February 18, 2024 - As always, Philippe Melka has crafted an outstanding wine: lovely aromas of fruit & spice, the wine is rich & complex with a long, long finish. A wine in a beautiful place right now. Decanted three hours. 97+
May 14, 2023 - Delicious!
August 11, 2022 - Agree w others that this is showing well now
August 4, 2022 - Drank after a bottle of Carter that was very different but this wine is in a fantastic place. I’ve had other vintages of CJ and this is a great vintage. Lots of structure and great fruit.
February 4, 2022 - Very big perfume, a pleasure in off itself. Low acid, smooth, long lasting finish of raspberries, tobacco and dark cherries. Very enjoyable drop.
December 11, 2021 - Tasted blind, I knew it was a Melka immediately on the nose. Has that half funky half not, half French half not, half hot half not thing that Melkas all seem to have. Big full bodied wine, smooth warm palate, nice mouthfeel, big raspberry pie with vanilla, sweet tobacco, sweet tannin, creme brûlée, and some clay and mineral notes too and just enough acidity to keep up from going over the top. Nice long finish. Really a solid wine in a great spot right now, started singing after 1 hour open.
August 30, 2020 - A solid offering but QPR a bit challenging. Follows the Napa cab profile with oak/vanilla and relatively bold fruit. Perhaps a more difficult comparison as we had this after a bottle of Ulysses that was fantastic
January 26, 2020 - Deep ruby red. Light baking spices on the nose with cassis, black berries and tobacco. Medium tannins (6/10) and medium plus bodied. Well rounded palate with sweet spices, dark plums, tobacco and a bit of gravel. Long finish. Drink till 2027.
November 16, 2019 - Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Strong nose of blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, figs, raisins, light alcohol, cedar, vanilla, licorice, spices, light cloves, chocolates, mocha, coke and dark coffee.
Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, blueberries, sweet strawberries, oak, vanilla, chocolate cake, coffee, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead, tobacco and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is delicious. This is from a great vintage (2012) and it is showing. Rich and extracted with nice complexity and mouthfeel. I liked the tangy ending.
This 7 year old is drinking very nicely now and will be good in the next 5 to 7 years. Needs 3 hours to open up properly, but good right out of the bottle.
A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 18 months in (30%) New French oak barrels.
15.2% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$90.
February 1, 2019 - This wine completely transformed over the course of a couple hours.
After 30 mins in the decanter the first glass started with a powerful nose of dark cherry, cedar and bramble. Unfortunately the palette did not follow suit. There was overwhelming heat and bitterness that distracted from the fruit and everything else.
The second glass seemed to be a different wine. The nose remained powerful and enticing but the heat faded away and the depth of the wine began to shine. The tannins are smooth, velvety and well integrated with strong stature and structure. The wine is very well balanced with solid dark red cherry fruit and savory notes of leather and peppery spice.