2002 Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Deep red-ruby. Superripe aromas of roasted currant and tobacco. Lush and seamless on the palate but considerably less fat and more refined than the Diamond Mountain offering. The black fruit and mineral flavors are sharply focused if distinctly less evolved than those of the Diamond Mountain Finishes with substantial palate-saturating tannins and excellent structure.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The top wine, the Jericho Canyon Proprietary Red, emerges from a vineyard northeast of Calistoga. Revealing exceptional intensity, along with a flamboyant, open-knit personality, the 2002 Jericho Canyon Proprietary Red (two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one-third Merlot, and a tiny dollop of Cabernet Franc) exhibits a deep purple color along with sweet fruit, and juicy, smoky bacon fat notes intermixed with creosote, creme de cassis, scorched earth, and toasty oak. This voluptuously-textured 2002 can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years. Fax (707) 823-5620
Saturated bright ruby. Higher-pitched, more primary aromas of blackberry, blueberry, violet, minerals, bitter chocolate and graphite. Wonderfully sweet and suave in the mouth, with good energy and focus. This, too, is carrying 15+% alcohol, but maintains its balance nicely. The tannins here are powerful but refined. Offers very strong potential. (A retaste of the 2001s showed that the '01 version of this wine was likewise sappier and more mineral-driven than the Diamond Mountain bottling, which showed a thicker texture and a note of smoked meat.)