Every two years Primo Estate release the Joseph Sparkling Red. An Australian icon with dark, brooding opulence and layered complexity nurtured over many years, the modern history of Australian red wine in a bottle. The ultimate Christmas indulgence, a unique blend of museum vintages from the last forty years, treated to Methode traditionelle, rested on sediments, aged and liqueured with ultra fine ports. A powerful, yet graceful and lively sparkling red which, endowed with complexity, to take on intense flavours and festive occasions.
Joe Grilli and David Tait set about crafting this unique Cuvee with Adelaide Hills Shiraz as the predominant base wine, introducing a part of Moda Cabernet Merlot from every vintage since 1991, a hogshead from each year since 1989 also goes in. A sizeable component of the blend consists of a random mixture of very old vintage stocks Australian reds of various wineries and dates, acquired at auction. This imparts a real antique slant to the finished wine. After traditional fermentation in the bottle and resting on sedimentery yeast lees for a year, Joseph is mindfully liqueured to ensure a drier style and to obtain a perfect balance, with a mixture of old Australian ports from the last century.
Deeply coloured, a superfine bead. Currant and blackberry bouquets, clove and some rancio, menthol and earth. This is wine of proportion and folklore, a seamless palate, showing some nicely aged characters, oak just discernible, with a drier than average finish. It is creamy fresh, a serious wine, it can also just as easily be served for a lighter entree or as a very special aperitif.
