JR Wine | Our Wines

Our Wines

2007 Boschetti Vineyard Zinfandel | Old Vine Zinfandel from the Russian River

From the Boschetti Vineyard on River Road just east of the Martinelli Winery. Russian River Valley appellation fruit is distinctive due to this regions cool maritime influence with bright, natural acidity with vibrant fruit aromas and flavors which are a result of the cool fog-laden nights and warm days. These dry-farmed vineyards planted on low-fertility soils consistently produce wines of exceptional density, and legendary extract.

Deeply colored with a lively spice nose, it opens to flavors of plum, sage, smokey pepper, cedar graphite and a hint of licorice on the finish. Ideal to drink on its own or with a kicking bar-b-q!

Aged 18 months in 50% new Demptos American Oak barrels 53 cases

88 pts, Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast: "This is a very rich, decadent Zin, with massive
waves of crushed ripe blackberries, black currants, chocolate, licorice, bacon and pepper.
It’s quite high in alcohol, but it wears the heat well. Drink now–2011."

2007 George's Vineyard Zinfandel | From the (George) Moskowite Ranch

An aromatic nose of a very ripe berry fruit basket with fresh cracked peppercorn. On the palate you'll find jammy black currants, dark ripe wild blackberries and briars. Mind's eye leads one to think more purple than red in the flavors. Finishes with very ripe blueberry, mild tobacco and toasty oak.

Aged 18 months in 50% new Demptos American Oak barrels 129 cases

92 pts, Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast: "Big, rich, extracted and just beautiful. It’s a high octane Zin, with high alcohol and ripe, spicy flavors, making it a classic example of its type. Just massive in blackberries, black cherries, beef teriaki, cola, pepper, Indian spices and sandalwood. Drink this decadently good wine from now–2013"

88 pts, Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "If direct in its ripeness yet just a bit tough and tannic in its youth, this successful Zin captures lots of well-defined blackberry fruit and sports an attractive sense of richness from start to finish. It will pair well now with hearty pork dishes, but it has the depth and inner solidity to grow and should benefit from a few further years of smoothing."

2006 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon | The wine from this vineyard just keeps getting better! The 2005 scored a 91 from Robert Parker and a 92 from Wine Enthusiast, this one gets a 93 from Mr. Parker. Unfortunately there are but 110 cases available.

Beautifully balanced at this young age, this wine is dense and deeply concentrated with intense black cherry notes. Warm dark fruits along with dried currants, a hint of nutmeg and sweet oak frame the fruit. Finshes with cracked peppercorn, cedar spice, cocoa and the vineyard's characteristic Rutherford dust.

Aged 30 months in 70% new French Oak 110 cases

91 pts, Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast: "A big, classically structured Cab, showing the dusty tannins, herbs and sour red cherry candy flavor of the Rutherford appellation. Should age well for 6–8 years."

2006 Honey's Syrah | Big, bold inky Syrah looking for a good steak pairing

Inky, viscous and velvety with a soft smoky leather nose. Supple tannins with flavors of deep cherry, anise, espresso and slight mineral notes. The usual raw syrah-ness is tempered with soft oak and leads to a mouth feel like a comfy down comforter!

Aged 18 months in 60% new French Oak 120 cases

86 pts, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate: "Although the 2006 Syrah Honey’s is somewhat monolithic, it displays notes of tapenade, blackberries, tar, and pepper".

2006 Boschetti Vineyard Zinfandel | Old Vine Zinfandel from the Russian River

Boschetti Vineyard is on River Road just east of the Martinelli Winery. It captures the lush juicy fruit of the Russian River Appellation. Zinfandel grown in the Russian River Valley is distinctive due to this regions cool maritime influence. Bright, natural acidity and vibrant fruit aromas and flavors are a result of typically cool fog-laden nights and warm days. These dry-farmed vineyards planted on low-fertility soils consistently produce wines of exceptional density, and legendary extract.

An aromatic nose of very ripe strawberries, clove and hint of spice leads to flavors of black fruit, pomegranate and sweet oak. The finish has pronounced cocoa, as well as light smoke and licorice.

Aged 16 months in 50% new Demptos American Oak barrels 130 cases

88 pts, Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast: "Big, ripe and juicy, with some overripenes veering into raisins, but it gives a rich plummy edge to the wild berries, tobacco and spice. Drink this impressive Zinfandel with roasts and beef stews."

2006 The Devious Woman | A zinfandel based wine that lives up to its name!

A deeply hued wine with complex nose of ginger, spice, cherry rhubarb pie, berry and plum. Full mouth feel with sexy flavors of pepper, molasses, wild black cherry, tobacco and chocolate. Not over-ripe and a perfect match for big barbeque, short ribs or other rich foods.

71% Zinfandel (from George's Vineyard), 18% Petite Sirah, 6% Charbono, 5% Cabernet Franc

Aged 16 months in 50% new Demptos American Oak barrels 190 cases

90 pts, Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast:, Wine Enthusiast: "This interesting blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Charbono and Cabernet Franc is a big wine packed with powerful black currant and licorice flavors, with a liberal dusting of pepper. It impresses for dryness and the rich, sturdy tannins. Drink this rustically chic wine with roasts."

2005 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon | Our first Cabernet! As luck would have it, we were able to procure an allocation from a famed Rutherford vineyard when the former winemaker was hired away by a large conglomerate <wink, wink...>. This is serious fruit and what a splendid wine!

Jam packed fruit intensely concentrated with layers of currants, black cherry, cedary spice, warm dark cocoa and that unmistakable ‘Rutherford Dust’. Elegant structure with a beautiful finish that lasts and lasts. Aged 2 years in 70% new French Oak.

Aged 20 months in new French Oak 116 cases

91 pts, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate: "The outstanding 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Rutherford’s Star Vineyard. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue along with sweet black cherry and black currant fruit, noticeable cedar and spice, and a hint of coffee bean. Attractive fruit, medium to full body, plenty of tannin lurking under the surface, and no hard edges suggest this beauty should be consumed over the next 10-15 years."

92 pts, Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast: "Quite a good young Cab, deeply flavored in red and black currants, plums, chocolate and oak. Has a weight, density and balance that feel important and authoritative. Not an ager, but epitomizes a delicious Napa Cab to drink now."

2005 Cork Tree Merlot |

Our last vintage of this blockbuster Merlot (Duckhorn bought the vineyard). This is the Merlot for those who, “don’t do Merlot”. Blackberry and dark cherry skin aromas, rich and juicy fruit flavors of black currants, chocolate, cola and toasty oak. Drinking well now but with the structure to last for years.

Aged 18 months in new French Oak 120 cases

88 pts, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate: "possesses a deep ruby color as well as copious quantities of sweet berry fruit intermixed with touches of vanilla bean and earth. This round, well-made Merlot is ideal for drinking now and over the next 7-8 years."

90 pts, Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast: "A polished, elegant Merlot, with good structure framing deep flavors of currants, carob, violets and anise. The thick tannins suggest a good steak. Now through 2009."

2005 Honey's Syrah | Deep ruby, inky purple hue with velvety balance and mouth feel. Loaded with ripe black fruit flavors and light smoky spice. Aromatic oak frames the long finish with firm tannins carrying through. Terrific intensity and body. Try this with steaks right off the grill.

Aged 18 months in new French Oak 120 cases

2005 Boschetti Vineyard Zinfandel | Old Vine Zinfandel from the Russian River

Aged 16 months in 50% new Demptos American Oak barrels 175 cases

1 Star, 88pts Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine

2005 Big Dave's Vineyard Zinfandel | Another blockbuster with fruit from the Brown Ranch in Chiles Valley.

91 pts, 2 Stars, Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "Although keenly varietal in its unwavering fix on ripe berries and briar, this deep, optimally ripened Zin takes on an idiosyncratic note as it shows unconventional suggestions of meaty, Syrah-like spice. It is nicely stuffed on the palate with a long line of concentrated fruit to buffer its ample alcohol, and, while tannic enough to develop for several years, it is a wine with plenty of appeal for near-term drinking."

2005 George's Vineyard Zinfandel | Unlike the over-ripe prunish zins which have become popular of late, the George’s pairs great with food, especially BBQ!

Fruit is sourced from the Moskowite Ranch in the Capell Valley east of the Napa Valley. We use both zinfandel (95%) and petite sirah (5%) all from George’s ranch. Aromas of red raspberry, ripe red cherry and a touch of white pepper. Aromatic oak carries the finish with a lift of strawberry.

Aged 16 months in 50% new Demptos American Oak barrels 170 cases

2004 Honey's Syrah | Here's a Syrah that is big, velvety and oh so satisfying!

Consulting Winemaker, Kirk Venge's notes, "Honey must have muscles for miles! Bold, black cherry and vanilla cream soda aromas waft from the glass. From the initial deep red color and dense aromatic attack, you know this wine has strength in color. The palate this Syrah is exactly what you would expect from that mindset. Large but balanced structure is derived from proper weight of both the firm acidity and rustic tannins. Flavors of crushed rock mineral, black cherry, vanillin overtones all give way to a very long finish. This wine is a "bad-boy," hungry for a juicy steak! Should age well 6 to 10 years."

2004 Big Dave's Vineyard Zinfandel | Wow! Finally got the Big Dave's into bottle. Fruit from the Brown Ranch in Chiles Valley.

Consulting Winemaker, Kirk Venge's notes, "Ripe, bright cherry fills the nose. The aromas then carry to cherry pie and hints of dough. On the palate the ripe red flavors continue and meld with a hint of barrel vanillin. There is a subtle tannin feeling on the end. This Zin is composed. It is more of a feminine show horse than a raging bull. Not for the light of heart however, there is a broad spectrum of red stone fruit and mouth filling bing cherry. Feminine by nature, this Zin. will serve as a wonderful compliment to the JR line of wines. Cellar for 5 years."

Wine Recommendation by Appellationamerica.com's Alan Goldfarb

2004 George's Vineyard Zinfandel | This is the 2004 vintage of George's Vineyard. The fruit was more robust than the '03 with nicer ripening and much greater color. 2004 was a very warm and ripe vintage. The heat came on and never let off. This produced very ripe flavored wines with bigger alcohol and body.

2003 George's Vineyard Zinfandel | George's Vineyard is the term I gave to the fruit from George Moskowite's vineyards that lie in Capell Valley, located in the Napa valley hills directly east of Oakville. The soil in the 900 foot elevation vineyard is well drained loam with all sorts of small rocks and obsidian throughout which results in low yielding fruit. The cooler mountain elevation climate provides for a longer growing season, this extended hang time gives the grape sugars plenty of time to develop slowly, resulting in a more complex fruit character.

The fruit was picked in late October, fermented for 9 days and placed in 50% new Demptos American Oak barrels for 16 months before bottling.

The wine was blended with Petite Sirah from George's Vineyard as well as Charbono from the 40 year old Fredianni Vineyard in Calistoga. These vines are head trained and dry farmed to enhance color and complexity.

Sadly, all of the 2003 George's Zin was lost in the big Wines Central Warehouse fire back in October 2004.

2003 Cork Tree Merlot | Cork Tree Vineyard in located just South of the famous Stag's Leap District and right below the Atlas Peak District. The vineyard faces west on a sloping hillside that is well drained loam soil.

The fruit was picked in early October, fermented for 10 days and placed in 60% new French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling.