Jeff’s Corner 5-24-18

Hey, Hey, Hey, Today is Mosaic Day!!!

It’s been several vintages now that Mosaic has been my favorite GCV wine, so much so that it’s gotten to the point that I’ve been trying to trade my Serendipity and Bellissimo to other staff members for their Mosaic.  This is kind of like trading a Micky Mantle rookie card for a Hank Aaron, it really come down to whose your favorite because they are all great players.

All our proprietary wines have really cool names, but once again Mosaic is my favorite.  (I wonder if that’s true with most of us, Is our favorite wine also our favorite moniker?)  So, before we take a look at the new 2016 Mosaic, let’s check out the word itself.

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”.

The ’15 Mosaic was winner of numerous gold medals, and one of my all-time favorite GCV wines, but once I tasted the new ’16 it became easier to say goodbye.  A bit lighter in texture than the 2015, the ’16 is very elegant, showing lovely grace and finesse for a youthful wine.  It is once again a classic Bordeaux-style blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot.  The ABV is a ubiquitous 13.9%

The color is a well-extracted garnet/ruby with a vibrant rim and a rich intensity in the bowl that begs for further exploration.  There is indeed a complex mosaic of enticing aromas and flavors, with blackberry, black cherry, cassis, cinnamon, dark cocoa, and well-oiled leather weaving a delicate tapestry.

The palate is seamless from front to back, with lush fruit and spice complimenting  well-integrated sweet tannins and playful acidity.  There is a lovely round, creamy mouthfeel that contributes to a refined, lingering finish.  As nice as it is now, this will quickly gain depth and complexity with some time in the bottle.  Let’s go classic and serve this with tenderloin, asparagus, duchess potatoes, and Sauce Bearnaise.

We’ll see you soon for Viognier Day.