 - kaarti wrote:

too sweet for our taste

3/17/2010 - pbard Likes this wine:

Rich dark fruit on the nose and the palette, opening through the mid palette and sustained in a long finish. Fair bit of oak but in line with what I enjoy. Acidity is adequate but not overdone, and the tannins well integrated. A very pretty wine.

1/27/2008 - dave smigielski wrote:

This wine still has plenty of legs left in it. We started the night with an 86 Viex Telegraph CDP then we opened this bad boy. Wow so much fruit and still a few tannins. This is what I wish I could drink everyday.

The bottle was opened and allowed to breathe for about 2 hours before we poured it into a magnum decanter. Then the fireworks started.

7/26/2009 - dave smigielski wrote:

The 05 seems to be getting a little cloying. still the grape nehi but the brightness has faded.

12/25/2009 - dave smigielski wrote:

We drank this young, with Christmas dinner of prime rib, gourmet mac & Cheese and brussel sprouts w/ pancetta. Lovely dinner. Wine was decanted for about an hour in magnum decanter and sang to us all through dinner into dessert. wish I remembered more details.

3/14/2010 - jfinke wrote:

Fruity smell, but not crazy about the taste. Not sure I get the hype. Maybe I got a bad bottle. For $10, I will retry in the future.

3/14/2010 - CabIsKing wrote:

Same notes.

3/10/2010 - TJolley Likes this wine:

No detailed notes but a quick summery.
What an excellant value. Root Beer brown in color, raisin aromas, on the palate rich mollasis charactor, alcohol contnet not dectable until after the port has been swallowed.

3/14/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:

An early preview, as this is a barreled up final blend for the wine, as it readies to be bottled soon. Was pulled from barrel on Thursday, arrived on Friday and drank today, which is Sunday. It's had about 2 hours of air and we'll finish it by dinner, which is shortly: pasta with red sauce, chicken sausage and sund dried tomato. The nose shows a sweet incense, a lavender note, too. The wine shows a black raspberry and juicier core, although it's not thin in weight but medium to medium +. There is the requisite bbq notes, a creamy edge to the red and black fruit, licorice and a zesty acidity, much like the 2008 Novy Susan's Hill that I finished a similar sample of on Friday. This one seems wired the same way, and it appears that Adam got the acidity to speak more on both these wines, which livens up the finish. As the wine closes, the zing of the acid and the red fruit and a bit of char carry it along. More zesty and pointed than the 2008 Lucia Garys', too. Very nice and will favor both food pairings and drinking solo, too. Well done.

3/14/2010 - Dormouse99 wrote:

Good fruit. Medium body. Softer tannins. Excellent QPR.

3/14/2010 - CWilliam wrote:

Great Wine. 89+

3/13/2010 - ListenToMeWine wrote:

Interesting offering. A very dark, dense purple in the glass. Deep and brooding on the nose, with violets and a flint like blue fruit. Was very tight upon opening but only took about 20 minutes to strut it's stuff. Opened nicely revealing more violets and deep blue fruit, very smooth and round on the palate. Similar to a Negrette I have had in the past, without the biting tannins.

3/14/2010 - bluevespa wrote:

This cab blend is a fruit bomb, that is drinking nicely now. more syrah then cab, but fun to drink.

3/13/2010 - wineboat wrote:

Probably not fair to say anything about this bottle, certainly not to rate. Decanted and it was cloudy and not good from the get-go. A major disappointment that something had gone very wrong here. I had read the reviews below and was anticipating an experience like the best reviews reported. Just goes to show you there can be a problem no matter what the price - fortunately I received it as a gift.

3/13/2010 - UrbanRed wrote:

Lite lätt korkskadad enligt uppgift

3/10/2010 - jamiekutch wrote:

Sourced from the Vanderbilt’s in NY. Stunning aromatics which lit up the room. Lively, ripe and sweet. Simply beautiful in every sense. Honestly, this was one of the greatest wines I have put across my palate. This shined for the good 40 minutes it lasted in my glass before my last sip.

3/10/2010 - rmodak wrote:

This wine certainly improved on the second day. A leaness, with herb and iron notes, was more predominant the first day, then fleshed out nicely on the second day. Drinks more French than Cali, espeically with the herbal tones.

3/10/2010 - nvandyk wrote:

Another wonderful bottle of this wine that seems to pick up complexity which only barely sacrificing the prominence of the fruit -- it still has oodles of the latter. There was something truly transcendent about that firs t bottle, as the two I have had since have been merely spectacular rather than mind-boggling. But this is a remarkable Shiraz from a remarkable winemaker.

3/10/2010 - chrismez wrote:

Picked up 6 of these from my wine guy in the Bay Area. At $16 a bottle delivered seemed like a good deal to me. Arrived today and couldn't wait, popped and poured immediately. Very dark in the glass and seemed a little closed at first. Not a big suprise though, due to my impatience. 07 Maybach arrived as well today, but won't be drinking that one any time soon....Anyways, after about 20 minutes it opened up very nicely and my wife and I enjoyed it. Fruit bomb, but thats my kind of wine. For $16 a bottle, will definately get more. Think I'll finish the night with a H Upmann Corona Major from a Oct/08 box...

3/10/2010 - eldiabloazul wrote:

Funky nose when opened -- Maybe that blasted rubber "cork" -- Decanted for 3 hours. Paired will Korean bbq skirt steak. Nice acidity cuts the fatty beef. Big dark fruit. Pleasant sweet nose. Chewy tannins. Hint of oak. Solid...would buy again. Gets better apre dinner with even more air in the glass. Air it out!

3/9/2010 - sethmorgenlong wrote:

Dense, opaque and viscous...unmistakable California Cab with spiced currant, black cherry, ancho pepper and tomato leaf, chocolate box and light cedar notes on the nose. On the palate the wine is smoother than expected with chalky tannins, decent acidity and surprisingly balanced alcohol. The palate follows the nose but tastes riper with voluptuous black fruit charged with baking spice and a light graphite mid-palate through to a rich but moderate finish. Enjoyable.

3/8/2010 - theprofessor wrote:

Cork was perfect, no seepage. Surprisingly there was no brown on the edges. Really started to open up after ~ 2 hours. Still chewy - classic Howell Mountain cab.

3/10/2010 - flwinos wrote:

Popped and poured. Initially, on the nose all I got was vanilla and on the palate, it was very heavy on the oak. I almost feel like it was like licking the barrel directly. However, we opened it knowing it was an Australian Shiraz, made by Chris Ringland - so we expected this.

After about an hour and a half of air time, on the nose I get some floral notes, creme de cassis, vanilla, and maybe a touch of smoke. On the palate, cranberry, bing cherry vanilla, and with a nice finish. Certainly, the oak subsides a bit, although it is still present throughout the nose, and palate. What else would you expect from an Australian Shiraz though. At $17, I would buy another bottle of this.

3/9/2010 - AJG wrote:

Showing well, though I doubt that it will improve more at this point. So, you might as well drink up. Otherwise, it is as rich, complex, and oily as ever. The viognier shows clearly on the nose. It went very well with seafood.

3/9/2010 - AlexGarner wrote:

Domaine Huët Masterclass with Benjamin Joliveau (Prince Wine Store - Bank Street): Tasted at a Domaine Huët masterclass in Melbourne with Benjamin Joliveau. While the current stocks of this wine for sale by the Domain were all mostly re-corked and topped up (with the 1945 I might add) in 2005, the bottle we had was re-corked and topped up about 10 - 15 years ago. The cork was wet through two thirds and dry on the top third and was in good condition.

The colour is amazing for a 65 year old wine. Not only was it a deep gold, but it even still had green tinges at the edge.

The nose opened up quite quickly with a sublime melted butter dancing around delicate musky floral notes. Every type of citrus under the sun was present, with tangerine taking front row. Candle wax and soft peaches were right behind the citrus acid and were not taking a back seat.

The mouthfeel was immense - fresh lively peaches with a crisp citrus acidity and a lingering buttery, almost petroleum ending. The concentrated, oily and waxy mouthfeel, bordering on a fatty texture left a coating on the lips that could still be felt long after the last mouthful.

The first 10 minutes were spectacular - the colour and the acid made me wonder exactly how long this thing could be kept for. It almost feels like we are at the halfway mark, with another 65 years to go, but after 15 to 20 minutes, the wine started to dry and the palette became metallic, the crisp notes and acid falling away. We were lucky to get such a great bottle in such amazing condition and I would say that this should be drunk now if you have any. Bottles are now fetching up to AU$2,500 so I don't know how I'm going to see this one again.

Incredible.

3/9/2010 - Praxis wrote:

This medium-bodied shiraz has a very dark purple color with a sweet nose of flowers and candied fruit. In some regards, this wine seems to be quite restrained with some degree of complexity characterized by savory fruit, floral freshness, earthy minerals and exotic spices with a very light touch of oak. However, this wine also contains way too much alcohol for its size and frame. As a consequence the finish tastes rather weak and diluted as the flavorful components inevitably gives way to the excessive residual alcohol after a few seconds in the mouth.

3/8/2010 - Zinister wrote:

Don't have notes on this, but I do recall we were pleasently surprised by the flavor. Not as earthy as some Pinot...but good flavors as I recall.

3/8/2010 - Screameagle wrote:

Another great bottle. So good it has to be at it's prime that's for sure. Carlisle for me is making the best zins available today. Count me as a huge fan as I have been since the first commercial vintage the '98.