Jeff’s Corner

Today we’re going to take a peek at the new 2017 Mosaic, but before we do, congrats once again to Jason and gang (more about them soon). We just brought back 14 medals from the Monterey Wine Competition, including a Platinum for our legendary ’18 Cabernet Blanc and Golds for the ’18 Riesling, ’17 Muscat Canelli, ’16 Bellissimo, and ’17 Cuvee Blanc. The rest were Silver, no Bronze.

Now, on to Kathy’s favorite wine (and she’s never wrong), our Bordeaux-style Mosaic. First produced in 2004, the 2017 is the 13th vintage of what is often one of my most favorite Grape Creek wines as well.

I remember Kath and I visiting the vineyard on a lazy Sunday afternoon sometime in 2006, and our GCV mentor Debi Schumann handing us some red wine with a very excited look on her face. We tasted the ’04 Mosaic, and the first thing I thought was that I’d waited 20 years to taste a Texas red wine with that much depth and character. Our love affair continues.

When we say a wine is “Bordeaux-style” it typically means that it is a blend of at least three of the five major red grapes indigenous to the Bordeaux region in France. Our ’17 Mosaic is the first vintage to feature all five, with 28.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22.7% Cabernet Franc, 18.7% Merlot, 15.6% Malbec, and 13.7% Petit Verdot. The ABV is 13.8%.

The color is a well extracted dark ruby with a hint of violet in the rim. Aggressive aromas of black cherry, blackberry, cassis, and dark red rose petals create a framework for secondary aromas of cinnamon, leather, cedar, and toasted almonds. A touch of spearmint adds further complexity.

The palate is young and aggressive as well, with well-integrated acid and tannin dominating layers of fruit flavors waiting to emerge with some time in the bottle. When I tasted this with Brian, he commented that it might be one of our most full-bodied Mosaics. I agree.

Very true to style for Mosaic, this is a complex, elegant wine that should evolve nicely over the next five years.  Let’s try this with rare tenderloin topped with Dijon mustard and sautéed mushrooms wrapped in Phyllo brushed with lots of butter and baked until the pastry browns. This is called a Dome steak, by the way, and you can get it at Jay’s Seafood and Spaghetti Works in Port Aransas, my former home for 26 years.

We’ll see you soon…