Lodi wines tasting event
Stockholm
Tasted March 19, 2019 by Omar Khayyam with 165 views
Introduction
Very interesting event - excellent presentation of a very interesting wine region that has traditionally produced a lot of bulk wines throughout history. I was expecting them to aim for the "new Lodi" pitch, showcasing a lot of wild and funky new winemakers with wines of lower alcohol and less oak flavor. Instead, we were treated to some of the more interesting classic Lodi producers.
Flight 1 (8 notes)
White
2017 Acquiesce Grenache Blanc
USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
the more interesting of the two whites tasted at the Lodi tasting event. The most fruity Grenache blanc I have ever tasted, but also with some acidity, not just a fleshy body. Aromas were less tropical than the Albarino. ok.
White
2018 Klinker Brick Albariño
USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
has a lot of character but in the tropical fruit style. with decent acidity - I believe they said they pick twice, once for freshness and once for fruit. When they informed about this it was almost obvious as it felt slightly disjointed. Ok but nothing special. Go to Iberian peninsula instead.
Rosé
2017 LangeTwins Sangiovese Rosé
USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
naah, although there was some tannic structure to this sangiovese rose and more flesh than normal for a rose, this felt sweet and quite big.
Red
2016 Oak Farm Vineyards Grenache
USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi Mokelumne River
Had a lot of sweet and forward berries style over it. Christmas cake. Not really my style of Grenache, but well made in its style.
Red
2016 Turley Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard
USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
my (only) favorite amongst the Lodi wines tasted. This had some intriguing character and a persona quite different from the zinfandels we tasted side by side. absolutely a fresh and fruit driven wine with some noticeable oak, but there's also a peppery, mineraly streak to this which makes it nicer.
Red
2016 Mettler Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
Big and brawny, this feels like a well made version of the type of fruit forward Cabernet Sauvignon that went out of fashion a while ago. Dark fruited and oaky but with a point of balance nevertheless. If you like bbq, this is a very good alternative to the zinfandel wines from the same region.
Closing
Well, what can I say? Big zin is not my cup of tea. I can understand why they are struggling to enter the single vineyard designated higher echelons in terms of price point. These wines were very good compare to your average USD 11 zin/rose/whites from warm regions. But in the price range USD 20-30 you can do much better from so many different sources, at least from a European standpoint. But, with the right type of American food (bbq glazed spare ribs, hamburger with extra everything etc etc) I think for example the Turley Cinsault would do really well.
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