2021 Rubus - Zinfandel Old Vines Lodi (750ml)

The Rubus Project is the work of importer Fran Kysela of Kysela Pere et Fils, who built the label by hand-selecting standout wines from vineyards around the world and bottling them at accessible prices. Rather than owning estates outright, Kysela sources fruit from growers who already excel with a given variety, matching each Rubus release to the region best suited to it. The Lodi Zinfandel has long been one of the project's signature bottlings.

Lodi has grown Zinfandel since the California Gold Rush, and many of its old vineyards are still head-trained and dry-farmed, producing naturally low yields and concentrated fruit. This bottling comes largely from those old vines, blended with a small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon for structure. After fermentation, the wine spends about nine months aging in a combination of French and American oak, rounding out the tannins before bottling.

Ruby red in the glass, the wine leads with raspberry and red fruit before opening into ripe cherry, cedar, cinnamon, and black pepper, with a faint whisper of smoke. Medium-bodied and generously spiced, it finishes long and silky. Pour it alongside barbecued ribs, grilled sausage, or a hearty pizza.