NV Primo Estate Joseph Sparkling Red

"91 pts ... Deep red with a frothy mousse. Highly fragrant nose offers a bouquet of raspberry, blackcurrant, Asian spices and mocha. Pliant red berry flavors possess liqueur-like depth and sweetness, with gentle minerality adding focus. The bubbles add a cleansing quality and help to lift the deep black raspberry and cherry flavors. Nicely combines sweetness and energy and finishes with excellent clarity and length. This singular wine, based on raw materials dating back to the '70s, would be outstanding with blue or washed rind cheeses." " -- 10/07

"Every two years Primo Estate release the Joseph Sparkling Red. This latest version takes the style to another level again with its brooding, dark, opulent and layered complexity nurtured over many years now. This is wine of proportion and folklore had to be big and show some age, oak just discernible, with a drier than average finish. It is creamy fresh and seamless with a superfine bead. A serious wine, it can also just as easily be served for a lighter entrée or, as many do, an aperitif."

"Winemakers Joe Grilli & David Tait set about crafting this unique release by using Primo Estate Adelaide Shiraz as the predominant base wine (going back to 89) and introducing a small amount of Moda Cabernet Merlot (a hogshead from every vintage since 91 goes in). Also about 10% of the blend consists of a random mixture of early sixties to early seventies Australian red wine bought at auction. This imparts a real antique slant to the wine. After fermentation in the bottle and resting on lees for a year, it was liqueured with a mixture of old Australian ports mainly from the 1970s. Total acid 6 g/L; pH 3.31""