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Josh Cabernet Sauvignon
Varieta:l Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2011
Region: Sanoma, California
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Are you in the mood for an adventurous evening at home?
This week A Bit of Wine tastes Josh Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011. This makes a wonderful complement to an evening with the one you love. For us, we are always looking for an adventure in a big, bold, red wine!
This wine in particular was inspired by our newest wine toy – the HOST Adjustable Aerator. In need of a wine worthy of multiple levels of aeration, we ran up to our local grocery store to pick up a rich, bold and memorable bottle of Josh Cabernet Sauvignon from the Josh Cellars of California. This wine was perfect to do some experimenting with its 92 point rating! Now, it was off to do some experimenting with the adjustable aeration levels of the HOSTAerator.
This week A Bit of Wine tastes Josh Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011. This makes a wonderful complement to an evening with the one you love. For us, we are always looking for an adventure in a big, bold, red wine!
This wine in particular was inspired by our newest wine toy – the HOST Adjustable Aerator. In need of a wine worthy of multiple levels of aeration, we ran up to our local grocery store to pick up a rich, bold and memorable bottle of Josh Cabernet Sauvignon from the Josh Cellars of California. This wine was perfect to do some experimenting with its 92 point rating! Now, it was off to do some experimenting with the adjustable aeration levels of the HOSTAerator.
To our surprise, Josh progressed nicely
at each level up to level 3. The HOST allowed us to savor the wine at various levels of
development.
- Level 1 - Glass 1
This level is equivalent to 1
hour in a decanter. In a matter of minutes, we had an open glass of Josh that didn't need to sit in the decanter for an hour. While the nose was still heavy on the alcohol,
there were slight jammy fruit tones that mimic either black or red cherry.
The
body is big and dry with lots of oak, but is overpowered by the alcohol. A
faint hint of vanilla lingers on the palate. Immediately, I could tell this
bottle was good, but needed to open up a bit more. Let’s move it up a notch
& pour glass #2.
- Level 2 – Glass 2
While the alcohol is still heavy on
the nose, more of that faint vanilla from the 1st glass is starting
to shine through. The alcohol is settling and becoming creamy on the palate. A
spicy, yet smoky flavor profile is starting to peak at this stage. The finish
is quite long and that bit of smoke and spice is slightly harsh. A far
improvement from Level 1, it’s not quite where we want it to be. We will try a
level 3 in our 3rd glass of Josh.
- Level 3 – Glass 3
Level 3 is about the same as
decanting the wine for 3 hours. This may just be the sweet spot for this big
red Cab. The alcohol has subsided. Rich black fruits rounded out by vanilla
tones are really coming through on both the nose and the palate. That jammy
richness of black currant comes through on the palate. The spice has mellowed.
And the finish is one you could chew on for a good while. This feels like a
harmonious balance of a well-developed wine with complex flavors. But, we want
to make sure we don’t miss out. So, let’s try a level 4 in glass 4.
- Level 4 – Glass 4
Yep, we took it too far. At this
point (equivalent to 4 hours in a decanter), this Josh Cab has started going flat. The
aromas have become faint and the alcohol is present. The nose has a floral tone
mixed with a hint of caramel. It’s nice, but on the palate it is almost sour.
The complex flavors from Level 3 have fallen simplistically flat – almost one
note.
The winner is Level 3! This level brought out a balanced blend of
smoke and spice coupled with jammy vanilla and currants to provide a complex
tasting experience that is exactly what you are looking for in a glass of wine for an evening at
home with the ones you love.
I thoroughly enjoyed tasting Josh
at every level of development. Finding the right level proved to intensify this
tasting experience positively. To determine how much I enjoyed a bottle of wine
is to ask myself if I’d buy this wine again…the answer is yes!
So, how would we rate this bottle
of Josh Cabernet Sauvignon?
Flavor Profile…...9
Drinkability….…..8
Affordability…..…8
Total 8.3
Drinkability….…..8
Affordability…..…8
Total 8.3
When was the last time you drank a perfectly balanced big Bold Cabernet Sauvignon? Share with us the wine and the occasion.
Cheers!
Keith
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