Lodi ‘s Legacy of Old Vine California Wine Grape
Exploring Old Vine Wine At Mettler Family Vineyards
California produces much of our country’s Old Vine Grape. They can be tasty, and there’s certainly a good story line when grape vines push 130-years-old.
Lodi is the home of old vine grape because of its sandy soils. According to Gold Country winemaker Scott Harvey, now on his 52nd harvest, the grape Phylloxera insect (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) wiped out a great deal of California wine grape in the early 1900s. It’s an aphid-like insect feeding on roots of grapevines. Phylloxera bugs move down to the plant roots through cracks in typical soil, gobbling the roots. But in Lodi, the sandy gravel prevents Phylloxera from accessing roots. Thusly, Lodi has plenty of old vine.
At Mettler Family Vineyards you’ll find Zinfandel planted in 1899: 126 years old. They started out simply growing grape for sale before making their first wine in 1999.
We sought them out purposely as their vineyards are listed In the Old Vine registry. It’s a website identifying vine more than 50 years old, the age where grape vine may be considered old vine.
Is old vine wine better? What does age bring to the grape? Is this a marketing ploy or a wonderful grape creating wonderful wine? We went to several wineries to report the facts as we tasted them.
Mettler’s modern wine tasting facility is nestled in fields of grape rows. Our host Linette was sharp and hip, pouring us excellent wines, some of them old vine, some of them newer.
We ranked both of their Old Vine Zinfandel’s highly. Both had the distinctive flavor for both the Estate Grown & Steacy Ranch (118-year-old vine) versions.
Here’s what we tasted.
2022 Chardonnay (split oak/steel fermentation) $25 ✰+
NV ‘Copacetic’ Red Blend $20 ✰+
2022 GSM $35 ✰+
2121 Estate Grown Zinfandel $24.99 ✰++ 91 pts.
2020 Steacy Ranch Zinfandel $38 ✰++ 93 pts.
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon $24.99 ✰++ 94 pts.
2021 Petite Sirah $24.99 ✰++ 93 pts.
Their Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Zin and Petite Sirah were perfectly priced at $25. The Cabernet is a soft tannin version and fit our palate perfectly. If you’re looking for a big gun Cabernet this is not for you even though it has some Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc mixed into it. We would anticipate these making it a ‘Big Red.’ But, instead, mellowing it out nicely.
The family has been growing grape for eight generations dating back to the small French village of Alsace. They’ve grow grape for six generations in the Lodi appellation and their family farms date back to the late 1800s. After introducing French clones to the Lodi area they have also added Pinotage and Aglianico to their roster.
We’ve always told you Lodi is the epicenter of California Zinfandel. If you want to explore this varietal Lodi is the place to go.
Visit. You owe it to yourself.
Some notes on our wine ranking system.
Bill & Erin Hodge write about California Wine, the estates & winemakers producing them and educational information about Vino. Living in California Wine Country provides a front row seat to the places you want to visit the most here in the Golden State.
– -✰ means -What’s next on your list of wines
-✰ means -Not liking it too much
✰ means -We’ll drink this wine, especially if it’s hosted!
✰+ means -You’ve got our attention and we might buy this wine.
✰+ + means -We’re hooked and we’re going to buy this wine.
When you see -✰/✰+ with a slash, it means we disagree.
