Nose
This Josephine has aroma of briary black fruit, toasty cherry pie, chocolate powder, mushroom, cola and new shoe leather. Adding to the depth and richness, the oak is well integrated with sweet oak spice components reminiscent of clove, cinnamon, tobacco and aromatic cedar.
Palate
Very soft on the entry, this wine opens in the glass to sweet black cherry flavors that linger through a full mid pallet experience. Bright and rich, this wine has a round mouth feel. The tannins are well resolved, mature, and velvety smooth, leaving the wine with a long, lingering finish. Rich, round and seductive!
Growing Conditions
This growing season was ideal and some would venture to say perfect. With textbook conditions for spring bud break, the vines experienced steady growth through flowering and fruit set. A classic summer weather pattern promoted a very even growing period, with fruit that was abundant but not overly cropped. Long summer days provided a long ripening period that reached our goals before the fall rains. Harvest was a winemaker’s dream.
Harvest
Various dates betweenSeptember 19-October 12, 2012, average 24.9° Brix
Bottling
August 2015
Winemaking
5 day cold soak. Stainless steel fermenters at 76-88° for 8-10 days
Aging
Barrels: Aged for 25.7 months in 59 gallon French oak barrels. Approx. 88% new French oak.
Appearance
Opaque dark, ruby-garnet color.
