Earthquake Zinfandel (75cl, 15.5%)

A full-bodied Lodi Zinfandel from Michael David Winery, predominantly Zinfandel with a touch of Petite Sirah. The Earthquake name traces back to an old Lodi vineyard planted around the same time as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The blend is aged for 18 months in a combination of American oak (77%) and French oak (23%), with roughly 80% of the barrels being new. The nose opens with dark, ripe fruit such as olallieberry, black currant and boysenberry, then vanilla bean, sarsaparilla, dried spice, a floral-potpourri quality and maple syrup sweetness. The palate is coated with jammy blackberry and baked plum compote, followed by clove, tobacco leaf, candied orange rind, raspberry cobbler and dark chocolate, with suede-like tannins. The finish is long and fruit-laden, with black licorice, nutmeg and toasted vanilla.