Moss Roxx Estate Grown Old Vine Reserve Zinfandel 2020
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Blend: 84% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 2% Petit Verdot
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Spicy oak notes add pizazz to the core of berries and plums in this full-bodied wine. Cedar, ginger, cinnamon and cloves fill the aroma and lead to an equally spiced flavor spectrum.
Moss Roxx is a label under Oak Ridge Winery. Gnarled and ancient, the Zinfandel vines from this vineyard produce some of California's most sought-after fruit, creating a wine that is supple and complex.
Originally built in 1934, Oak Ridge Winery operated for many years as a winemaking cooperative. The winery was purchased by Rudy Maggio, a third-generation winegrower in 2002, and his three daughters continue to oversee operations today. The Maggio family has called Lodi home for over 100 years and take pride in their role as stewards of the land. All of their 2,500 acres of estate vineyards are farmed in accordance with LODI RULES, a third-party sustainability certification created for the Lodi Appellations that signifies a commitment to rigorous, scientifically-sound sustainable wine growing.
The legacy of Moss Roxx began in 1888 when the first vineyard was planted by our Italian immigrants as they settled in Lodi. These vineyards are over a century old and are laden with rocks and gravelly soil. The boulders and vines are covered in moss from their years of exposure to the elements. The goal with these grapes is to craft a flagship wine that exemplifies the very best that Lodi's signature grape, Zinfandel, could be.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
Positioned between the San Francisco Bay and the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the Lodi appellation, while relatively far inland, is able to maintain a classic Mediterranean climate featuring warm, sunny days and cool evenings. This is because the appellation is uniquely situated at the end of the Sacramento River Delta, which brings chilly, afternoon “delta breezes” to the area during the growing season.
Lodi is a premier source of 100+ year old ancient Zinfandel vineyards—some dating back as far as 1888! With low yields of small berries, these heritage vines produce complex and bold wines, concentrated in rich and voluptuous, dark fruit.
But Lodi doesn’t just produce Zinfandel; in fact, the appellation produces high quality wines from over 100 different grape varieties. Among them are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc as well as some of California's more rare and unique grapes. Lodi is recognized as an ideal spot for growing Spanish varieties like Albarino and Tempranillo, Portugese varieties—namely Touriga Nacional—as well as many German, Italian and French varieties.
Soil types vary widely among Lodi’s seven sub-appellations (Cosumnes River, Alta Mesa, Deer Creek Hills, Borden Ranch, Jahant, Clements Hills and Mokelumne River). The eastern hills are clay-based and rocky and in the west, along the Mokelumne and Cosumnes Rivers, sandy and mineral-heavy soils support the majority of Lodi’s century-old own-rooted Zinfandel vineyards. Unique to Lodi are pink Rocklin-Jahant loam soils, mainly found in the Jahant sub-appellation.