2011 Two Jakes Merlot
PnP into large Riedel’s. Color is ruby with no sign of bricking. After ten minutes the nose is not yet showing much fruit and there is a bit of heat present. What is present is cigar box and plum with a slight herbal/woody component, perhaps fresh cut fir. On the palate the initial attack has a lot of acid, backed by some serious medium plus tannin. Still not picking up much fruit on the nose or palate. Tannins are chewy and linger on the medium length finish. There is definitely a tobacco note mixed in with the tannin.
After 40 minutes open some fruit is starting to show. Bright acid driven bramble, almost like a blackberry that is a couple days shy of ripe. Went ok with bison burgers, but it wasn’t the best pairing. Gassed and recorked for day 2.
Day 2 this Merlot still has good acid and is now showing more dense fruit of plum and dark cherry that has incredible depth. The layers just keep rolling off and every time we check in there is something different going on. Finish length has increased and lingers for 30 seconds or so. Much better balance on day 2 and the acid is now more mouthwatering that tart.
Last glass was definitely the most integrated, even on day 2. Recommend a long decant or extended cellaring as this wine has the structure and stuffing to age.
A fair assessment indeed. For those of you who are used to the contemporary fruit-forward California style, you will find this type of reticence and austerity in the aromatics.
Ellen Landis, who has a rather Eurocentric palate, had this to say: “An alluring Merlot that proclaims juicy berry and cherry fruit aromas with herb and spice suggestions. The wine broadens out fully with rich plum, blackberry and blueberry fruit, tinges of earth, savory herbs, hints of toasty oak and caramel flawlessly streaming across the palate. This is a smoothly textured, nicely weighted wine with underlying mineral notes and refined tannins supporting the firm structure.”
Dan Berger gave it his highest Exceptional rating and said “Smith is one of the few winemakers who appreciates the true Pomerol style of wine and this is his exemplary version. Herb/olive, rich cherry and a complex note of spice. Very little oak, so the wine cries out for food; great value.”
To me, the real pleasure of this wine is its structural integrity in the mouth. You just know it’s solidly built for the ages, like a vintage Mercedes.
Hi Everyone,
Clark sent me a bottle of this wine and asked me to lab rat it. What an honor with such an enjoyable wine.
Clark is one of those wine making nerds that concentrates on producing wine that best tell you their story of place, varietal and vintage.
We opened this wine with dinner. It has a bright medium/dark ruby color with no browning. Already a good sign. Initial nose is of red fruits, dried red cherry and pomegranate. As the wine opens up you get steak tartar, mulberry, a little catnip, soy and umami.
The first course was a cold pomegranate soup which paired wonderfully with the pomegranate nose of the wine. In the prensence of Merlot varietal fruit the wines tight minerality, well structured tannins and balanced acidity made it so you always wanted to take another sip.
The next course was a beet salad with goat cheese, baby spinach and chopped nuts. Another good pairing with the wine’s firm structural tannins and acidity holding up to the salad.
The main course was not turkey as you would expect, but a beef wellington. This wine has enough fleshy steak tartar character to compliment the dish with out over powering it. It has no heat being made with a decent alcohol of 13.5% and plenty of structural tannins and acidity to wash the fats out of your mouth so the next bit of beef wellington taste like the first bit. Needless to say the perfect Pomerol style Merlot for this meal. The bottle was soon empty.
If the 2005 Crucible sold earlier, then why wasn’t a wootoff sent out, as was for the merlot? The only email I saw was from the winemaker to watch for this offering. Something here smells like barn yard…
No shipping to Massachusetts. Wine.Woot FAQ says that woot does not ship the wine, it is shipped by the vineyard, and they determine to which states it can be shipped. Yet every posting I check has these list of states.
Apparently replying to a reply skips the previous message.
winesmith wrote:
Help me out, guys. I know the 2005 Crucible last 12 cases and the 2004 Faux Chablis last 16 cases are scheduled for a woot plus deal, so they will sell out in an hour or two, I think sometime today. I don’t know when it happens. If any of you see it hitting, please give a heads-up here.
Scott Harvey, this is awesome to see you put up a great review on this wine! Two of my favorite wine makers! If you two went into business together, I would be flat broke and my neighbors would be even more concerned about my fedex deliveries and empty wine bottles in the recycling bin.
Also in CT so would like a way to get this wine. I adore Right Bank Bordeaux; if you are offering Pomerol for $20(or anything but the syrupy fruitbomb merlot often found in Cali) I’m in…
I loved the petite sirah offered here a few years ago from Jake’s vineyard.(It had an interesting apricot aroma I’ve not found in any other PS). I’ve also bought and enjoyed all of your Winesmith offerings.
I would LOVE the chance to get this shipped to the People’s Republic of CT.