Josh Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Josh Cellars in Hopland, California, USA.
Founded by Joseph Carr, the name Josh comes from his father, Joseph “Josh” Carr.
Josh was said to have “instilled the importance of family and hard work into his kids from a young age” which clearly had an impact on his son’s work ethic in launching Josh Cellars.
The Chief Winemaker for Josh Cellars is Wayne Donaldson and he took over winemaking there in 2009.
In 2021, Josh Cellars was named as the American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine.
Josh Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Review
From the bottle:
I created my wines as a tribute to my dad, Josh. He’s always on my mind. -Joseph Carr, Founder and Son.
I tasted the 2019 vintage of Josh Cabernet Sauvignon.
And if you’re interested red blends, check out my Josh Red Blend Review.
Appearance
Josh Cab pours fairly dark with little to no light able to shine through the wine.
I would describe the wine’s color as a rich burgundy.
A tip and spin coated the glass fully and revealed plenty of slow falling legs.
Aroma
I noted a toasty mocha aroma primarily, with additional whiffs of blackberry.
There’s was little to no burn of alcohol in the nose.
Josh Cabernet Sauvignon alcohol content 13.5% by volume, per the bottle.
Taste
I found this wine’s taste to be full-bodied, smooth and enjoyable with complex flavors of hazelnut, blackberry and the slightest hint of cinnamon.
This was exactly as promised by the tasting notes on the label, which is rare.
I often disagree with the label’s description of what to expect. But this time it was spot on!
Mouthfeel
The wine’s mouthfeel was pretty juicy for a Cabernet Sauvignon with some nice round tannins in there as well.
Finish
Typical for a bold, juicy Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine had a long finish.
It was equally balanced by the flavors and the tannins.
Overall Opinion of Josh Cabernet Sauvignon
Overall, I really enjoyed Josh Cabernet and now know why it’s so popular!
It delivered on all aspects, from nose to palate with a nice complexity of flavors and a wonderful smoothness.
Recommend!
Josh Cabernet Sauvignon price $14.99.
If you’re looking for a good under $20 wine that could easily compare with something more expensive, definitely consider Josh Cab.
Suggested Food Pairing
For me, this wine is a total patio or back deck sipper on its own.
But you could easily pair this wine with a nice grilled steak as it has the structure to hold its own with such a dish.
I would agree with your review and this is a very good Cabernet for the price, I picked it up for 12.99 locally.
Thanks for commenting, Richard!
Sounds like you picked it up at a good price… $14.99 is the lowest around in my neck of the woods.
Cheers!
I “picked it up” for $29.00 in Camden, Maine at the local Deli.
Fantastic Cabernet
It beats bottles priced 4x more… That alone says enough. It’s an amazing deal and regardless of price, it is an amazing wine.
I received a bottle at a recent party we hosted, and I was happy because I hadn’t yet tried this brand. I opened it up last night and was surprised to find that it was carbonated! I guess this is an accidental occurrence in the wine making process? I guess I should have have waited for it to go flat, but I just poured it out.
Yes, something most definitely had to be wrong since it’s a still red wine and not supposed to be bubbly. Probably secondary fermentation.
Not much you can do about that. Pretty sure I would have poured it out too.
Here’s hoping your next bottle is better!
Cheers!
Jon
It tastes cheap, harsh, overly acidic with a bitter finish. It is gastronomically hard on the stomach.