Laurel Glen REDS 2004

Every wine we are releasing this year is big-scaled and rich, real mouthfuls of fruit, dark and intense. Fans of delicacy and lightness need not apply.

The 2004 REDS is about as rich a wine as you will ever find for under ten bucks. Long-time fans of REDS will remember that early on we threw the kitchen sink into the blend: some of the REDS of the 1990s contained shots of mourvedre, cinsault, pinot noir, and other miscellaneous grapes. But since 2000 we have concentrated our efforts on a series of remarkable vineyards that have become the core of REDS: zinfandel (60%), 117 year old carignane (30%), and petite sirah (10%).

Most winemakers involved with under - $10 wines work hard to make each vintage taste the same, assuming that the consumer of such wines has no sense of adventure. We, on the other hand, relish the vintage variations and feel it's our job to express not only the characteristics of our Lodi vineyards but also to make REDS reflective of each growing season. The 2003 REDS, coming from a cool and long growing season, was, then, restrained and full with dark plum fruit. The 2004 season, in contrast, was hot, early, and intense. We figured that all subtlety would have been burned out of the fruit, leaving us with a fruit bomb devoid of character and subtlety. Au contraire, al contrario.

The 2004 REDS is dark, broad with ripe fruit and deep with a focused intensity that is reminiscent of a full-throttle 2002 REDS. It's really quite an amazing wine. Like the 2002 estates wines, it might not be a typical Laurel Glen wine, but it sure is tasty, and it's an honest expression of what the vineyards and vintage gave us. And I'll proclaim it the finest REDS we have ever produced.

2004 REDS: not for the faint-of-heart!!