Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Big Smooth Cabernet Sauvignon is founded in a steadfast relationship between the winemaking team and their grower partners in Lodi. The majority of fruit for this wine comes from one of their favorite, long time partners at Alabama Ranch. Cabernet Sauvignon is the backbone of this wine giving it varietal correctness with big, bold, deeply flavored fruit along with nuance dried herb and minty spice notes. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon a small amount of Petite Sirah and Zinfandel is added to the final blend lending complex spice character, giving the wine a beautifully dense, inky purple color.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is concentrated, with aromas of dark mulberries, cinnamon and florals. The palate offers black cherry, boysenberry and toasted vanilla intertwined with clove, sweet cigar, cardamom, coffee and silky tannins. Pairing with grilled pork chops.
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.