Michael David Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon 2012. Dark brooding color, big oak, big black fruit, black cherry, blackberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, smoky oak (we did mention oak a second time), vanilla, blackcurrant tang on the finish; robust but smooth with reserved tannin. Michael David wines always seem to put on a good show, and Freakshow may be their showiest—loaded with juicy Lodi fruit and rich flavor plus an over-the-top label (Robert Parker: “one of the best labels in the wine business”) that matches the wine inside. The wine is almost sweet with the oak, but somehow MD gets to the edge of OMG and pulls it off by using French oak (not the stronger American oak). This is the average person’s monster jammy Napa cab, but at a fraction of the price, and from lowly Lodi in the Central Valley. Michael and David Phillips are brothers whose family has farmed in Lodi since the 1850s and has made wine for almost a century. That’s likely reason for aggressively progressive sustainable farming practices; by sixth generation you understand the long haul. All fruit MD has crushed since 2011 was certified sustainable. Freaky good. $19
