2012 Jarvis (California) Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

Community Tasting Notes (7) Avg Score: 92.8 points

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  1/12/2024 - Gen NY Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Last bottle. Consistent with prior note.

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  2/25/2023 - Gen NY Likes this wine: 91 Points

  PNP on day 1. It smoothed out quickly (30 mins) - no proper notes but impression was - If anything it is too smooth with primary blue and black fruit and maybe a vein of earth and dry sandalwood. Tannins are resolved with medium acidity.
  
  On day 2 took proper notes: color is medium garnet with good clarity. There is no brown but it does not appear young, more middle aged. The smell is dominated by Maine wild blueberry preserves, some dried wood and a bit of wet earth. The initial taste has more bright raspberry and underripe blackberry, followed by plums and blueberry in the mid-palate and a final dose of acidity (the blackberries again). Distinctly California, fruit driven but not overly extracted or over-oaked. I would say it is an elegant and well crafted wine. It is just not as memorable or intricate as I would like. Perhaps that is a Bordeaux drinkers bias. Would not buy at full price, but not bad for 80 - 100.

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  1/23/2022 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 94 Points

  On my first trip out to Napa (2015), Jarvis was one of the favorites, and so we went back in 2016 and again in 2018. We go to Napa every year, and it’s one of the only wineries we have visited multiple times.
  
  This was part of a retrospective on 2012 Napa cabs, alongside Shafer HSS, Scarecrow, Morlet CdV, Bryant DB4, Dominus, Pulido Walker Melanson, Kapscandy, Buccella Cuvee Katrina Eileen and others. Definitely the most restrained.
  
  For some reason, I always get a streak of green peppercorn on all of the reds from Jarvis. It’s not off putting, just a signature of the winemaking. I’ve never found these wines to be overblown/high alcohol. They aren’t quite Bordeaux like, but they are clearly in between current Napa style and a restrained bridge to Bordeaux. This 2012 was true to the above. Aromatics here has green peppercorn, tar, underripe black fruits and a very fragrant potpourri note. Even after being open a few hours this was strong with zippy acidity surrounded by pepper crusted blackberries, mocha, black cherries and even some leather (not Brett driven, though). Blind, maybe someone takes this to left bank Bordeaux in a ripe vintage…but the kiss of sweetness is hard to take away from Napa. Wonderfully delicious and complex Cabernet starting to enter a great drinking window.

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  8/1/2021 - Barakahn Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Drank from split. Ripe black fruit on the nose that mostly settled out after 1 hour in the decanter. Pallet adds leather, smoke, vanilla and baking spice. Medium finish.

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  9/1/2019 - Terramare Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Very nice vintage that is certainly in the earlier half of its life. Tannins were very restrained. We didn't decant, but it might benefit from a half hour or so. Pushed the community window out to 2028 - the current 2022 is much too soon.

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View all 7 Community Tasting Notes

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