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"For my money, these are some of the most compelling wines being made in California today."
Antonio Galloni, Vinous |
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Pierre Seillan
VÉRITÉ →
ANAKOTA →
Chris Carpenter
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| "I suppose the arguments against giving perfect scores far outnumber those for giving them, but after 37 years of tasting just about everything of quality that’s been produced, I believe I’m in a position to recognize truly world-class efforts that are as complete and compelling as good wine can be. And if that’s the case, then why hold back? I realize that it creates possibly unreal expectations among readers, and there is the argument that nothing really is perfect. But if a wine is as good as you think it can be made, then I have no reservations about offering accolades to those rare wines.
When one considers the winemaking effort that goes into producing these cuvées of Vérité, from Bordelais Pierre Seillan, the fastidious attention to detail and the use of only the crème de la crème of fruit from some of the finest vineyards in the Jackson family empire, the results are not that surprising .... The entire philosophy is that La Muse is the right bank Pomerol look-alike, La Joie the Médoc-like wine, and Le Désir like a Saint-Émilion in the style of Ausone. These are legendary wines of extract, richness, and potential as well as of longevity and complexity.
No compromises are made, and the credit goes certainly to the Jackson family for supporting the efforts of winemaker Pierre Seillan."
Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate |
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‣ "Blueberries, blackberries and crushed stones. Pure fruit. Full-bodied with round tannins that have powdery character. Creamy and round mouthfeel. Very unique. Great finish. 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec."
99 JamesSuckling.com
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‣ "The 2019 Le Désir is just as stunning as the first time I tasted it from bottle. It's pure and layered, with alluring scents of Morello cherries, dried mushrooms, cigars, sage and aniseed wafting from the glass. The palate strikes a fine balance of concentrated fruit, loads of powdery tannins, and energetic bursts of fresh acidity. It has a deep core of concentrated, perfumed fruit with the first faint touches of umami character and a long finish driven by floral and iron tones. I can't get enough of this wine." Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
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‣ "A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is deep garnet-purple in color. It has a wonderfully flashy and flamboyant nose of blackcurrant cordial, redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and potpourri with hints of chocolate mint, tilled soil, chalk dust, and forest floor. The medium- to full-bodied palate is very taut and muscular with tons of bright, crunchy black fruits and wonderful tension, finishing with tons of earthy nuances." Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, TheWineIndependent.com
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"This is the greatest set of wines to emerge from La Jota Vineyard Co. since the early 1990s, when it was under different ownership and the winemaker was Helen Turley. In this case, winemaker Chris Carpenter, who has done such a fabulous job at Lokoya and Cardinale, has gotten this acquisition by the Jackson family up to the high potential they had hoped for when they purchased this historic estate. Readers will be thrilled to see two profound Merlots have been produced from this high-elevation site, as well as a magnificent Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon .... La Jota Vineyard is back and producing splendid wines." Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate |
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"Chris Carpenter has done a terrific job with these wines from La Jota. All of the wines are imbued with a deep sense of Howell Mountain character." Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com |
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‣ "The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is another superb wine from La Jota. Rich and explosive, the 2019 possesses tremendous density and plenty of mountain power. A rush of black cherry, blackberry, licorice, spice, and menthol builds into the huge finish. This is a fabulous vintage for the La Jota Cabernet." Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com
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"The winemaker behind the Anakota high-elevation mountain vineyard sites in Knights Valley is none other than Pierre Seillan, the Bordelais guru who makes the fabulous wines of Vérité from the same proprietor, the Jackson family. There are two cuvées from various elevations in Knights Valley: the lower-elevation called Helena Montana and the higher site, the Helena Dakota .... These are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in French oak and are meant for long, long-term aging. I would suggest that these may be, potentially, the longest-lived wines being made in Knights Valley - even exceeding the potential ageworthiness of the Peter Michael Les Pavots cuvées that are made in this microclimate on the Sonoma side, but near the Napa County line."
Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate |
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‣ "Incredibly spicy and aromatic with pumice and clove. Pops out of the glass. Cedar, too. Full-bodied, with soft, polished tannins adding tension and creaminess. Long and beautiful. All about class and breeding." JamesSuckling.com
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"Mt. Brave is one of the hidden jewels in the Jackson Family Estates portfolio. All of the wines emerge from the Jackson family's stunning vineyards high atop Mt. Veeder, where winemaker Chris Carpenter makes wines of true distinction that remain exceedingly fairly priced by Napa Valley standards."
Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate |
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‣ "Showcasing the lovely freshness of high-elevation Mount Veeder grapes. Vivid boysenberry and mulberry fruits give way to mountain herbs, dusty minerals and rich toasty cedar. A compact wine revealing black-fruited flavours and savoury herbal nuances alongside sculpted tannins that are pixelated and mouthcoating. An impressively long finish of iron shavings, baked agave and dried chaparral." Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter Magazine
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‣"Mt. Brave is Jackson Family Wines’s high-end project on Mt. Veeder. Chris Carpenter turned out a gorgeous set of 2019s."
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com |
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"Over the last half-dozen or so years, the Jackson family have dramatically and consistently upgraded the quality of Stonestreet Estate Vineyards. All of these wines come from their Alexander Valley mountain estate, and the winemaker of recent vintages has been Lisa Valtenbergs. She and her predecessor began decreasing the percentage of new oak on the wines, and it has been a perfect marriage with the great fruit they get from their diverse terroirs spread over this mountain vineyard, ranging from 800 to over 2,400 feet in elevation in the case of some of the Cabernet Sauvignons …. The late Jess Jackson considered this estate one of the true jewels in his extensive vineyard holdings."
Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate |
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‣ "This iconic blend of Bordeaux varieties from our Mountain Estate comes from vineyards grown above 1,000 feet elevation. Aromas of black plum, blackberry cobbler, and fresh tobacco leaf take the lead, followed by flavors of pink peppercorn, dried sage, and cocoa powder. A rich aromatic profile is coupled with a savory palate for an integrated and compelling finish." Stonestreet
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‣ "Lisa Valtenbergs turned out a superb set of wines at Stonestreet .... Perhaps that is a reflection of the very high quality of the 2016 vintage, or maybe there is a slight move towards a more nuanced style. Time will tell. Either way, the 2016 Cabernets are fabulous, and also some of the very finest wines I have tasted here." Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com
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‣ "The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a gorgeous, entry-level wine for the estate. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, spice and gravel are all pushed forward. This is an unusually forward wine although there is plenty of the typical savory/graphite notes that are so typical of this site. Winemaker Lisa Valtenbergs has done a terrific job with these new releases from Stonestreet .... the 2013 Cabernets show once again just how special this vintage is." Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com
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"Part of Jackson Family Wines, winemaking here is under the supervision of Chris Carpenter, the Napa-based Cabernet guru of the group — overseeing Cardinale and Lokoya, among others. Understandably, the focus is on Bordeaux varieties, while at sister property Yangarra Estate, winemaker Pete Fraser's attention is directed more Rhône-ward. The Hickinbotham wines reflect a good bit of Carpenter's 'California mountain' style, showing plenty of concentration and structure." Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
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‣ "Dark as night, packed with concentrated aromas of menthol, bay leaf, tobacco, cedar, vanilla and cassis, the 2019 Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, powerful Cabernet with notable herbal overtones. Full-bodied, ripe and velvety in texture, it finishes with hints of dark chocolate and scorched coffee. Long and structured, with dusty tannins on the finish, it should age well ..." Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
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