Winemaker Notes
Josh Cellars was created in 2007 by vintner Joseph Carr as a tribute to his dad, Josh. The brand started with one varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon, and today features a diverse portfolio of well-balanced and delicious wines made to exacting standards. Sourced from across California’s great winegrowing regions, every vintage represents a labor of love, a commitment to quality, and a very personal promise to make great wine, in honor of Josh.
Joseph discovered a passion for wine at an early age, starting off as a wine steward at a local restaurant in upstate New York, where he was raised. He spent a decade serving as a world-class sommelier followed by another decade as a wine industry executive. After years of hard work, he left it all behind to pursue his dream: starting his own wine company, making wines from California. Today, he lives with his dog Molly and frequently gets visits from his daughter Cailen at their home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
"American Winery of the Year" – Wine Enthusiast, 2021
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A Sonoma sub-appellation whose boundaries cover the northeastern corner of the Russian River Valley AVA, the Chalk Hill growing area is named after its unique chalky and white, volcanic ash soils. This terrain has proven successful with white varieties, namely Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc.