| TASTE BENCHMARKS | |||
| Profile #1 Old Vine Style |
Profile #2 Chianti Style |
Profile #3 Dark Rosé Style |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Medium garnet. | Medium red. | Very dark for a rosé so as to immediately distinguish from White Zinfandel. |
| Aroma | Aggressively fruity with complex earthy undertones. Raspberry, dried cherry, butterscotch, toasted almond, vanilla | Complex marrying of cherry, dried flowers, watermelon, Parmesan, chive, olive. | Cherry, rose, fig, MacIntosh apple. |
| Flavor | Explosive fruit, moderate but firm tannins,marzipan finish. | Warm and approachable. Ethereal perfumes,complex flavors, finish warm but not hot. | Fat, with soft tannin, cherry jello, buttery finish. |
| Balance | Taut and firm, but nervy, warm, and lively. | Moderate but solid tannins, balanced acidity. Made for food rather than to be drunk on its own, to seduce and please the palate rather than to impress and blow you away. | No residual sugar. Intended to serve as a versatile light red wine. Soft acidity, some tannin, moderate alcohol. |
| PRODUCTION CORRELATIONS | |||
| Oenological | Conventional crush and de-stem, press at dryness. May be made in small bin or large tank lots. Generally inoculated due to high brix and potential VA issues. | Conventional vinification, usually in small lots. May be uninoculated for complexity. Often co-fermented with other varieties such as Carignane, Alicante Bouchet, and Petite Sirah. | Fermented one day on the skins. May blend in other varieties. May undergo malolactic. |
| Viticultural | Lodi is home to many vines of 100 years age or more, pruned in the head-trained, spur pruned wagon wheel style. Uneven ripening impels extended hang time so every berry on the cluster is colored and has developed extractable varietal flavors. | Lodi is home to many old vines, which may find their way into these blends. | May contain some old vines blends, especially if viruses have retarded maturity. |
| Terroir | Rich sandy loams, cooled by Pacific influence through Fairfield gap. | Rich sandy loams, cooled by Pacific influence through Fairfield gap. | Rich sandy loams, cooled by Pacific influence through Fairfield gap. |