Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is a big one, going all out to make friends. New-oak aromas like clove, cedar and cinnamon explode out of the glass, then flavors of dark chocolate and cherry spread across the palate for a generous—almost thick—impression. Fine layers of tannins and firm acidity blanket the texture. Editors' Choice.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
I don't really know if I love this or just really like the 2013 Michael David Winery 6th Sense Syrah. I do know that this is really tasty wine and one I would enjoy while watching my favorite sports team in a bar full of friends and slices of delicious pizza. Well since, I am a big sports fan, I can see this wine fitting nicely into my everyday life. Medium to deep ruby color; beautiful ripe fruit aromas, grapey and alluring (almost seductive, can this be possible?); medium bodied, textured with sweet tannins on the palate; dry, medium acidity, well balanced; bright red and black fruit flavors, just a whole lot of fruit hitting all the tactiles on the palate; medium to long finish, juicy aftertaste. (Tasted: March 22, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Positioned between the San Francisco Bay and the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the Lodi appellation, while relatively far inland, is able to maintain a classic Mediterranean climate featuring warm, sunny days and cool evenings. This is because the appellation is uniquely situated at the end of the Sacramento River Delta, which brings chilly, afternoon “delta breezes” to the area during the growing season.
Lodi is a premier source of 100+ year old ancient Zinfandel vineyards—some dating back as far as 1888! With low yields of small berries, these heritage vines produce complex and bold wines, concentrated in rich and voluptuous, dark fruit.
But Lodi doesn’t just produce Zinfandel; in fact, the appellation produces high quality wines from over 100 different grape varieties. Among them are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc as well as some of California's more rare and unique grapes. Lodi is recognized as an ideal spot for growing Spanish varieties like Albarino and Tempranillo, Portugese varieties—namely Touriga Nacional—as well as many German, Italian and French varieties.
Soil types vary widely among Lodi’s seven sub-appellations (Cosumnes River, Alta Mesa, Deer Creek Hills, Borden Ranch, Jahant, Clements Hills and Mokelumne River). The eastern hills are clay-based and rocky and in the west, along the Mokelumne and Cosumnes Rivers, sandy and mineral-heavy soils support the majority of Lodi’s century-old own-rooted Zinfandel vineyards. Unique to Lodi are pink Rocklin-Jahant loam soils, mainly found in the Jahant sub-appellation.