Jeff’s Corner

Hey, Hey, Hey!

Today. Is. Mosaic Day.

One of my very favorite wines to write about (and drink), the outstanding new 2018 Mosaic debuted last week at our 290 location, and is now available on Main Street in Fredericksburg and On the Square in Georgetown.

Our first vintage was 2004, and when I tasted it I remember thinking, “Finally, I have waited 20 years to taste a Texas red wine with this much character and complexity.” One of our most decorated wines throughout the years, I’m fortunate to have tasted all 14 vintages and written notes for the last ten.

My dictionary defines Mosaic (a noun) as: 1) “a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass”, 2) “a colorful and variegated pattern” and 3) “a combination of diverse elements forming a more or less coherent whole.” The latter two are a great way to think about this beautifully blended wine, and when Jason is crafting it he becomes a “Mosaicist.”

Mosaic is our “Bordeaux-style” wine, and people often ask me what that means. Well, the phrase “Bordeaux-style” has no legal, regulatory definition, but it implies that the wine is a proprietary blend of at least 3 of the 5 major red grapes indigenous to the Bordeaux region of France. These grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

Our new 2018 Mosaic, like the 2017, showcases all five of the aforementioned varietals. The ’18 is about 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 13% Malbec, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 12% Petit Verdot. This is a bit different than the ’17, which is 28.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22.7% Cabernet Franc, 18.7% Merlot, 15.6% Malbec, and 13.7% Petit Verdot. The ABV of the ’18 is a very accessible 13.8%.

The color is an alluring purple/garnet with medium-plus extraction. Richly aromatic and delicately complex, primary aromas of cassis, blackberry, black cherry and plum are woven with violet, cedar, graphite, black pepper and generous amounts of toasted oak.

The palate delivers what the nose promises, with a luxurious texture and a youthful harmony between fruit, acid, oak, and tannin. The finish is long and somewhat edgy, promising a lengthy bottle life and a rewarding wine for many years to come.

I would recommend decanting for about an hour and a serving temp just below 60*. Let’s pair this with a classic Steak Oscar (tenderloin topped with jumbo lump crab, jumbo asparagus tips, and hollandaise), along with some nutty-textured wild rice from Minnesota.