Great Finds from Lodi, California - Wine of the Week

Lodi, California, is a wine-growing region just northeast of San Francisco (in San Joaquin Valley, the Northern portion of the Central Valley) and quickly coming into its own despite being one of the state's oldest wine pockets. Zinfandels are the best-known wines from Lodi and can easily stack up to juicy Zins from Sonoma's Russian River Valley. Yet Lodi winemakers are also turning out varietals that include Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Merlot.

Here are some of our favorites from a recent tasting. Good news: all of these seven bottles cost under $20 each.

Brazin 2008 (B)Old Vine Zin, Lodi ($15)
Packed with bright red fruit, the Zin also expresses plum and fig flavors, accented by mocha. It's the kind of Zin you might save for a dessert -- it's that sweet and indulgent.

Ravenswood Winery 2008 Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi ($14)
This cult Zin producer culls from a lot of Northern California AVAs to make a solid Zin, Lodi included. Twenty-four percent Syrah is blended with 76% Zinfandel, culminating in a wine that has a fragrant bouquet that seamlessly kicks into concentrated notes of plum and blackberries. White pepper enters mid-palate and coasts through to the finish, linking up with vanilla and cocoa.
Michael David Winery 2007 "Sixth Sense" Syrah, Lodi ($17)
Syrah is blended with Petite Sirah to produce a wine with complexity. White pepper enters mid-palate, and rides into the finish, along with notes of ripe dark fruit that hint at blackcurrant and plum.

Michael David Winery 2009 "Seven Heavenly" Chardonnay, Lodi ($17)
With a bright and lively profile, there's an herbaceous backbone (rosemary?) that complements the banana, pear and lime flavors. This Chard is very clean and a bit buttery -- neither oak-y nor too acidic.

337 Wine Cellars 2008 "181" Merlot, Lodi ($13)
A nose of green bell peppers effortlessly transitions into soft, almost luscious, black-cherry notes. While many Merlots tend to be flat and contain a lot of oak, this full-bodied, fruit-forward Merlot is a nice contrast. The "181" refers to a clone of Merlot with origins in Pomerol (Bordeaux, France); apparently the terroir in Lodi is quite similar.

337 Wine Cellars 2008 "337" Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi ($15)
Like the "181 Merlot," above, this wine from the same producer is made with a clone that has its roots in Bordeaux, France. Sultry and elegant, it has blackberry notes that have traces of mocha, with some bing-cherry flavors emerging mid-palate.

Il Leopardo 2000 L'Uvaggio di Giacomo ($20)