12/24/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Black and red fruits. Good acidity and rounded tannins. Long finish. PnP no decant.

10/29/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Ripe cherry, cedar chest, sweet spices, earth. Good acidity with resolved tannins. Smooth, medium finish. Nice, mature Sangiovese that drank better I expected. Drink up.

10/2/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Red fruits, cedar, crushed rocks, and earth. Pretty floral and elegant. Dry with the fruit taking a backseat to other notes. Chalky tannins still, so decant for 1 hour

10/1/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

These '08 Stormy Weathers continue to amaze. Still big and bold with lots of depth. Black currants, blackberries, dark chocolate, spice box, oak. Long finish. Have 2 more bottles to consume over next 5 years.

9/23/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Wow, this was awesome. Black currants, blueberry, leather, lavish oak, The quality of the Beckstoffer fruit really comes through here. Excellent depth with great balance. Long, dry finish. Drinking great now but has a few years to go still. PnP no decant.

9/6/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Still a bigger boy Brunello but not as big of beast as it was a 4 years ago when I last tried a bottle. Red fruits, with lots of spice box and incense. Wonderfully integrated, balanced, and ready to drink.

6/26/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Smooth, a bit ripe with earth, red fruits, and chalk minerality. Can go for a few more years but drinking nicely now.

6/13/2022 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:

Dry with tart, dark fruits and some crushed rocks. Medium bodied smooth tannins and good acidity. Brief 30 min decant, but did not improve much after 2 hours. This was outdone by a more robust 2008 Padis Cabernet. Not sure if this was an off bottle, but it lacked flavor and seemed tired.

4/21/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Lavish and regal Napa cab with notes of black currants, blueberries, mocha, oak, and crushed rocks. Full bodied with rounded tannins and good acidity. Got progressively fruitier with more air over the 2 hour consumption. Wonderful wine that is drinking great now.

4/30/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

This bottle was contributed by a generous friend for a birthday celebration @ Rare Society in San Diego. Was only decanted for 1 hour before consumption, which wasn't enough for the wine to fully open up. Super dark red and nearly opaque, I could tell this was going to be dense and sure enough, it was. Shy nose of crushed rocks, smoke, and some darker fruits (cassis and black raspberry). Palate similar as the nose with additional hints of tobacco, and dark chocolate. The wine was earthy and tightly wound with dry, chewy tannins.
Unfortunately the short decant didn't allow the wine's fruit to fully reveal itself, so I got more of the barrel influences. However the substance and density is there for a long life. As with some other '16s, this felt pretty shutdown still. I have a few bottles of the '16 and would either decant for +6 hours or better yet, wait a few years to try again.

4/15/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Has the lean, earthy, green profile of the '11 Napa vintage. As with other '11s, the nose was the best aspect of the wine with forest floor, peppercorn, cedar, and some black currants. Similar notes on the palate but somewhat muted, with a finish that is a bit clipped. Medium bodied and dry, with very smooth tannins. Drink now and over the next few years.

3/6/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Elegant, dark red with bricking at the edges. Notes of sweet cherry, black raspberry, sweet spices, and streak of minerality. Still a bit tannic so best to slow for an hour or so. In a great spot now but easily cruise for 5-7 more years. Wish I had a couple more bottles!

3/6/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

This is a big Napa cab. Lots of black fruits, some blue fruit, slate, tobacco. Nose a bit shy. Had quite a bit of heat on PnP but dissipated after a while. Full-bodied, with rounded tannins, nicely balanced acidity leading to a medium+ finish. I feel it would have been best served with no decant because as Mark1npt pointed out, the wine did become a bit too plush and sweet after being in the decanter for couple hours.

Had along side 2008 Guido Porro Barolo Vigna Lazzairasco. Contrasting styles made for a distinctive experience. The Merus was a big, brooding, dark fruited wine while the Guido Porro was the elegant, bricking, red fruited wine. Either way, a great wine to drink over the next few years.

2/27/2022 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:

Dark fruits (black cherry), dark chocolate, hint of tobacco, and nice minerality. Medium+ bodied and good acidity with tannins being a bit rough still. Medium finish. Decant for 1-2 hour. Very good food wine.

1/29/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Compared to the bottle I had back in 2018, this has matured more and taken on a bit more baked fruit profile. Similar notes to walkerjwf. Full bodied, with lots of dark red fruit (dark cherry, black plum) and blue fruits, licorice, bit of cigar box, and mild baking spices. This is all balanced with medium acidity and sweet, rounded tannins. Long, palate staining finish. Very Napa Valley. In a fantastic spot right now but can still perform at high level for another 3-5 years.

1/23/2022 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Dark and dense with cassis, black cherry, earth, mint, and some barrel influences of dark chocolate, vanilla, cedar. Needs about 3 hours of decanting to open up.

12/3/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Great rustic Brunello that is ready to drink. Very balanced with dark red fruit, earth, and streak of minerality. Decant for 1 hour at least.

10/24/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Red currants, dark cherry, tar, and dried herbs. Pretty herbaceous in the mouth as well. Medium bodied with rounded tannins. Mid palate hollows out a bit and finishes a bit clipped. Modern, ripe rendition of a Barolo, but pretty darn tasty.

10/9/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Amazing nose of peppercorn, eucalyptus, sundried tomato, smoked meats. Hits the palate with blackcurrants, dark chocolate, black olives, crushed rocks, and mint. Full-bodied and dense, with smooth, rounded tannins and good supporting acidity. Finishes long and dry. Decanted for 1 hour at Huntress Steakhouse in San Diego, but could have used more. This has shed any baby fat it might have had in its youth and has transitioned into a mature, elegant cabernet. Can easily go for a few more years in its current form.

10/3/2021 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:

Overly oaked with dill, vanilla, dark fruits, some spices. Coravin'd half the bottle and it was better 5 days later. Day 1 score 86; Day 5 score 88.

9/17/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Very similar notes to 1.5 years ago. A bit more restraint but still has bright red fruit and acidity. Wonderful wine.

9/18/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Had at Mastro's Ocean Club. Decanted for 1 hour. Dark, almost opaque reddish, purple color foreshadowed a full-bodied and dense 2010. Nose not as perfumed or direct as was expecting. Plum, tar, tobacco, some heat. Silky smooth but full-bodied, this was a bit too plush and tasted more advance then expected, almost like an older CdP. Blackberry, black cherry, plum, tobacco, hint of licorice. Finishes moderately long and dry. Drinking great now but wouldn't let this go for too long as it lacks some structure.

6/13/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

PnP and it was good to go. Nose a bit shy with Cassis and a flinty/gun-powder notes. Herbaceous and perfumed in the mouth, with Lavender, Rhubarb, and lots of red (red currants, cherry) and blue fruits. Full-bodied with mostly resolved tannins and fine acidity to keep things in balance. I would say it has a good 3-4 years year left if cellared well. Have one more bottle that I will consume during that time period. Great wine.

5/20/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Amazing, complex nose of Herb de Provence, peppercorn, forest floor, cacao, blackcurrants. Similar notes on palate but not quite as expressive as the nose. Full-bodied with good balance of structure and fruit. Dry, medium+ finish. This is drinking great now. Reminds me a lot of Pichon-Laland. Blankiet never disappoints.

4/3/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Dark and dense, the wine was packed with black currant, baking spices. and cedar. Well balanced with good acidity. Dry with medium finish. Can go a couple more years. Decanted the wine but really didn't need it.

2/28/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Dark, almost opaque even though its 15 years old. Dense, dark fruits, ceder, licorice, and a nice minerality. Medium bodied with soft, sweet tannins. Medium finish. Best on PnP and time in the glass. Still has a few years left. Very nice wine!

2/22/2021 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:

Upon opening, a lot of brett, heat, liquored fruits. Listen, I love me a nice earthy Super Tuscan, but the brett/burnyard/musk on this was like wine tasting inside a horse's stall. Luckily, the after an hour of air the bright, savory red fruit began to spring forward and cover some of this up. Still pretty tannic with medium+ acidity. Needs more time.

2/14/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

PnP was unusually thin, so much so I thought the bottle was dead. Poured into decanter and it put on lots of weight after 1 hour. Similar notes as Geaux. Dark, inky, with lots black and purple fruits, cedar, minerals, and tobacco. Full bodied and concentrated, but stays fresh and savory without getting heavy or jammy on the palate. Finish is a bit clipped. Great wine with some tertiary notes forming. Still some years left.

2/7/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

This bottle showed much better than the last one in December. This time decanted for 4 hours. Was bold, taut, and intense. Last bottle was more flabby. Bottle variation I guess.

1/11/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Nice but shy nose of plum, cassis, black olives, and sun-dried tomato. Initially more fruit (pomegranate, raspberry, plum) on the palate, but with time (1 hr decant) becomes more earthy, finishing long and dry. Much better than the 2010 V Block bottle from a month ago. Pleasantly surprised.

1/2/2021 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

PnP was promising but a bit tight, so decanted for 1 hr, but was at it best after 90 minutes. A somewhat shy nose of dark fruits (blackberry, cassis) and mint. Palate adds fennel, mild spices, and hint of tobacco. Medium bodied with well integrated structure. Medium finish. Overall the wine had a restrained, cool climate, earthy profile. Classy stuff.

12/13/2020 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:

On PnP, the nose had lot of heat and menthol notes. Palate was muted and primary with black/blue fruits, medium tannins and low acid. Drank half the bottle and vacu-vin the rest Day 1 score 86. On day 3, this become more interesting, with licorice, anise, earth, bacon/smoked meats, and blue fruits. I would hold this for another few years or give it lots of air.

11/7/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Ripe red cherry, raspberry, dark chocolate, black pepper. Medium bodied with fresh acidity. Nice mid-palate depth with a medium+ finish. Elegant and savory.

10/24/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Very funky nose of mushroom, damp earth, warn leather, so much that I thought this might have been slightly corked, but the palate didn't suffer the same fate. Decanted for 1 hour, which was just right as PnP palate was a bit tart and closed.
Smacks your palate with red licorice, dark cherries, black plum, and LOTS of backing spices. Great depth and long, spicy finish. Full-bodied, with medium tannins, medium+ acidity will allow this to age for another 5 years easily, although I really like where this is at right now. If the nose was more precise, it would rate even higher.

9/21/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

True to its cult style, a massively extracted, pitch black KE with purple rim. Decanted for 2 hours and needed it as PnP was pretty tight.
Wonderful nose of bright cassis, slate, and smoked meats. Similar notes on the palate, with hints of dried herbs and black pepper. Full-bodied and dry with dense, powerful, but not sweet fruit. With supple but ever-present tannins and medium+ acidity, blind I would have guessed 2010 Pauillac (Lynch-Bage or Pichon Lalande). Still has a few years left.

8/3/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Notes of cherry, earth, minerals, and hint of green peppers. Medium+ bodied with a tannins and acidity in balance. Nice depth with a medium finish. Drinking great with only 30 min of air. Should hold for a few years more.

7/26/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Nice but shy nose of ripe cherries, lavender, minerals, and bit of damp earth. Similar notes on the palate with mild backing spices. Nicely balanced and fairly smooth. Medium bodied with medium acidity and tannins. Drinking young but accessible on PnP, better after 1 hour decant.
Very nice bottle but a bit straight-forward right now, so fingers crossed that it can develop come complexity in the next couple years.

6/27/2020 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:

Very flat and muted on opening so decided to decant. After 2 hrs, it became more muscular, with the fruit taking a back seat to the luxurious barrel notes of baking spices and dark chocolate. Medium bodied with black and ripe red fruit profile. Like CSIMM mentioned, it had a streak of green (like fresh herbs) and felt bit boozy like a quality sherry (Oloroso). Finishes short and with more of the green notes. Seems like the high percentage of Cab Franc/PV is taking over with the green elements. Nice wine, but the fruit was more muted than I would have expected and didn't have the usual richness of a Bevan, especially in light of the 2012 vintage. Entering its mature years and pairs best with food.

5/23/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

PnP but was too tart and tight, so decanted and consumed after 1 hr. Pretty, but shy nose of dark fruit, earth, ceder, spice box. Similar on the palate, with more pronounced dark fruit, balsamic notes, and oak. Medium+ bodied, with medium+ tannin and acid. As it opened up after the 1st hour, the house-style (modern) came through in spades. Felt a bit too heavy and modern, even for my Napa-leaning palate. I prefer a bit more restraint in my Brunellos. However, after 2.5 hours more earthy and floral/herbaceous (lavender, dried herbs) elements came forward which made the wine more interesting. The finish also became a bit more savory and spicy which paired nicely with lamb chops. I would wait a couple more years for the baby fat to wear off and then its gonna be singing +92.

5/4/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Notes of violets, cassis, black plums, mint and tobacco. Decanted for 1 hour and it was just right. Tannins are a bit grainy with medium acidity. Good mid-palate depth and medium finish. I had this 4 years ago at the winery (bought 2 bottles of it) and back then it was vibrant and very floral/herbaceous. This is very different wine, a bit heavier and more mature, but still enjoyable. Has few more years left.

4/18/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Wonderfully smooth and plush, this bottle offered up notes of ripe red cherries, earth, mocha, and ceder. Attacks right away with ripe but pure cherry and raspberry. Excellent mid-palate concentration, finishing a bit more savory, round and long. Have had several vintages of Jones Family cabs and Heidi did a great job with all of them. Drink up but has the structure to go a few more years.

4/12/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Blueberry, black currants, earth. Ripe and sudden on the attack, tapering off slowly into a clipped/short finish. If the finish was longer, this would be really good; nevertheless, very enjoyable. Drink up. Crazy good QPR.

4/3/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Been 4.5 years since my last bottle and it has evolved beautifully. Decanted for 1 hour, which it needed to open up. Medium bodied with rounded tannins. Notes of dark cherry, earth, ceder, and baking spices. Finishes long and earthy. Drinking great now and will improve over the next couple years (93-94).

3/22/2020 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:

Wow, this was fantastic. Similar notes to Quiet Lion... gobs of cassis, earth, and bit of oak to round things out. This is gonna last for long time!

2/17/2020 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Textbook elegant Stags Leap cab with fresh and bright red fruits of pomegranate, raspberry, and red currants.
Nice streak of backing spices, cloves, and limestone minerality provided a nice grip on the finish. An excellent bottle from an obscure, no longer existent vineyard.

1/26/2020 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:

Well balanced, savory dark and red fruits, pepper. Nice.

1/5/2020 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:

Drank over 1 hour. Notes of cherry, minerals, and some ceder on the finish. Good grip and acidity made it pair well with Penne Arrabiata. Pretty good, but never became anything special. Might have done better with more air.

12/31/2019 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

An excellent bottle that took a good 3 hours for it to come around. Dark garnet color with slight browning at the edges. On PnP this was thin and boring, but progressively put on weight and complexity as it sat in the decanter. The nose never fully revealed itself, but the palate is where the wine shined. Enters with lovely mature roasted plum, and raspberry, and finishes with savory tomato, Asian spices, and hint of charcoal that provide a solid grip and a long finish. Wonderful concentration without getting jammy or cloyingly sweet. Definitely can drink now (with 3 decant) but can hold for many years. Would love to see how this develops in a few years. Paired wonderfully with a New York strip steak!

11/28/2019 - Eye Drink Reds wrote:

Solid Chianti with typical profile of bright cherries, raspberries, minerals and hint of tobacco. Lots of tannins and acidity, which made a nice food-friendly wine and paired well with Turkey and accompanying sides. Medium+ finish. Detected a fair amount of brett which blew off after couple of hours.

10/31/2019 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine:

Pretty much exactly the same notes as 1.5 years ago. This has barely moved. One of the members of our party remarked that this reminded him of a 2008 Scarecrow he had a week ago, which speaks to the quality of this juice.
There was about a glass left in the decanter after 4 hours, and by then it had lost some of its freshness and felt a bit too viscous and heavy. Nevertheless, there is no denying this is a full-bodied, dark fruited monster that won't be losing any fruit anytime soon.