Predator Old Vine Zinfandel (75cl, 14.5%)

A full-bodied Lodi red wine from 50+ year old vines, bottled at approximately 14.5% ABV in a 750ml format. Produced by Rutherford Wine Company, the blend is 90% Zinfandel and 10% Ruby Cabernet, aged in 75% French oak and 25% American oak barrels. The vineyard uses a natural predation programme, deploying ladybugs and other beneficial insects instead of synthetic pesticides. The nose opens with bright raspberry and blackberry, then tobacco, black pepper and smoky oak, with a savory, almost bacon-like undercurrent. The palate shows ripe cherry, juicy blackberry, black pepper spice, dark plum and smooth tannins. The finish is long and smoky, with lingering tannins, charred oak, dried spice and dark cherry.