2008 Joseph Family Alexander Valley Cabernet Duo

2 x 2008 Joseph Family Alexander Valley Cabernet

Joseph Family Vineyards won't be a secret for much longer. This small winery is gaining a reputation for crafting elegant Bordeaux-style wines with gorgeous layers of fruit and beautiful structure at easy-to-access prices. This is Lot18's second release of Joseph Family's Cabernet. The 2007 feature was wildly popular, and the 2008 is even better, with a depth that rivals any Cabernet I have had in the past few years.

Joseph Family Vineyards is situated in Alexander Valley's cool southeastern region, adjacent to the famed Simi Winery's Landslide Vineyard. The picturesque vineyard is south-facing and planted to a thin, loam soil that yields small berries. The combination of perfectly ripened grapes, a cool climate and small berries makes for an intensely flavored, yet elegant wine.

Eager to showcase this vineyard's character, co-founders Jon Joseph and Bill Esselstein tapped top-notch personnel to helm their winemaking team. Scott Peterson, of S.P. Drummer winery, who cut his teeth working with California's master winemaker André Tchelistcheff at Conn Creek and later became Kendall Jackson's senior winemaker, made Joseph Family's earlier vintages of Cabernet solo. Now he's joined by David Ramey, who cemented his reputation working for wineries such as Bordeaux's Château Pétrus, Rudd, Chalk Hill and Dominus. Together, the winemakers strike a balance that is unquestionably incredible.

The wine's elegance, structure and Bordeaux-like qualities will have you pining for more. Fortunately, you'll be able to buy more because we're offering two bottles for close to the price of one! Grab this gorgeous wine before it's gone.

Tasting Note
The 2008 vintage was a small crop, which created wines with incredible depth and concentration. Coming from the slightly cooler, southeastern corner of Alexander Valley, this graceful, yet intense Cabernet has a pronounced bouquet of chocolate-coated cassis, plum and violet. Dark plum, turned earth and toasty oak notes surface from the rich and bold texture. Dried licorice and faint wild herbs are balanced by sweet and polished tannins, which linger on the finish. The wine is drinking really well now, but will develop for another decade. Decant it for about 30 minutes to bring out all of the wine's character, and pair it with herbed lamb chops or filet mignon.

—Devin Andolsen

Devin Andolsen grew up in vineyards, helping build and plant his family's 11 acres in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. He has over eight years of experience as a professional in the wine world, including four years in fine dining, as well as helping manage a small international distributor out of San Francisco and, most recently, managing Constellation's Fine Wine division for Northern California. He's also a professional wine judge. Follow Devin on Twitter: @IDevino