This week we’re featuring our interview with Markus Niggli of Markus Wines out of Lodi, CA as well as some of his amazing wines. We met Markus back in 2016 when the Wine Bloggers Conference was in Lodi, California, where he was involved with the the pre-conference excursion we went on which was titled “ Old Vines and experimental wines”. Markus was indeed sharing fresh wines with higher acidity, made with grapes you wouldn’t expect in a place many people believe is too hot to do so – wines like his Gewurztraminer, which we reached about back in episode 25, which you can listen to here.
You can learn more about Markus Wine Co here
Wine Recommendations – all of these wine were sent to us as press samples.
Joey Insieme 2017 – priced around $22
- White wine blend of Silvaspoons Vineyards: 95% Torrontes and Cain Vineyards, North Carolina: 5% Traminette
- Nose: Pineapple, orange blossom and wet rock
- Dry, medium acidity and fruity with flavors of pineapple, white peach, and flowers
- Great balance with fruit and floral flavors, great warm weather wine
Zeal Rose 2017 – priced around $22.
- Bright pink wine. A Blend of Borra Vineyards Gill Creek Ranch: 75% Syrah and Spenker Ranch: 25% Carignane
- Nose: minerality, dusty rose and strawberries
- Dry, medium plus acidity
- Flavors: strawberry, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and a hint of rose
- Very light tannins – it has the texture of running your hands along soapstone
- It’s crisp, fruity and complex
Blue 2015 – priced around $39.
- Red Blend of Borra Vineyards Gill Creek Ranch: 80% Zinfandel and Spenker Ranch:10% Zinfandel, 5% Petite Verdot
- Nose: violets, blueberries, blackberries, dust and sweet baking spice like cloves
- Dry, full body, medium plus acidity, medium plus, smooth but grippy tannins
- Flavors: violets, dusty earth, blackberries, dried plums and cedar
- Fruity and floral, lush wine
- This wine needs bold, earthy foods like red meats, mushroom and lentil dishes
Sol 2015– priced around $39.
- Red Blend of Borra Vineyards Church Block: 42% Petite Sirah, Borra Vineyards Gill Creek Ranch:
37% Syrah, Silvaspoons Vineyards: 21% Mourvèdre - Nose – pepper, strewed dark fruits – blackberries, vanilla
- Full bodied, dry wine with medium acidity, medium velvet tannins with flavors of blackberries, back plum, cedar and a hint of bitter tobacco
- This wine is juicy, ripe, bursting with dark fruit flavors and the texture is rich and creamy
Domo 2015 – priced around $39.
- Red blend of Borra Vineyards Church Block: 75% Carignane, Borra Vineyards Gill Creek Ranch: 15% Petite Sirah, 10% Syrah
- Nose: dusty, dried herbs, blackberry, black plum and black cherries – all the black fruits
- Dry, medium plus acidity, medium tannins, full body with flavors of sour cherries, plum, meaty with leather on the finish
- Fruity but not a fruit bomb – lots of complex flavors, this is definitely a food wine and a real crowd pleaser so it’s great for a dinner party.
Zeitlos 2015 – priced around $39.
- Red Blend of Borra Vineyards Gill Creek Ranch: 76% Syrah, 4% Viognier, Borra Vineyards Church Block: 12% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah
- Nose: cherries with hints of violets and dirt
- Dry and full bodied with medium plus acidity, medium velvety tannins
- Flavors: plum, sour cherries, dirt and mushrooms