Beyond Zinfandel: A New Energy Drives Lodi Wines

It’s difficult to think of a wine region where a list of the 12 top-rated wines would include all of these varieties: chenin blanc, tempranillo, zinfandel, albariño, cinsault, shiraz and pinot grigio.

That, however, is what we found in tasting more than 100 wines made in Lodi, California, this month. Among those dozen, a fresh, dry and mineral-laced Aperture Chenin Blanc Clarksburg 2023 contrasted with a Bokisch Vineyards Tempranillo Lodi Gran Reserva 2018, so memorable in balsam, tobacco and black olive flavors.

Lodi, an inland but marine-influenced region near Stockton, California, encompasses more than 80,000 acres of vineyards, about twice as many acres as are planted in Napa Valley. The neighboring Clarksburg appellation adds another 65,000 acres.

Lodi still makes a lot of full-bodied zinfandel, of course. Several examples from heritage vineyards tasted amazing, like the St. Amant Zinfandel Lodi Marian's Vineyard Reserve 2023. It’s packed with pure blackberry, raspberry, black-tea, cranberry and dark-plum flavors coming from 122-year-old vines.

What impressed us most during our recent visits with top producers, however, was the generally lighter, less ripe, more acid-driven styles that energize so many of today’s wines from Lodi.

This trend started several years ago, particularly for crisp, aromatic white wines, like the Markus Lodi Nimmo 2024, but now we’re seeing it in reds too. A great example is the Michael David Cinsault Lodi Ancient Vine Bechthold Vineyard 2023.

The Phillips family of Michael David has made good examples of this wine for many vintages – alongside several other wineries that source from this vineyard planted in 1886 – but now they have dialed back the new oak and alcohol levels, finding a more elegant, charming and fresh style reminiscent of pinot noir.

Two winemakers named Markus have brought a lot of energy and diversity to Lodi wines. Markus and Liz Bokisch have been major vineyard owners since 1995 and instrumental in bringing Spanish grape varieties to California. Look for their purely delicious Bokisch Vineyards Graciano Lodi Mokelumne Las Cerezas Vineyard 2021 and fresh, vivid Bokisch Vineyards Albariño Lodi Clements Hills Terra Alta Vineyard 2024.

The other Markus is Markus Niggli, a Swiss-born winemaker who settled in Lodi and has made it his specialty to revive and care for old-vine vineyards owned by local families. His Markus Lodi Mokelumne River The Church 2022 is a prime example. It’s the highest-rated wine in this report: powerful, concentrated and complex, offering pretty florals alongside dark plums and sweet spices.

“Part of our success here is working in old fields, old blocks,” Niggli said. “The vines here in the Church block are very healthy, fairly vigorous, and I am pruning them to two-bud spurs, one on each arm.”

The Church block is a 1.5-acre plot planted in the late 1930s. It’s where head-trained, irrigated vines of alicante bouschet, petite sirah and carignane are rooted in deep, sandy soil and give six to seven tons per year.

Winemakers from outside the area, too, have been drawn to Lodi for good-quality grapes that are priced much, much lower than in Napa or Sonoma. Look for very good examples from wineries like Lorenza, Mythical, Covenant, Bedrock and Massican, to name a few.

Mythical brand wines come from vintner Anthony Perliss and winemaker Aaron Pott, a Napa veteran. Their offerings are among the most expensive in this report and strikingly distinctive. For example, the Mythical Albariño Lodi Uptown Ranch Amphora-Aged 2023 is taut, focused and lovely in mouthfeel from 10 months maturation in amphorae.

The tastings for this report are not intended to be comprehensive, yet the notes below will give you plenty of good choices to look for at reasonable prices, generally in the range of $25 to $45.

– Jim Gordon, Editor at Large

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated by the JamesSuckling.com tasting team. They include many latest releases not yet available on the market, but which will be available soon. 

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