A number of years ago someone poured me a glass of Seven Deadly Zins, that was my first experience with the Michael David wines. Since that time I've gone on to have quite a few of their offerings. Their Earthquake Petite Sirah is one of my favorites, year to year. A couple of things always strike me about their wines. They tend to be big, bold, full throttle offerings, loaded with flavor and indicative of the Lodi region where fruit is predominately sourced. Secondly I've found their wines to be pretty consistent from vintage to vintage. Over the next few days I'm going to look at a few of their current releases, the first one up is a Rhone style blend.
The 2006 Incognito is a blend of Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Cinsault, Carignane and Grenache. This selection was aged in French oak barrels. The suggested retail price for this offering is $19.50.
This Rhone inspired blend has a pretty striking nose, filled with blackberry, blueberry, cinnamon and clove notes. The palate has a host of dark, juicy and inviting fruit prominently featured throughout. Smoke, licorice, chocolate, subtle earth and a hint of bacon fat all emerge in the finish which is of medium length. Firm acidity keeps everything in check.
What I like best about this wine is that by combining many of the varietals typically found in a Rhone blend with fruit from Lodi, what emerges is an offering that brings both regions to mind. This wine retails for close to $20, but if can often be found much closer to $15, sometimes less. At that price this is great wine to reach for during a large gathering. The diverse flavors this blend offers will please a variety of palates.