Black ruby color. Gorgeous, complex aromas of tangy red and black plums, loaded with olive brine, olive tapenade, bacon fat, black pepper and leather. Vibrant acidity on the palate, structured tannins still holding their ground but nice fine edges on them, the combination is silky and fresh. Tart plums, black cherries, the fruit is still fresh and juicy, but the focus now is on these complex earthy, savory, spicy elements: black tea, black olives, roasted red pepper, black pepper, charcoal dusty, loamy soil, graphite and minerals. Tangy, long finish. I cellared this since release and I’m glad I did, because it has aged beautifully, and still has time to go.
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Not as rich as the 09, but this has matured nicely. A more restrained, elegant version of syrah at this stage. Medium body and acidity with a good, medium length finish. Decanted for about 20 mins which was all that was needed. Drinking nicely now.
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Ripe but not too ripe, this is thick-textured but without too much of a manipulated feeling, playful up front but an over-extracted finish. Solid and fruity but not very interesting to me. Leans toward the mainstream.
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Opened and into a round flat-bottomed cocktail glass, the best I could do for the hotel we used for the evening. Real good Jremose syrah, the best of what the vineyard does with iron, dark cherry, terrific intensity, a base of moderate acidity and bitter chocolate. With more air, it picks up a blueberry compote note, just a hint of hint to frame the edges of the wine, really nicely. My last bottle, this can age well given what I find inthe glass (shown with about 90 mins of slow ox, for context)....finished 2 days later, with a good dollop of chocolate and blueberry skin now, smoothed out and in my view, ready to drink. Delicious.
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As part of the virtual tasting on Wineberserkers "One from the Other Side." This was Salil's trade for my 2000 Cantemerle. Popped and poured. Drank out of Zalto Bordeaux glasses. Drank half today and will drink the rest tomorrow. This is a fruit driven wine. Still very primary, with just a tiny bit of . Dark fruit, black and red fruit. A tiny bit of spice but substantially outweighed by the fruit. Smooth with no tannic bite. An excellent but not outstanding wine. 89 points at Day 1.
Much improved in Day 2. Soft pepper spice, allspice and still lots of dark fruit. Long finish. a bit of citrus acidity.
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I opened this last night and drank off about a glass and stuck the bottle back with the cork to try tonight. I wanted to allow some aeration to impact the wine so I could enjoy it with dinner again this evening and give it a go with this note. I may have a little residual cellar chill on this but not much, so call it consumed and noted at about 68 degrees, which I'd say is a good temp for CA syrah. Listed alc is 14.2% and I'd say that is pretty close, as there's nothing fumey on the nose. Some hint of purple flower and a similar note of potpourri/dried flower that I consistently find on Jim's syrah. The palate here, much like the 2009 I drank last week, is grapey and inky, with a rustic level of tannin and acidity. The fruit shows mostly blue and it's backed up by a good dose of earthy flavor. Licorice, char, some olive around the edges. It finishes with a terrific push of the same earthy dark fruit, vivid acid that brightens the wine and some tannin. I bet this wine is going to age well, to soften some more and become more finessed, as it for now it remains youthful, expressive and complex. Drink now (with air) or better to let this age into 2014 through 2017.
Really great bottle. Nice combination of dark fruit, dry-aged beef, earth, and leather. Had nice weight to the palate with some blueberry, sour cherry and bacon flavors. Really good.
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Consumed half the bottle over the course of about 2 hours, and just never really warmed up to this wine. There's certainly good fruit (black and red), and a bit of a meaty element as well, but it has a huge hole in the mid-palate and just craters on the finish. Essentially it's a front of the palate wine, which would be fine for a cocktail party where nobody is paying any attention, but not so good if one gives even a moment's thought to what is in the glass. Really disappointing.
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Deep purple. Somewhat astringent and chenically on opengin, but drank after 4 hour decant. Opened very nicely, with plum and other dark fruits. Some white pepper, and gobs of complexity.
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Certainly wasn't as meaty as the other two bottles I tried before. This was denser, more voluptuous and polished. Seemed artificially smooth in a weird way...like looking at a person that's obviously tried too hard to manipulate their face with cosmetic surgery. Dunno what was going on here...every Jemrose I've had prior to this were great examples of American cool-climate syrah.
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PnP through Nuance Wine Finer. Dark purple color. On the nose, dark berries and some floral aeromatics. On the palate, tremendous balance. Dark berries (blackberries?). Nice round mouthfeel. Tight tannins with a long finish. Wonderful bottle of wine. 91+ pts. Aloha!
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Nice meaty syrah from California. Love the combination of earthy dark fruit with this aged meat thing...certainly not as exotic as Northern Rhone syrah can be, but I thought this drank incredibly well.
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Note after 3 hours in a decanter. the cooler climate makes its essence known on the nose, but boy is it complex. Dark berry, cinnamon stick, pepper, touch of olives all show up and make it very fresh. Rather dark on the palate, but more moderate in mouthfeel. Chalky Olives, cracked pepper, and cranberry dominate, while the llong finish brings a zing of heat. Needs time, but it's pretty good today.
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While not as good as the Cardiac Hill offerings from Carlisle, this was still very enjoyable. I agree with FMIII below that it picked up some charm on the second night have been a little tightly wound upon opening. I think a long decant could have resolved a lot of that initially. Lots of smoke and meat with some violet and a little resin.
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Pretty aromas of dark red and black fruits with peppery elements. Comes accross very Northern Rhone in style with cool sleek deep core of pure blackberry fruit and hint of black dirt that adds intrigue. More delicate and higher acid then one would expect out of California. A very good wine perfect on its own, but can see it being even better when matched with food.
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Opened last night over dinner, returned to the Vinoscraper with simply the cork as closure. What I like about the wine between last night and tonight is the added weight it picked up. While it was a bit juicier and more austere in the finish last night, the mid-palate tonight is more full and the flavors are generous with really nice depth--this was a significant change that came with aeration. This is a similar comment that Mike made in his note, and my comment on the same experience is coincidental, as I had not read his review prior to adding my note here. Listed alcohol of 14.2% and there is none of it intruding, which adds to the overall enjoyment. Similar aromatics of garrigue, stem and potpourri. Within the texture, lots of pure blue fruit, some herbal notes, black olive, licorice, some tannin grip on the finish that shows the youth of the wine. As compared to the 2009 I drank last week, this 2008 is more flamboyant and yes richer yet it shows great fruit purity, with good acid and enough structure to let it age further. The moral here is drink on Day 1 if you want the leaner version or on Day 2 if you want more of the broad swath the fruit will cut. Either way, both are terrific.
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Popped and poured. Reticent and somewhat closed on opening. After about 2 hours, this began to really reach stride. On day 2, it is absolutely stunning. Dark, deep, balanced, rich and lively. Really nice.
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Winemakers you know (Mike G. visits) (Mike Posk's): My first time with this winery. Black raspberries, and black cherries. Nice acidity. Tannic and young. I liked how juicy this wine was and despite the many wines, it was refreshing to my palate. It would have been nice to compare to the 07, which a few said was better (in a pristine bottle), but I liked the 08. I need to try more of their wines.
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Saturday Evening Wines (Washington, DC): Nose has violets, cured meats, some figs and sour cherry. The palate is densely packed together, with jammy peppered black fruits. The wine is lithe in feeling, but ballsy in its flavor.
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Saturday Night at Tooch's (Tooch's - Washington, D.C.): dark purple color. initially, the nose was really tight. but after two hours open, it really opened up. gorgeous blackberry and raspberry fruit, accented with dried rose petals, potporri and a hint of cured meat. the palate really show how young this wine is. dense tannins, grippy, but they are manageable. the fruit is pure and lush. blackberries, plum skins. magic markers. the fruit is followed with a toasty, pot roast flavor that is just gorgeous. just delicious. charcoal and plum pits on the finish. wow. this is my kind of syrah. absolutely gorgeous and i can't wait to try this again in a few years.
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I like where this wine is headed. At the moment (and this is without any real decant time), shows aromatics of incense and potpourri (called it dried flowers and spice if you wish!). Starts off chalky and tight with black cherry and dark blueberry but with more air, as it fleshes out, gets juicier with lots of blue fruited acidity, charcoal, game and light olive. As with all of Jim's syrahs, 30% new oak and 30% whole cluster. This wine is headed in a great direction and lots of life ahead of it.
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Jemrose Dinner @ Marche Moderne in the OC (Marche Moderne, Costa Mesa CA): Like the 2006, 30% new oak and whole cluster, with a lower alcohol here of 14.1%. Nose shows potpourri (dried flowers), lavender and is better balanced than the 2006, IMO. Good mix of richness but the balance keeps it on track. Iron, good acidity and still tight so all things said, will in my view age better and be better than the 2006. FWIW, I tasted and noted the 2007 version about 6 weeks ago, and found that wine to be drinking terrific. I think what shows is that Jim, through Michael Browne, is getting his syrah where he wants it. The progression from 2006- 2008 shows that direction.
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30% whole cluster, 30% new French oak. Also bottled very recently and even more reticent than the Grenache, showing some dark fruit and black pepper with a sense of intense concentration and power, but it's very tightly coiled and unyielding right now. Lots of acid/tannin structure as well, just needs some time.
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2/2/2018 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 93 Points
Black ruby color. Gorgeous, complex aromas of tangy red and black plums, loaded with olive brine, olive tapenade, bacon fat, black pepper and leather. Vibrant acidity on the palate, structured tannins still holding their ground but nice fine edges on them, the combination is silky and fresh. Tart plums, black cherries, the fruit is still fresh and juicy, but the focus now is on these complex earthy, savory, spicy elements: black tea, black olives, roasted red pepper, black pepper, charcoal dusty, loamy soil, graphite and minerals. Tangy, long finish. I cellared this since release and I’m glad I did, because it has aged beautifully, and still has time to go.
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9/5/2016 - cobbpa Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great. Dark fruit core with a bit of spice & florals. Avoids being too heavy; good balance to it.
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12/7/2015 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
Not as rich as the 09, but this has matured nicely. A more restrained, elegant version of syrah at this stage. Medium body and acidity with a good, medium length finish. Decanted for about 20 mins which was all that was needed. Drinking nicely now.
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5/3/2015 - WDK Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opaque purple. Bold fruit with good structure, medium body and a long finish.
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3/8/2015 - yofog wrote:
Ripe but not too ripe, this is thick-textured but without too much of a manipulated feeling, playful up front but an over-extracted finish. Solid and fruity but not very interesting to me. Leans toward the mainstream.
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9/22/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened and into a round flat-bottomed cocktail glass, the best I could do for the hotel we used for the evening. Real good Jremose syrah, the best of what the vineyard does with iron, dark cherry, terrific intensity, a base of moderate acidity and bitter chocolate. With more air, it picks up a blueberry compote note, just a hint of hint to frame the edges of the wine, really nicely. My last bottle, this can age well given what I find inthe glass (shown with about 90 mins of slow ox, for context)....finished 2 days later, with a good dollop of chocolate and blueberry skin now, smoothed out and in my view, ready to drink. Delicious.
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7/4/2014 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 91 Points
As part of the virtual tasting on Wineberserkers "One from the Other Side." This was Salil's trade for my 2000 Cantemerle. Popped and poured. Drank out of Zalto Bordeaux glasses. Drank half today and will drink the rest tomorrow. This is a fruit driven wine. Still very primary, with just a tiny bit of . Dark fruit, black and red fruit. A tiny bit of spice but substantially outweighed by the fruit. Smooth with no tannic bite. An excellent but not outstanding wine. 89 points at Day 1.
Much improved in Day 2. Soft pepper spice, allspice and still lots of dark fruit. Long finish. a bit of citrus acidity.
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12/21/2013 - jaybird1234 wrote: 88 Points
Light with not a lot of forward flavor. Did better with time. Definitely decant for a few hours before consuming.
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11/27/2012 - Frank Murray III Likes this wine:
I opened this last night and drank off about a glass and stuck the bottle back with the cork to try tonight. I wanted to allow some aeration to impact the wine so I could enjoy it with dinner again this evening and give it a go with this note. I may have a little residual cellar chill on this but not much, so call it consumed and noted at about 68 degrees, which I'd say is a good temp for CA syrah. Listed alc is 14.2% and I'd say that is pretty close, as there's nothing fumey on the nose. Some hint of purple flower and a similar note of potpourri/dried flower that I consistently find on Jim's syrah. The palate here, much like the 2009 I drank last week, is grapey and inky, with a rustic level of tannin and acidity. The fruit shows mostly blue and it's backed up by a good dose of earthy flavor. Licorice, char, some olive around the edges. It finishes with a terrific push of the same earthy dark fruit, vivid acid that brightens the wine and some tannin. I bet this wine is going to age well, to soften some more and become more finessed, as it for now it remains youthful, expressive and complex. Drink now (with air) or better to let this age into 2014 through 2017.
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11/17/2012 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
Really great bottle. Nice combination of dark fruit, dry-aged beef, earth, and leather. Had nice weight to the palate with some blueberry, sour cherry and bacon flavors. Really good.
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10/8/2012 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Consumed half the bottle over the course of about 2 hours, and just never really warmed up to this wine. There's certainly good fruit (black and red), and a bit of a meaty element as well, but it has a huge hole in the mid-palate and just craters on the finish. Essentially it's a front of the palate wine, which would be fine for a cocktail party where nobody is paying any attention, but not so good if one gives even a moment's thought to what is in the glass. Really disappointing.
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9/30/2012 - lundmc wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple. Somewhat astringent and chenically on opengin, but drank after 4 hour decant. Opened very nicely, with plum and other dark fruits. Some white pepper, and gobs of complexity.
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9/27/2012 - tooch wrote: flawed
Certainly wasn't as meaty as the other two bottles I tried before. This was denser, more voluptuous and polished. Seemed artificially smooth in a weird way...like looking at a person that's obviously tried too hard to manipulate their face with cosmetic surgery. Dunno what was going on here...every Jemrose I've had prior to this were great examples of American cool-climate syrah.
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9/7/2012 - bg3034 Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP through Nuance Wine Finer. Dark purple color. On the nose, dark berries and some floral aeromatics. On the palate, tremendous balance. Dark berries (blackberries?). Nice round mouthfeel. Tight tannins with a long finish. Wonderful bottle of wine. 91+ pts. Aloha!
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8/30/2012 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Nice meaty syrah from California. Love the combination of earthy dark fruit with this aged meat thing...certainly not as exotic as Northern Rhone syrah can be, but I thought this drank incredibly well.
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7/23/2012 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
Napa & Sonoma Trip (Dunn, O'Shaughnessy, Conn Valley, Seavey, TOR, Jemrose, Hansel); 7/23/2012-7/26/2012: Darker fruit than the grenache, with medium to full body and medium acidity. A little smoke and tar on the finish.
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2/12/2012 - RobertTassi wrote: 91 Points
Drank over two days, much improved on second day. No real tasting notes, but was good stuff with a filet mignon and twice-baked potatoes.
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2/11/2012 - jdabrowski1027 wrote: 92 Points
Note after 3 hours in a decanter. the cooler climate makes its essence known on the nose, but boy is it complex. Dark berry, cinnamon stick, pepper, touch of olives all show up and make it very fresh. Rather dark on the palate, but more moderate in mouthfeel. Chalky Olives, cracked pepper, and cranberry dominate, while the llong finish brings a zing of heat. Needs time, but it's pretty good today.
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2/3/2012 - bmwcarl wrote:
While not as good as the Cardiac Hill offerings from Carlisle, this was still very enjoyable. I agree with FMIII below that it picked up some charm on the second night have been a little tightly wound upon opening. I think a long decant could have resolved a lot of that initially. Lots of smoke and meat with some violet and a little resin.
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9/18/2011 - KenK wrote: 93 Points
Pretty aromas of dark red and black fruits with peppery elements.
Comes accross very Northern Rhone in style with cool sleek deep core of pure blackberry fruit and hint of black dirt that adds intrigue. More delicate and higher acid then one would expect out of California. A very good wine perfect on its own, but can see it being even better when matched with food.
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9/12/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened last night over dinner, returned to the Vinoscraper with simply the cork as closure. What I like about the wine between last night and tonight is the added weight it picked up. While it was a bit juicier and more austere in the finish last night, the mid-palate tonight is more full and the flavors are generous with really nice depth--this was a significant change that came with aeration. This is a similar comment that Mike made in his note, and my comment on the same experience is coincidental, as I had not read his review prior to adding my note here. Listed alcohol of 14.2% and there is none of it intruding, which adds to the overall enjoyment. Similar aromatics of garrigue, stem and potpourri. Within the texture, lots of pure blue fruit, some herbal notes, black olive, licorice, some tannin grip on the finish that shows the youth of the wine. As compared to the 2009 I drank last week, this 2008 is more flamboyant and yes richer yet it shows great fruit purity, with good acid and enough structure to let it age further. The moral here is drink on Day 1 if you want the leaner version or on Day 2 if you want more of the broad swath the fruit will cut. Either way, both are terrific.
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8/11/2011 - Mike Dildine wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Reticent and somewhat closed on opening. After about 2 hours, this began to really reach stride. On day 2, it is absolutely stunning. Dark, deep, balanced, rich and lively. Really nice.
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4/24/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Winemakers you know (Mike G. visits) (Mike Posk's): My first time with this winery. Black raspberries, and black cherries. Nice acidity. Tannic and young. I liked how juicy this wine was and despite the many wines, it was refreshing to my palate. It would have been nice to compare to the 07, which a few said was better (in a pristine bottle), but I liked the 08. I need to try more of their wines.
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4/17/2011 - salil wrote:
Still fairly tight and unyielding and not showing much more than a lot of primary fruit right now. Tightly coiled but impressively structured.
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3/19/2011 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Saturday Evening Wines (Washington, DC): Nose has violets, cured meats, some figs and sour cherry. The palate is densely packed together, with jammy peppered black fruits. The wine is lithe in feeling, but ballsy in its flavor.
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3/19/2011 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Saturday Night at Tooch's (Tooch's - Washington, D.C.): dark purple color. initially, the nose was really tight. but after two hours open, it really opened up. gorgeous blackberry and raspberry fruit, accented with dried rose petals, potporri and a hint of cured meat. the palate really show how young this wine is. dense tannins, grippy, but they are manageable. the fruit is pure and lush. blackberries, plum skins. magic markers. the fruit is followed with a toasty, pot roast flavor that is just gorgeous. just delicious. charcoal and plum pits on the finish. wow. this is my kind of syrah. absolutely gorgeous and i can't wait to try this again in a few years.
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3/18/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I like where this wine is headed. At the moment (and this is without any real decant time), shows aromatics of incense and potpourri (called it dried flowers and spice if you wish!). Starts off chalky and tight with black cherry and dark blueberry but with more air, as it fleshes out, gets juicier with lots of blue fruited acidity, charcoal, game and light olive. As with all of Jim's syrahs, 30% new oak and 30% whole cluster. This wine is headed in a great direction and lots of life ahead of it.
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10/14/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Jemrose Dinner @ Marche Moderne in the OC (Marche Moderne, Costa Mesa CA): Like the 2006, 30% new oak and whole cluster, with a lower alcohol here of 14.1%. Nose shows potpourri (dried flowers), lavender and is better balanced than the 2006, IMO. Good mix of richness but the balance keeps it on track. Iron, good acidity and still tight so all things said, will in my view age better and be better than the 2006. FWIW, I tasted and noted the 2007 version about 6 weeks ago, and found that wine to be drinking terrific. I think what shows is that Jim, through Michael Browne, is getting his syrah where he wants it. The progression from 2006- 2008 shows that direction.
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7/1/2010 - salil wrote:
30% whole cluster, 30% new French oak. Also bottled very recently and even more reticent than the Grenache, showing some dark fruit and black pepper with a sense of intense concentration and power, but it's very tightly coiled and unyielding right now. Lots of acid/tannin structure as well, just needs some time.
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11/14/2009 - blondon wrote:
Rhone Dinner at Frank Murray's with Jim & Gloria Mack: Barrel sample. Osso bucco, roasted tomatoes, dark fruit. Short in the midpalate and finish at first, lengthened with air. I like where this wine is going.
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