Apothic Red Winemaker's Blend, California

Apothic Red is our first daringly original blend of California-grown red grapes. Zinfandel leads the blend with silky layers of blackberry, black cherry with a hint of black pepper. Syrah and Merlot deliver undercurrents of ripe blueberry, boysenberry and a soft, plush mouthfeel. Cabernet Sauvignon adds more dimension with notes of black currant while bold tannins deliver a hint of intrigue. The finish is long and smooth with lingering notes of vanilla and mocha from the oak we selected for aging.

Viticulture Notes:
We selected the majority of the grapes for Apothic Red from the Lodi and Central Valley areas in California. We sourced the Zinfandel from Lodi, a premium producer of intensely concentrated, silky textured fruit. California’s 2020 vintage experienced a cool, mild growing season with an accelerated heat spell in August, resulting in early ripening. Vintage 2020 in California shows vibrant acidity and concentrated flavors.

Winemaking Notes
The grapes were de-stemmed before some whole-cluster fermentation. We fermented the 2020 Apothic Red in a combination of cone-sweep and upright tanks ranging from 4 to 6 days at a temperature averaging 85-88°F. Across all lots, we exercised meticulous temperature control and managed heat spikes through fermentation where needed to maximize the extraction of color and dark fruit notes.