October 2006 Wine Tasting Notes:
2003 JanKris Estate Merlot, Paso Robles.
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Dark, smoky ruby in color. The nose is balanced and rich with aromas of plum and dark cherries, light vanilla, chocolate and a hint of caramel. The palate is streamlined but formidable and elegant, consisting of blackberry, plum, cherry and toasted oak flavors. The medium finish carries on fruit flavors of blackberries and plums with light oak and ending on a vaguely floral note. Firm but appropriate tannins and bright and lively acids round out a balanced backbone. |
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RWB Score: 90 breakdown 14.1% Alcohol $16.00 Retail (from winery); 1716 cases produced |
A refined, fruity and juicy Merlot with a plumy, fruit dominant character and a firm but balanced backbone. Gracefully structured with rich, delicious fruit. Bound to last and evolve over at least the next five years but very drinkable now. Even with over 11% of this wine composed of the typically tannic Petit Verdot, it is soft and approachable even to those who avoid reds as a rule. |
More JanKris reviews
Detail
Composition: 82.5% Merlot. 11.7 Petit Verdot, 5.8% Cabernet. Harvested at 24.2 Brix, and aged approximately 10 months in 100% neutral oak barrels.
Merlot has a flavor profile similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but displays less distinctive and slightly more herbaceous aromas and flavors. This is augmented when the fruit are either under- or over- ripe. For that reason, it requires a moderate and dry growing region and climate to be at its best. Because of its lower tannins and more forward fruit, it is more approachable than Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2004 growing season was one of the shortest in the history of the state. Harvest came two to three weeks earlier than usual, at the start of August. Statewide reports of light to normal yields of excellent quality fruit with superb extraction raised anticipation of the wines to come. The wines from this vintage are proving variable by our experience. While this "crop of crops" was lauded as producing highly extracted fruit, some wines have been rather unbalanced while others were stunning an memorable. This seems to depend more on the combination of AVA and vineyard management, rather than winemaking techniques. Each offering from this vintage should be judged individually and not by virtue of vintage alone.
Established in 1990 by Mark and Paula Gendron, JanKris Winery is named after their two daughters January and Kristin. The tasting room and a portion of their vineyards are in west side of the Paso Robles appellation. The winemaking philosophy binding all JanKris wines is the motto of "Fruit-forward wines with soft tannins". Another notable characteristic of JanKris wines is their price point: All their wines are below $20, making them excellent values.
Three JanKris properties, comprising the 170 acre estate, are located both in the west ('Templeton Gap') and east portions of the Paso Robles AVA. Grapes grown are: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merolt, Mourvedre, Petite Syrah, Petite Verdot, Sangiovese, Syrah, Viognier and Zinfandel. Sourced form old vines, JanKris wines combine the characteristics of more dense extraction and fuller body of eastern Paso wines and the age worthiness of wines from the western part of the AVA, JanKris makes varietal wines and Cal-Ital styled blends such as the Picaro and crossover blends like the Crossfire, (blending the Bordeaux varietals Cabernet, Merlot and with the Rhône Syrah grape).
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5 points |
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Nose |
4 points |
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Palate |
3 points |
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Finish |
3 points |
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Tannins |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
5 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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