Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/46939
amount of Petit Verdot and the fruit itself, grown on reddish clay soils, is delicious." Tightly wound tannins, a smacking acidity and a fleshy texture are the envelope that holds in a bundle of bright, concentrated fruit. michaeldavidwinery.com Fenestra 2007 Touriga, Silvaspoons Vineyards, Lodi ($28) Touriga has always been the "king" of the port wine grapes, and the interest in it as a dry varietal red is fairly recent in both California and its native Portugal. If you like "big," this is it: roasting beef and concentrated plum and blackberry-ish fruit in nose and thick, meaty yet pliant palate sensations. fenestrawinery.com Dancing Fox's Gregg Lewis. Dancing Fox 2008 Old Father Vine Tempranillo, Clements Hills-Lodi ($25) Sensational cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) and blackberry jam aromas, couched in round, bouncy, fleshy sensations. The meatiness of this medium-bodied red really comes out with red game, like roasted lamb, duck or even goose. dancingfoxwinery.com Grands Amis 2008 Petit Verdot, Elk Vineyard Private Reserve, Borden Ranch-Lodi ($25) Petit Verdot is Bordeaux's least appreciated grape because it yields a lean and sinewy red when bottled on its own; but in Lodi, it's a different story: compote of rasp- berry and blackberry aromas against backdrop of allspice-like oak; taut, dense, yet sumptuous texturing gives a compact, elegant feel. Tenderloins of beef or lamb with demi-glace or red wine deglaze. grandsamis.com Michael David Winery 2009 "Petite Petit" Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot, Lodi ($18) "Educating consumers on Petit Verdot has been a challenge," says winery co-owner David Phillips, who poured us a new vintage of this rare blend of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Petit Verdot. "We only grow a small 96 / the tasting panel / november 201 1 Peltier Station Winery's Rod Schatz promotes a barrel POS display for retailers to promote his value wine, hy*brid. Michael David Winery 2009 "Rapture" Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi ($60) Now here's a varietal that is not often associated with Lodi. "The fruit is from a small vineyard that I planted 30 years ago," winery co-owner Michael Phillips reports. "I just knew I could make a good Cab here in Lodi. I just watered less, cropped less and went to French oak to deliver the texture." This just-released wine may have more fruit than its Northern CA neighbors, but boy, does it pack it all in: currants, chocolate within dusty, structured tannins. michaeldavidwinery.com We were wowed by these wines during last year's visit and again this year. The brand's "naked" style Chardonnay (with 5% Viognier) is lit within by some crisp and bright fruit— that iconic lemon chiffon taste and texture. Lodi is a warmer region, and this is not one of the varieties that one expects to be grown here with any success. "The Chardonnay is not picked at a high Brix level," explains Peltier Station's Rod Schatz. "And there's no ML. You get a punch from the Chardonnay and a softening up in the middle (and body) from the Viognier." Akin Estates 2006 Tannat, Christesen Vineyard Reserve, Lodi ($18) The faint of heart should probably avoid most manifestations of this thick, black-skinned grape from southwest France. True to type, the Akin is so dense and full you can eat it with a spoon, yet is amazingly plump with plummy, black fruits, faint leather notes, dusty loam and wood smoke. Best with braised meats like oxtail, or anything carnivorous from the grill. woodbridgeuncorked.com Chardonnay in Lodi? One of the successful distribution stories for Lodi wine is hy*brid wines from Peltier Station Winery, now in its third vintage. This under-$10 SRP line-up is up and running in 20 states. The hy*brid name comes from some unusual blends, such as 75% Pinot Grigio and 25% Vermentino, but it also refers to sustainable farming and ecological practices. PHOTO: RANDY CAPAROSO