The Josh Cellars Legacy Red 2012 is a blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah sourced from vineyards thru-out California, but mainly in the Central Coast, Lodi, Sonoma and Napa. Josh Cellars is the second line of wines from Joseph Carr Wines and is named in tribute to Joseph Carr’s dad, also a Joseph, but who was known to everyone as Josh. Most Red wine blends from California are based on French wine blends, Meritage blends that use only the grapes approved in Bordeaux or Rhone blends using grapes found in the Rhone Valley. The Josh Cellars Legacy Red is a blend that could only come from California, using grapes varietals originally from Bordeaux, Italy, the Rhone Valley and the Languedoc. The Legacy Red was aged “with” new French oak for 10 months and lists for $14.99, but should be found for a few bucks less at your local wine seller. The alcohol content is 13.9%.
****Josh Cellars will be donating $1 for every bottle of winesold for the rest of 2014 to Operation Homefront . They provide assistance of all kinds to families of service members and wounded warriors. Click on the link to see what they are about and how you too can help.
The color is plum red with an almost clear halo. The nose is the aroma of a cherry pie baking in the oven, along with cigar leaf and spice. This is a lush, fruit forward wine, but with balance. It tastes of blackberry, chocolate powder and tart raspberry. The mid-palate adds smooth black cherry, vanilla and black pepper. The tannins are smooth and the acidity is well matched with the body of the wine. The finish is subtle, but lasts a long time.
The Josh Cellars Legacy Red 2012 is a well-made, well priced and delicious All-American Red wine blend. It is an easy-going, friendly Red blend, you don’t need a ton of wine knowledge to appreciate a glass, but there is enough going on in the bottle to keep your snooty wine friends happy. The more I sip this wine the better I like it, it might be a bit of an odd blend, but those grapes sure do work well together. So, this Holiday season (2014), if you find yourself standing in the Red wine aisle and you can’t decide which wine to choose, think about Operation Homefront. If you grab one of Josh Cellars wines, you will get a real good bottle and you will give some folks a hand who truly deserve our help.
