Lodi AVA Wine Tasting – WBC16

Beginning with a few impressions from this year’s Wine Bloggers Conference in Lodi… It appears Lodi isn’t just old vine Zin anymore…

The first tasting of the event started my immersion in the region. Here is an overview of several producers and a few initial thoughts:

Oak Farm Vineyards – Tasting a competent and very typical middle of the road Cab Sauv, but the real star here (and of the night) was a Loire style Sauv Blanc aged on the lees to add complexity and mouth-feel. In speaking with the winemaker, he definitely had a Loire sensibility and was specifically looking for that identity. If you enjoy Sancerre wines and would like to explore a similar approach produced in the U.S., give this wine a try.

Heritage Oak Winery – The impact of these wines was the good acidity across the board. I came to Lodi expecting not to see much structure, due to the very warm climate. The Sangiovese and Tempranillo in particular are fruit forward, with high acidity and a medium tannic structure. Nice food wines and across the board above average wines.

Prie Vineyard & Winery – The reds were very thin and weak, but the Vermentino was exceptional. This varietal typically has citrus notes that usually leans toward lemon. The wine had good acidity and a beautiful rich lemon curd taste and texture…think lemon meringue pie. Great example of what Vermentino can be.

M2 Wines – Traditional fruity Zins, easy drinking with mild acidity.

Mettler Family Vineyards – Average red catalog. Again, the white wine was the notable offering. It was nice to see the Spanish varietal Albariño represented. This was a soft, easy drinking wine with nice mouth-feel.

Uvaggio – The collection included a few average white wines. Atypically, the best wine was the Italian varietal Barbera. I thought, the best Lodi red wine of the night. This was a medium bodied, fruit forward wine with good acidity and chewy tannins. It had a bit in common with the Italian GD Vajra Barberas I have tasted (my favorite).

Scotto Cellars, Masthead – Interesting story behind how this wine was developed with wine critic input. Check their website for the story. 100% Sangiovese with a bright red cherry fruit-forward palate and a mild dark chocolate mid-palate that moves into the finish. The wine had medium acidity and a reasonable mouth-feel that tended toward the watery side. It showed a balanced approach with good structure. It was approachable now, but had just enough structure to add some complexity.

Fields Family Wines – Think food wines. Excellent structure across all wines tasted. Great wines to accompany food, or to age in your cellar – Syrahs, Petite Sirah and Tempranillo. The first producer I have tasted in Lodi to consistently offer food-friendly wines. Using mostly neutral oak for aging, lets the fruit shine through. All wines had medium-high acidity and medium-high tannins with good balance. Would be great restaurant wines.

Stay tuned for more impressions from the 2016 conference…