Open Mike: Seven Deadly Zins.
I've been reading about this interesting wine for a couple of weeks, and decided to have a taste off this weekend with a few zin lovers -- it occured to me that that WLDGers might like to join in. The labelling sure is fun -- I hope the wine matches up.
Here are a few things I've learned:
"Seven of Lodi's best growers gave their souls and the firstfruits of each of their old vine vineyards to contribute to the layered complexity of this fanciful blend. Soft, supple pepper and licorice-clove notes merge into a sinful marriage of deep, brambly blackberries and lustful cherries. The finish is clean on the palate with hints of rich vanilla, cocoa, and mild tannins. Michael~David Vineyards.
Here's a short history of the brand from "Wine Business Monthly" a couple of years ago:
[i]Located on the west side of Lodi, California, Michael David Winery is run by two brothers (Michael and David Phillips) from a family that has farmed in Lodi for five generations. The operation presently farms some 375 acres and sells grapes to a number of large wineries. The winery operation was started in 1984 in an old hay barn and was named Phillips Vineyards. That changed in 1999 after legal disputes with R.H. Phillips Winery and Phillips Distributing of Minnesota over the name. The winery then became Michael David Winery. The brothers were soon brainstorming for marketing names, and one of the names they came up with was Seven Deadly Zins, for their blend of old vine Zinfandel grapes that was being supplied to the winery by seven different Lodi growers.
In the last two years, the brand has taken off and was poised to sell more than 80,000 cases in 2004. It is now distributed in 46 states at a suggested retail price of $17. "It's a fun package," winemaker David Phillips said. "People love the label, they love the idea. They think it's clever. A lot of people try it to bring as a gift at dinner because it stands out on the shelf.
"It takes the whole package to make something successful," said Phillips. "But even though it's a fun label, it worked because the wine is good. We wouldn't have grown this fast if the wine wasn't high quality. We're picky about quality; we grow mostly our own grapes but also buy correctly from other quality vineyards we've selected over time."
Phillips said the brand's recent achievements have him traveling across the country and enjoying newfound recognition for the wine. "It's nice to have people appreciate what you're doing, especially in an area that's not known that well. We're using deficit irrigation, shoot thinning, leaf pulling and balanced production to get good concentration and color and tannins. Lodi is coming up. We can compete against any other wine region in California with our grapes here in Lodi."
It appears to be easy to find, at least in this area, and Wine Search Pro shows liistings for it in the US -- including no vintage indications and the 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004 vintages.
Join in the fun, and post your notes!
Regards, Bob
PS: thanks to Bob Parson and Bill Buitenhuys for discussing this wine and introducing me to the idea of this Open Mike suggestion. Bob and Bill Repartee.
B.
