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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Rubus brings us a Lodi Zinfandel



A new Zinfandel...







2009 Rubus Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel....$15.99 
After selling over 400 cases of Rubus Cabernet, we decided to see what else Rubus had to offer for us. We tasted their 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel and fell in love with it. For $15.99 you are getting a quality Zinfandel for a bargain price. Rubus is not a winery, but a label created by our friend, Fran Kysela. With the wine glut we are seeing now, he goes out and purchases surplus wine from well known wineries and bottles it under his own label (same thing Cameron Hughes does). Fran Kysela is a master taster, he became only the 12th United States member of the Master Court of Sommeliers back in 1989.

Lodi, American Viticulture Area (AVA) – The Lodi AVA is located in the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley, Central Valley California, east of the San Francisco Bay. Lodi has warm days and cool nights, similar to the Mediterranean climate. The lower temperatures that occur in Lodi result in fruit with good acidity. A wide range of soils are found in the Lodi AVA, but they generally are deep, loamy, sandy, rocky soils similar to that found in southern Rhone valley.

Zinfandel – The Zinfandel grape is a hearty variety that produces grapes with high sugar levels, often resulting in wines with a high alcohol content. Thought to be a relative of Primitivo that is found in southeast of Italy (the boot heel), Zinfandel can be made into a wide range of wine styles, including White Zinfandel, light or full bodied red wines, and even late harvest desert style wine. However Zinfandel, especially Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, is usually made into a full bodied, spicy red wine with characteristics of red fruit, raspberry, and cherry.
Produced in the heart of Lodi AVA from vines owned by Van Ruiten Winery. From their 1,000 acres of vines are chosen a select lot of 1,200 cases of Zinfandel.
Bottled after aging in French and American oak for 9 months.

Ruby red in color, with red fruit, raspberry, and spice on the nose. This wine is medium in body, with notes of ripe cherry, cedar box, cinnamon, anise, black pepper, and hint of smoke on the palate. It has a long, silky finish. 


info from Fran Kysela

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