March 2021Wines of the Month

For the wine snob: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot – Sourced from AVAs (spanning Napa and Sonoma) is to craft wines that express their unique terroir.  At harvest, the fruit was hand-picked and gently processed using our state-of-the-art Pellenc sorting and destemming system.  The pristine, whole berry fruit was fermented in a concrete tank fermenter after 15-30 days soaking on the skins. The finished wine was aged in 35% new, tight grained, French Oak barrels for 22 months. All Jax wines are produced using 100% native spontaneous yeast. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

For the rest of us: Dark aromas of ripe blackberries, currants and a hint of spice. This Cabernet Sauvignon coats the palate with dense layers of black cherry, cocoa nib, forest floor and soft hints of cedar. Full-bodied with broad structure, this wine carries through with vibrant acidity and delicate tannins.  This wine will be excellent with pork tenderloin!

For the wine snob: 100% Chardonnay, Our Chardonnay grapes are sourced from a single vineyard in Carneros benefiting from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean. This cooler microclimate coupled with concrete tank fermentation imparts an expressive yet bright and balanced mouthfeel on the palette. Limiting Malolactic Fermentation to less than 10%, Kirk Venge highlights the underlying quality fruit and minerality.

For the rest of us: JAX Y3 Chardonnay offers lovely aromatics and fresh acidity. Well framed with expressive citrus, delicate pear and green apple notes, the 2017 vintage reflects the complete expression of a picture-perfect vintage. Celebrating three generations of land-tilling, wine-loving Jacksons, siblings Kimberly and Trent are proud to present Y3, a wine as special as the memories of their grandparents cattle ranch. This wine will pair well with shrimp or white fish dishes in a lemon butter sauce!

For the wine snob: The name Taureau, was the name of the Jackson family’s prized bull, legendary for his feisty, high-kicking and vibrant personality. When perfecting this wine at their blending session, the JAX team concurred that the character of their infamous bull reflected the structure and elements of this indulgent red blend. Our fruit is handpicked, sorted and cold-soaked immediately after harvesting. Following fermentation, this wine is aged in 40% new French oak. Offering dark, concentrated depth and character.

For the rest of us: 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah. Medium bodied, luscious and approachable, our 2017 Taureau Red Blend is in pitch-perfect balance. The supple, voluminous entry cascades into beautifully rich and integrated flavors of ripe raspberry, black plum and baking spices. This wine is a lovely blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah sourced exclusively from Napa Valley vineyards.   This is a great red to have with grilled or BBQ’d salmon!

For the wine snob:  100% Pinot Noir grape varietal. As passionate Rosé lovers, we work hard to craft a style that reflects the delicate pureness of a French style rose. To achieve this goal, we source this fruit from one of the highest acclaimed vineyards on the Sonoma Coast, Calesa Vineyard. With minimal skin contact, this delicate Rosé offers a bone-dry style accompanied by a touch of weight and complexity. Think “Lunch in Provence!”.

For the rest of us: This wine is a true Vin Gris Rosé. After harvest, the grapes are quickly crushed, whole cluster pressed, and placed directly into a steel fermenter as would be done with white wine grapes. This method allows for little to no skin maceration producing a delicate, pale pink wine. Fermenting in stainless steel at cool temperatures, this Pinot Noir retains its innate bright strawberry characteristics and crisp acidity, hints of watermelon, and rose petals as well.  This wine reads spring salad with fresh greens, strawberries and goat cheese.  Another path to take is melon and prosciutto!

For the wine snob: First thing is first.  This is a four barrel production and was sent directly from Jax vineyards.  We are one of the few if not only people to work with Jax to get this wine outside of the winery.   This is also a first production (maybe the only!), that means that this wine has only had 100 total cases produced ever.  100% Petite Sirah. We could not pass over the opportunity to partner with a gem of a Petite Sirah vineyard site in the heart of illustrious Stag’s Leap.  Located on the eastern side of the Stag’s Leap region, this small vineyard site offers coarse gravelly soil resulting in less water absorption, greater stress on the vine and ultimately great intensity and flavor.

For the rest of us: Our small lot 2018 JAX Petite Sirah sports a deep garnet-purple color and vibrant notions of crushed red currants, Morello cherries, boysenberries and wild sage with touches of charcoal, damp soil, raspberry leaves and mossy tree bark in the undercurrent. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers intense, tightly wound black and red fruit layers, supported by firm, ripe tannins and lively freshness, finishing long and layered. Give it a good 4-5 years in bottle and drink it over the next 20+ years.  This wine is big and needs big food.  Have this wine with your favorite cut of steak and pan sear it!  Vegetarians out there can do the same with mushrooms!

For the wine snob: 100% Chardonnay, Named after its fine grained soil, Dutton Ranch’s “moon dust” vineyard provides purity and minerality. Winemaker Kirk Venge ages this wine in 30% new French oak over 10 months. The harmonic concentration of fruit flavors frame the subtle nuance of the French oak barrels resulting in a vibrant yet rich and complex palate. This wine is bottled unfiltered and unfined to allow its innate character to evolve.

For the rest of us: Harmonizing its terroir driven minerality with rich sculpted intensity, this wine unveils aromas of brioche, toasted almond, hazelnut and green Anjou pear. The palate delivers delicate crisp green apple, poached pear, and lemon custard flavors. While ready to enjoy now, this wine’s acidity and minerality will engender continued complexity throughout the next decade.  This wine will be perfect with your favorite buttery fish, such as Chilean Sea Bass or Black Cod!

For the wine snob: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Our estate Cabernet Sauvignon is consistently sourced from the family vineyard in northern Calistoga. David Jackson purchased the family vineyard after 15 years of searching for vision of the ideal terroir. Ultimately that terroir encompassed alluvial loam soil, once dry farmed (now minimally irrigated) and in the elemental protection of our little valley. Our estate fruit was hand-picked and gently processed using our state-of-the-art Pellenc sorting and destemming system. The total time on the skin was 15-30 days. Finally, the wine was aged in 65% new, tight grained, French Oak barrels for a total of 22 months. The fruit is then fermented in a combination of small lot stainless steel tank fermenters and open-top barriques.

For the rest of us: Opening with aromas of blackberries, cassis and forest floor, this vintage showcases great length and focus on the palate. Already elegant and well-structured at its release, this wine will continue to evolve in complexity and refinement for many years to come.  We have to say that this wine is a grilled lamb wine!  If you want to go steak, do a dry aged steak.  A little gaminess will go a long way with this one.