Jeff’s Corner 7-26-17

Hello and Howdy from the Hill Country

Last weekend we released the new and highly anticipated 2015 Mosaic.  We had a quick tease from it at our staff meeting in June (it paired well with our breakfast tacos) and we have been eagerly awaiting some more.  We weren’t disappointed.

All year I have been a huge fan of the ’14 Mosaic (a Gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Competition), and Saturday after work I tasted it beside the new ’15.  I had the ’14 first and thought, “This is a great wine!”; but when I tried the ’15 (with a years less bottle age), my mind went “Wow, this something truly special!”.

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 grapes indigenous to the Bordeaux region of France.  These grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

To me, the ‘15 personifies the sum and substance of Jason’s winemaking style.  It is complex yet delicate, and shows incredible finesse and balance.  I’m afraid I might have to drink at least a glass or two in order to write a review that does it justice.

At 13.9% ABV, our new Mosaic is about 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and 9% Petit Verdot.  At only 9%, the Petit Verdot (the same one that stole the show at our Tank Tasting Party) brings a lot to this wine in terms of complexity, color, and tannin.

The color is a vibrant, richly extracted dark ruby/violet.  Turned on its side in a glass there is no transparency in the deep part of the bowl, much like looking into the bottom of an ink well.

Layers of aromas (and flavors) are massively complex, a collage (I almost said mosaic) of black fruit, leather, cedar, cinnamon toast, cocoa, black pepper, and Mexican vanilla.  The palate is full-bodied with a round, elegant mouth-feel.

The ’15 Mosaic has a finish worthy of its aroma and flavor.  It lingers on our palate a long time, featuring great balance between perfectly integrated fruit, acid, oak, and tannin.  As lovely as it is now, it will become even more graceful in years to come.

This wine is built to pair with just about any well-marbled steak, finished with just about any classically prepared sauce.  I’m kind of thinking about it, however, with some red-wine braised short ribs and wild mushroom risotto.

Cheers to all!