Jax Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga

Super dry but balanced. paired with steaks. Dynamite.

2014 vintage

Jax Vineyards 2014 Cab - Calistoga decent to good. would not buy again but good for the price ($46). nice dark center to medium red tint on the rim. viscosity medium. barely stained legs. nose of dried fruit. medicine. plum. blackcurrant. earthiness, wet leaves. mostly dry with hint of sweetness. flavors of black cherry, plum, medium high alcohol, medium acid. full body but not super big for a napa cab with bright, grippy tannins that fade to a smooth but …

2014 vintage

A poker night favorite. Not super complex, but crowd-pleasing fruit and power. Classic steak Cab. Brawny and not afraid to show it. More please.

2014 vintage

Time in bottle has reduced the jamminess a bit, powerful but not particularly complex.

2014 vintage

tasted in a mini-vertical with the 2015, lots of structure, ample, complex fruit and soft but evident tannins.

2014 vintage

Pulled the cork on a bottle I Coravin'd 3-4 nights ago. Not particularly complex but there's enough here to be interesting and easy to drink on its own or w food and a good value for the $42 paid

2018 vintage

The Starring Role So many times, when I would pour at a wine tasting I felt the real story for that moment was the people that I would meet and talk to. Hearing stories about other people’s experience, or lack thereof, with wine and even revolving around their personal lives. I’ve always found it amazing how people open up to me without knowing anything about me. Friendly or honest face, I guess. Maybe both. Anyway, at a recent event, I …

2018 vintage

Definitely has Kirk Venge’s signature all over it. Purple/ruby color, fruit forward (black and blue), moderate tannins. Drink now.

2018 vintage

First experience w JAX but we're fans of Kirk Venge's efforts with his own wines and especially Trespass. Black and blueberry on the nose, modest tannins quickly dry and concentrate the dark fruit. While I'd like more depth, it's an easy drinker over the next few years. No idea of it's longevity but it's not adding weight with time in the decanter and I'd say drink within 4-5 years. Good value for the $42 paid.

2018 vintage

Medium full body, round, fruity, some length.

2018 vintage

Enjoyed with filet mignon. Dark garnet in the glass. Perfumed floral notes, lovely violets. Flavors of dark fruit, tart on entry, with grippy tannins and lively acidity. Medium+ finish. Amazing wine and lovely finish.

2014 vintage

Good, not really for the price

2014 vintage

Much better bottle than the other two. Blackberry scorched earth chrrry and mint. Good bottle.

2014 vintage

Nose of black cherry, chocolate, and pine wood. Black cherry and red fruits with some drive and minerality quickly giving way to tacky tannins, stewed strawberry, more black cherry, and light earthiness that lingers. This wine has drank well each time we've had it but has shown different characteristics each time.

2014 vintage

Lots of spicy fruit raisin fruit to it. And ripe stuff.

2018 vintage

PnP. Nose of currant, dusty earth, and a bit of tobacco leaf. Red fruit with a grainy earthiness and tart acidity. Light tannins, quartz, and lingering cherry and raspberry. Nice bottle to drink on its own.

2014 vintage

Much better than the last bottle.

2014 vintage

It's a decent cab, but nothing specials.

2014 vintage

Ripe napa Cabernet fruit. More oriented towards fruit than oak. But its all there.

2018 vintage

Mini vertical with 2012. Where the 2012 was elegant, the 2014 is youthful, bursting with red and black fruit. A bit spicy and smoky, firm tannins. Very nice now, still improving.

2014 vintage

No detailed notes but it had minty notes on the nose and was dense with a lot of oak, dark earth, and dark fruit. Nice on its own.

2014 vintage

This is a label that I have seen over the years that aroused my curiosity and one that I’ve wanted to try. Although 2014 is not a favorite vintage, the opportunity to try this wine became available at a decent price point, so why not give a try? According to their website this is a wine composed of hillside and mountain fruit farmed to their specifications, all at a substantial premium. The grapes are hand sorted. That nice to know …

2014 vintage

A big jammy punch in the nose; nice depth but not particularly complex.

2014 vintage

Wow

2014 vintage

Powerful, black fruited, structued.

2018 vintage

Wowzers. Big red fruit. Moderate tannins. Drink now-2026. Great texture and a long finish. This was a steal at $60.

2014 vintage

PnP. Ample floral and black fruit notes in a warm nose. Intensely concentrated fruit on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, blackberry and cocoa dominate. Good structure, tannins subdued. Well balanced and accessible now, but clearly time for the fruit to mature and increase in complexity. Finish long with alternating fruit and tannin notes.

2014 vintage

Really nice as part of our Christmas 2021 lineup. Stood out amongst the bevy of offerings we sampled. Well done.

2014 vintage

A little on the sweet side, but good with grilled burgers.

2014 vintage

Much better this time than last. Fruit subsided a bit and there were more notes of soil, wet leaves and black pepper. Great with burgers.

2014 vintage

Good burger wine.

2014 vintage

I was a little disappointed in the showing of this bottle. There was a bit of drying bitterness on the back palate that I found off.

2014 vintage

Aromas are somewhat muted with a hint of fabric softener (weird, I know, right), very clean and refreshing. Dark tart blackberry and dark fruit. Integrated smooth and velvety tannins. Medium plus finish.

2014 vintage

I had this 6 years old bottle with a home made steak a� poivre. The match was perfect, slightly fruity with a dense round, smooth taste of tannin cabernet Sauvignon. Great pairing.

2014 vintage

A little fruit forward right now. Am hoping a little bottle age will dampen the jamminess of the flavors.

2014 vintage

Think we got this from the wine caboose depot car in Calistoga years ago? What an excellent surprise. Drinking perfectly now, serious black fruit forward and bell pepper, oak showing but doesn't drown out the perfect Napa Cab varietally correctness. Just excellent, on the robust side...if any downside, could be a tad more elegant, but I don't think that was their intention. Just excellent. May have a year or two left, several hours of breathing did it for our bottle.

2014 vintage

Floral bouquet rises from the glass, aromas of dark berries, blackberry and blueberry. Fine tannins. Fruit forward wine with a long, lasting finish. Terrific wine from Kirk Venge. Great QPR.

2014 vintage

What a difference since the last bottle was consumed 18 months ago! All of the potential I spoke about has come to pass. Decanted for two hours and consumed over the following three. Deep, dark purple in the glass with significant "legs." Aromas of rose pedals, violets and candied fruit were intoxicating. Flavors of cola, plum, chocolate, cedar, vanilla, raspberry and licorice were interlaced within a full, round and rich mouthfeel. Balanced and resolved texture with a moderately long, generous …

2014 vintage

Garnet in the glass, dark berries on the nose, tannins are still tight, a tinge of menthol, some heat on the finish but overall a full-bodied wine ready to drink now with excellent QPR. Very good aging potential.

2014 vintage

Excellent young wine rated 93 points by Robert Parker. Decanted for an hour and consumed over two. Floral, licorice and plum aromas followed by a slightly sweet palate that included cherry, chocolate, coffee bean, plum and blackberry flavors. Rich, medium full mouthfeel that was well balanced and somewhat complex with nuanced characteristics usually found in more expensive cabs. Very enjoyable wine and anticipate the upside aging potential will attain the Parker rating. Well done!

2014 vintage

Found this on the wine list at Citrico's Restaurant at the Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World in Orlando. A great pairing for the beef short ribs: wonderful nose, layers of dark fruit -- dried cherries, blackberries, and currants -- silky tannins and a lush mouth feel. We popped and poured, but over the course of the 90 minute meal, it didn't change much.

2014 vintage

14.7%abv. Dark purple core, ruby rim. Nose of blackberry, roasted coffee beans, oak, flower garden. Medium mouth, tannins immediate on entry. Lively in mouth, typical Calistoga fruit, sweet core, blueberry, dried cherries, vanilla. Solid wine, time will improve.

2014 vintage

Decided to give this a shot since I enjoy Kirk Venge's style of winemaking and also in consideration of Parker's 93 rating. Dark purple fruit - blackberry, currants, dark cherry, and a little plum. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth for the price point. Nice flavors of dark berries and a little spice. Fairly rich and a little sweet. Nice finish but not overly long nor deep. Decanted for one hour and drank over another two. Improved a little with time …

2014 vintage

WineKeeper pour off fresh bottle. Deep purple color. Slow legs. Plum, sanguine, green bell pepper and coffee nose. Dried cherry, chocolate, raspberry and coffee palate. Very very good balance. Soft suede texture. Long finish. Benefited from some air while in the glass. 14.7% ABV

2014 vintage

Popped and poured from cellar and enjoyed with steak. Rich purple in color. Balance of fruit and tannin is very good. Might be interesting to see if it can age. 90 - 92.

2014 vintage

Anesthesia Dinner (House of Prime Rib, San Francisco) : Nice complexity on the nose with black fruit, smoky, spicy, complex; palate is full bodied, black fruit, smooth full tannins, slight spicyness; medium-plus finish. Lovely. 90-91

2014 vintage

It's a little young, but wanted to give it a try while my local Costco was carrying it for about 40 bucks a bottle. Two hour decant. Dark purple with a purpleish pink translucent rim. Sweet aromas of anise, licorice and dark berries and plum. Also some notes of carnation. Flavor is fruit forward but with no jamminess as there is a nice balance of tannins and acidity. Taste is consistent with the nose but also includes notes of cedar …

2014 vintage

Really nice wine. What you'd expect from a mid-level Napa cab. Well balanced and hits all the right notes. Opened up really nicely on Day 2. Perfect QPR.

2014 vintage

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Jax Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga

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