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Tasting notes
A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec, the 2002 La Joie is fully mature and drinking beautifully, with the alluring, savory tones of a well-aged Cabernet: dark berry fruit, shitake mushrooms, coffee grounds, graphite, leather and underbrush. The palate retains a core of dried blackcurrants, while its tannins have softened and integrated, and gentle bursts of acidity carry umami-like flavors of meat drippings, iron and soy sauce. It will continue to provide pleasure over the next decade.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(68% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 12% cabernet franc) Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, licorice and mocha on the nose. Densely packed and juicy, with sharply delineated dark berry and floral flavors. Large-scaled but light on its feet owing to its lovely lift. Serious, gripping wine with a long, bright finish.
Bright ruby. Aromas of black raspberry, coffee, chocolate, licorice and spicy oak. Less sweet and more penetrating than the 2001, with gripping flavors of dark berries, licorice, menthol and chocolatey torrefaction. Today this is behaving more like a Pauillac than the 2001. Firmly tannic, strong and long on the aftertaste.
A spectacular blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec, over two-thirds of the fruit from the Alexander Valley Mountain Estate and the balance from Knight’s Valley and Bennett Valley, the 2002 La Joie exhibits a sweet, opulent bouquet of charcoal, burning embers, forest floor, blackberries and kirsch. Deep, full-bodied, supple-textured, flamboyant and extroverted, with undeniable purity as well as finesse, it should drink well for another 20-25 years. Interestingly, the pH is a normal 3.61 and the alcohol is only 14.1%. Jun 2012, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
The winery was the dream of Jess Jackson, the man who founded the incredibly successful Jackson Family Wines. He, however, wanted to produce truly fine wine in Sonoma County.