Allen Meadows - Score: 91 (2021 April)

This is quite ripe though not so much that it seems roasted as there is an attractive spiciness to the liqueur-like red berry fruit, earth, floral and sauvage wisps that are trimmed in subtle oak influence. There is excellent richness and solid concentration to the medium-bodied flavors that reveal a subtle minerality on the round and not especially focused finish that is supported by relatively fine-grained tannins as well as a noticeable dollop of wood. This is not a typical chiseled CSJ that seems built on a base of minerality (though there is certainly some) and it lacks just a bit of verve compared to a classic example. In sum, I wasn't as impressed with the 2018 version as I usually am though I underscore that my reservation is more a matter of style than substance.