Joseph Jibril Black Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Franc Santa Cruz Mountains 2023

In wine, the bottle is only the final expression. The real story is always collective — shaped by growers, cellar hands, mentors, and friends who keep the wheels turning long before anything is poured. For Bobby and Jaam, that truth is the foundation of Joseph Jibril.

The two met while working at Kosta Browne Winery in 2018. Bobby came to wine later, after a career in restaurants and a return to school at Cal Poly, where he studied Wine & Viticulture. Jaam knew early. He’s often said that wine is one of the few disciplines that touches every part of the human experience — artistic, scientific, physical, and social. That curiosity took him across harvests in Spain, Chile, Bordeaux, Australia, and finally California, where the two eventually crossed paths.

By the time they had worked their way into cellar leadership roles — Bobby as Cellar Master, Jaam as the Chardonnay winemaker — they weren’t just colleagues. They were building toward something of their own. With support from mentor Scott Schultz of Jolie-Laide, they stepped into their first vintage through a cooperative winemaking space, trading sweat equity and shared labor for access, guidance, and a place to begin. The result was Joseph Jibril, named after their middle names as a nod to both identity and collaboration.

Their 2023 Cabernet Franc is sourced from the Black Ridge Vineyard, which sits high on the slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and has been farmed organically by Bill Brosseau since 1999. The fruit comes from a top block — cooler, wind-exposed, and shaped more by tension than ripeness. In the cellar, the approach mirrors that balance of restraint and expression. The lot is split into three fermentations: one destemmed, one whole cluster, and one carbonic. Each spends roughly 18 days on skins before being drained separately, then pressed together. The components are aged apart in neutral puncheon and oak before final blending.

The nose is lifted and aromatic with notes of blackberry, black currant, raspberry, hibiscus, and a hint of green pepper spice. On the palate, it shows classic Cabernet Franc structure, but with a distinctly coastal freshness. Red cherry and darker berry tones weave together with floral lift, while bright acidity keeps everything in motion. A wine built by many hands, and it shows in the best way possible. Nothing feels solitary, but nothing feels scattered either. Everything is in conversation, as it should be.