Winemaker Notes
The Mediterranean climate of Lodi (warm days and cool nights) produces rich dark flavors with bright acidity. Soils are very deep. Roots are well established and produce a large canopy. To facilitate an evenness of ripening, leaves around the clusters are removed allowing sunlight to shine on berry skins. Canopy vigor is managed through deficit irrigation. The result is a well-balanced richly flavored Cabernet.
Lodi is justifiably lauded for its old vine Zinfandels, but it is a production powerhouse when it comes to Cabernet Sauvignon. Lodi and its surrounding area (San Joaquin County) rank third in the state in acres planted to Cab, behind Napa and Paso Robles/San Luis Obispo County. But in total tons crushed Lodi is number one by a wide margin, surpassing Napa and Paso combined. In other words, Lodi produces more Cabernet Sauvignon than anywhere else in the U.S. This more volume-driven approach to viticulture makes possible the value-oriented bottlings that so many wine drinkers reach for on an everyday basis. These offer the varietal’s classic profile of dark fruit, oak influence, subtle herbal and green pepper notes and solid structure. Try Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon from wineries like Cosentino, Ironstone, Lapis Luna and The Federalist.