Jax Vineyards Tasting.

Enjoyed the evening with the vivacious Alexis Rose, national sales manager for Jax Vineyards last week. She came by the store after hours and tasted about 25 guests on four of their wines; all brand new to the Kansas market. Aside from the luxuriously rich Chardonnay, I found most of the wines to be tight, angular and quite acidic; but in a good, food-friendly kind of way. I really wish I had been able to taste these at a restaurant or wine bar where some appropriate food would have been available.

2011 Jax Vineyards Y3 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley - A super dry, floral, citrusy take on Sauvignon Blanc. Notes of citrus pith, gardenia, green apple and melon. Quite tart and acidic, borderline bitter in the mouth. Surprisingly stark for a wine fermented and aged in neutral oak barrels. $16

2010 Jax Vineyards Y3 Chardonnay, Napa Valley - Talk about shifting gears! Yeasty, bready, bakery aromas and flavors backed up by brown sugar and red apple. Once again, turns a bit bitter on the finish. A delicious $20

2009 Jax Vineyards Y3 "Taureau," Napa Valley - A blend of primarily Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller amounts of Petit Sirah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Loads of toast and dill in the nose (despite being aged in French oak) that turn into plum and baking spice flavors on the palate. Black and tannic with searing acidity. Really needs some barbecue or something equally substantial on the table with it. $20

2007 Jax Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - Massive concentration. Black cherry, espresso and an interesting note of rose petal. Tight and tannic, I suspect this one will need another 5 years to really show its stuff. Marginal value at $40