Michael David Earthquake Lodi Zinfandel 2013. Black color; chocolate, dried cherry, garigue on the nose;
massive mouthfeel, black cherry, chocolate, blackberry, blueberry, ping of blackcurrant tang, dark plum, plenty of jammy fruit and American oak (a year in barrel), sticky tannin; the flavors line up and just keep marching across your palate. Michael David consistently makes wines of distinctive character and good value; this is no exception; it is the step-up from their 7 Deadly Zins (at about $10 more); 7 Deadly Zins is more spice and fruit-forward standard Cali zin, while this big boy comes on like, well, an earthquake—the label doesn’t lie. Over-the-top with meat and earth thrown in as wine breathes some air, and giving this pour time to open up is fully advised. Pair with very sharp cheddar, big red meats, lamb medallions in balsamic sauce; it will massacre anything delicate. Michael and David Winery is a combination of two brother’s names, Michael and David Phillips, members of a family that has farmed the Lodi region since the 1850s. Kevin and Melissa Phillips Stroud, the sixth generation, work at the winery today, while the brothers continue to run the show. All 750 acres of the family vineyards are third-party certified sustainable; since 2011, 100% of Lodi-grown fruit crushed at Michael David is certified sustainable. Not everyone gets Michael David distinctive styles, perhaps particularly true for delicious monsters like this one, but those of us who do, love and adore them. Among them, Robert Parker, who writes: “Year in year out, this is one of the best value wineries in the entire world.” How many thousands of wineries would kill to put that line on their their resume? $26 