2010 JP Harbison Cabernet Sauvignon Pony Express Estate

Community Tasting Notes (3) Avg Score: 96 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View sfwinelover1's profile
  • Report Issue

  9/2/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

  Consistent with 4/1 TN. Drank against a ‘15 Promontory and a ‘14 Sugarloaf Mountain, this couldn’t match the Prom, no disgrace there, but came across to me as a bit more polished, at least at the moment, than the Sugarloaf. I thought it ready to go with a couple of hours of slow ox, but Paul felt it really developed over the 3 hours or so it was open. Under any circumstances, in a really good place, and even if further improvement isn’t certain, should hold solidly here for years to come (I’m adding 3 years to my window). I just wish the auction lot I bought had been more than 2 bottles. 96+ if scoring.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View sfwinelover1's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/1/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 97 Points

  First of 2 ($112@) from a recent auction purchase. On the nose and palate, intensely redolent with incense, Xmas fruitcake, camphor, eucalyptus, black and huckleberries, red currants, forest floor, wet soil and tar. Opaquely purple, full bodied, thick legs. Medium+ acidity, medium- tannins, no heat. Tremendous complexity, intensity and persistence. I didn’t quite know what to expect here, with one pro and one CT review for this vintage, but other vintages had spectacular reviews and nosebleed prices, so I was intrigued. Likewise the Bevan angle. I don’t have a lot of experience with his wines. The Ontogeny I had seemed like a better version of Caymus—not a screaming compliment—but a ‘13 ee Tench was pretty profound. I have a couple of Vixens gathering dust, waiting for them to mellow a bit per a CT friend’s advice, who also, in giving a B+ reco for this, mentioned that Bevan took his best grapes for his own label. And, while I don’t have the finest sense of the cult cab winemakers and their styles, have an impression that Bevan might fall closer to Mike Smith and Kirk Venge than, say, Andy Erickson (my tastes are far closer to the latter). Sooo, when I popped this and was greeted by an otherworldly bouquet, almost feral, with a long, cool feel, perfectly balanced with good but integrated structure, savoriness and elegance in spades, I felt like I’d hit the lottery.Pretty much singing on the pop, this wine is deep and long without feeling big; whatever booziness, vanilla and oak once lived have packed their bags, put the kerchief on a stick and hit the road, leaving a wine of transcendent beauty, far exceeding expectations. Worked really well with burritos one night and mixed grill another, but while this is anything but a cocktail wine, at least at this point, it’s a real standout on its own. I don’t know this bottling, but I’d put this at mid to late peak drinking window, and I’ll look to drink my next bottle in the next year or two, but after drinking some bigger, younger cabs yesterday, this went down exactly right. Outstanding qpr at what I paid, and super recommended. 97+

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View N.Bonaparte's profile
  • Report Issue

  1/18/2022 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 94 Points

  Purchased from the winery- this only needed 60 minutes to open up. What a beautiful, polished wine. Full throttle, but somehow manages to keep its balance. Still quite a bit of grip, almost chewy. These are nearing their prime and should hold up for a decade(s).

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.