Napa red scores big as tasting panel’s pick of the week

2015 JAX Y3 Taureau Napa Valley Red

Overall score: 19.1 (9.1 for quality, 10 for value)

Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with five scores of at least 9. “Tart, fruity and peppery with a hint of tobacco.” My score: 9.3. The gorgeously bright, ripe-fruit flavors quickly captured the attention of my taste buds. Then, after the fact, I researched the price … wow! Alcohol: 14.5 percent. Vineyards: The grapes — merlot (50 percent), cabernet sauvignon (25), syrah (20) and zinfandel (5) — were sourced from a variety of top-drawer growers across Napa Valley.

Winery/winemaker: The business launched in the mid-1990s after vintner David Jackson bought a 28-year-old dry-farmed vineyard in Calistoga. The purchase inspired his son, Trent, to try his hand at winemaking, using his San Francisco garage as a base of operations. His first try admittedly didn’t go very well, but he persisted and, with help fromof his sister, Kimberly, who had returned from Vanderbilt University with an MBA, a for-real wine business, JAX, was up and running by 2005 with a flagship cabernet. The aggressively priced Y3 line followed. Respected consultant Kirk Venge, who learned at the knee of his famous father, Nils, who has been called “the King of Cabernet,” is the winemaker. Winemaker notes: “Ruby purple in color, with loads of black cherry and briary blackcurrant fruit, the wine is meaty and refreshing, with hints of mocha and earth. The syrah and zinfandel impart dark blackberry and black cherry fruit notes to the red lush fruit of the merlot, while the cabernet sauvignon provides the backbone and structure.” Critical acclaim: Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate awarded a score of 90: with “It’s a warm a deep plums, purple-black mulberries color and black-cherries-scented nose with hints of spice box, cloves and aniseed plus a waft of thyme. Fullbodied, rich and concentrated on the firm palate, it shows lovely vivacity and freshness on the long finish.” Wine.com’s Wilfred Wong also awarded a 90: “Made for wine lovers who enjoy their food and wine experiences, it brings plenty of ripe fruit onto the palate, yet stays lively in the finish.”

Pairings: Wong suggests “lightly seasoned barbecued meats.” Price: $18.89 at Spec’s