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Inspired stories about artisan wine and taste makers.
by L.M. Archer FWS, Bourgogne ML
Back from the Brink: #WBC16 | Lodi Wine – The Wine Abides
Part 2 of 2
“The Dude abides. I don’t know about you but I take comfort in that. It’s good knowin’ he’s out there. The Dude. Takin’ ‘er easy for all us sinners.” – The Stranger, The Big Lebowski
I’m not a stoner. But I use to babysit for one. Not just a stoner, but the biggest dealer in our sleepy, prosperous town prone to clandestine recreational drug use.
Layne Montgomery crafts 100-year old Zinfandel from Soucie Vineyards to make his Lodi Native m2 Old Vine Zinfandel wine.
" data-orig-size="500,667" title="M2 The Wine Abides" data-image-title="M2 The Wine Abides" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2wineabides.jpg" style="width: 356px; height: 356px;" height="356" width="356" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2wineabides.jpg?w=225" data-original-height="356" alt="The Wine Abides...Layne Montgomery, wine maker at M2 Wines in Lodi , CA. | Image: L.M. Archer©" data-original-width="356" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1471017893","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"64","shutter_speed":"0.025","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2wineabides.jpg?w=500" /> The Wine Abides…Layne Montgomery, wine maker at M2 Wines in Lodi , CA. | Image: L.M. Archer©
Lodi Wine opened their doors, wineries, and vineyards to the 2016 WineBloggers Conference.
" data-orig-size="500,375" title="IMG_3658" data-image-title="IMG_3658" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/img_3658.jpg" style="width: 356px; height: 356px;" height="356" width="356" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/img_3658.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="356" alt="Lodi Wine hosts the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference." data-original-width="356" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1470991622","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"64","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/img_3658.jpg?w=500" /> Lodi Wine hosts the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference.As the daughter of the neighborhood’s ne’er-do-well, I relied on that babysitting money to fund my style addiction. So the night said dealer offered to pay me in ‘product’ remains a vivid memory. Then eight years into my twelve-year Catholic school indoctrination, moral indignation thwarted any potential entrepreneurial instincts. Unable to recognize the ‘invisible hand’ of market value, I opted instead for cold, hard cash.
Luckily, not just literal, but literary by nature – I also grasped the invaluable glint of a good story.
Hence my interest in “The Wine Abides,” a WBC16 Friday night event hosted by wine maker Layne Montgomery of m2 Wines in Lodi, CA. I recognized the glimmer of a great tale.
m2 Wines source their fruit from respected vineyards in Amador, Lodi and the Sierra Foothills.
" data-orig-size="348,500" title="Layne Montgomery m2 barrel room" data-image-title="Layne Montgomery m2 barrel room" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2laynebarrels.jpg" style="width: 356px; height: 356px;" height="356" width="356" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2laynebarrels.jpg?w=209" data-original-height="356" alt="Layne Montgomery talks terroir in his m2 Wines barrel room. | Image: L.M. Archer©" data-original-width="356" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPad mini","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1471027229","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.3","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2laynebarrels.jpg?w=348" /> Layne Montgomery talks terroir in his m2 Wines barrel room. | Image: L.M. Archer©
m2 Wines makes Lodi AVA heritage vine Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Petit Sirah, and red blends.
" data-orig-size="500,537" title="Layne Montgomery talks terroir" data-image-title="Layne Montgomery talks terroir" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2layne.jpg" style="width: 356px; height: 356px;" height="356" width="356" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2layne.jpg?w=279" data-original-height="356" alt="Layne Montgomery of m2 Wines talks terroir at his state-of-the-art tasting room in Lodi, CA. | Image: L.M. Archer©" data-original-width="356" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPad mini","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1471030944","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.3","iso":"25","shutter_speed":"0.0045045045045045","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2layne.jpg?w=500" /> Layne Montgomery of m2 Wines talks terroir at his state-of-the-art tasting room in Lodi, CA. | Image: L.M. Archer©The Dude Abides
A take-off on the cult stoner movie The Big Lebowski, “The Wine Abides” event begins and ends with host Layne Montgomery of m2 Wines.
Nothing about Layne Montgomery’s middle-American, tea-totaling Southern-Baptist upbringing presaged his present life as a wine maker in Lodi, California.
Like any struggling, self-proclaimed ‘uni-generational ‘ winemaker, Layne Montgomery arrived in ‘old-growth’ Lodi in 2004 with a lot to prove, mostly to himself. At 6′ 5″, Hawaiian-shirted, flip-flopped and shorts-wearing, he’s a little hard to ignore. the m2 Wine tagline sums his modus operandi best: “intelligent. accessible. slightly outspoken.”
Needless to say, it didn’t take long for Lodi natives to welcome him into their multi-generational fold. Fast-forward to 2012, when Randy Caparoso of LoCA challenged a group of Lodi wine makers, Montgomery among them, to form Lodi Native, a scion of The Lodi Rules™ for Sustainable Growing. Lodi Rules™, launched in 2005, claims fame as California’s first third-party sustainable wine growing certification program.
Never one to back down from a challenge, Layne Montgomery suits up, shows up, and plays on the Lodi Native playing field with gusto.
Grower Todd Maley shows off a bottle of his Lodi Native blend from his family’s Wegat Vineyard, planted to St. George clones in 1958.
" data-orig-size="300,550" title="Todd Maley Wegat Vineyard" data-image-title="Todd Maley Wegat Vineyard" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/lodinativeweget1.jpg" style="width: 356px; height: 356px;" height="356" width="356" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/lodinativeweget1.jpg?w=164" data-original-height="356" alt="Wine grower Todd Maley shows off his Lodi Native blend from the family's Wegat Vineyard. | Image: L.M. Archer©" data-original-width="356" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1471022671","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0013642564802183","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/lodinativeweget1.jpg?w=300" /> Wine grower Todd Maley shows off his Lodi Native blend from the family’s Wegat Vineyard. | Image: L.M. Archer©
Wegat Vineyard produced old growth zinfandel used in Todd Maley’s Lodi Native wine.
" data-orig-size="2448,3264" title="Wegat Vineyard - Lodi Native" data-image-title="Wegat Vineyard – Lodi Native" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/lodinativevyd.jpg" style="width: 356px; height: 356px;" height="356" width="356" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/lodinativevyd.jpg?w=225" data-original-height="356" alt="A view of Wegat Vineyard, planted to St. George zin in 1958 by wine grower and Lodi Native memberTodd Maley's family. | Image: L.M. Archer©" data-original-width="356" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1471022202","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.00077519379844961","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/lodinativevyd.jpg?w=638" /> A view of Wegat Vineyard, planted to St. George zin in 1958 by wine grower and Lodi Native memberTodd Maley’s family. | Image: L.M. Archer©Lodi Native
Lodi Native, a collaboration between six Lodi wine growers, spotlights Lodi’s heritage old vines, Zinfandel in particular.
Membership requires adherence to stringent winemaking protocols.These protocols include the use of 100% ‘old-vine’ (~35-100 years old) Zinfandel sourced from one single contiguous vineyard within the Lodi AVA, with a preference for Lodi Rules™ certified sustainable vineyards. Exceptions may occur for certain old vine plantings with long-established field mixes, or younger, distinctive plantings.
Production protocols require the use of native yeast fermentations only, and restricts the use of inoculation for malolactic fermentation. Additional prohibitions include no oak chips, dust or similar amendments, no new oak or inner-staves aging, and no tannin additions, as well as no acidification or de-acidification, use of Mega-Purple or other concentrate products, and no must concentration, Flash Détente or similar extraction measures. Finally, wines may not be filtered or fined.
Moreover, after élevage, each producer must submit proposed cuvées for sensory evaluation and subsequent approval by the entire group.
Above all, Lodi Native focuses on dirt. Maximum self-expression of the dirt, mostly from the Mokelumne River sub-AVA. The list of old-growth vineyards boggle the mind: Marian’s Vineyard (Growers: Jerry & Bruce Fry of Mohr-Fry Ranches | Winemaker: Stuart Spencer of St. Amant Winery), Schmiedt Ranch (Growers: Schmiedt Family | Winemaker: Tim Holdener of Macchia Wines), Stampede Vineyard (Growers: Jeff and John Perlogos Winemaker: Ryan Sherman of Fields Family Wines), TruLux Vineyard (Grower: Keith Watts | Winemaker: Michael McCay of McCay Cellars), Wegat Vineyard (Grower, Todd Maley | Winemaker: Chad Joseph of Maley Brothers), and Soucie Vineyard, owned by grower Kevin Soucie and produced by Layne Montgomery of m2 Wines.
Soucie Vineyard gorws 100 year old, head-trained, own-rooted in Devries sandy loam for m2 Wine’s Lodi Native Old Vine Zin.
" data-orig-size="500,500" title="Soucie Vineyard" data-image-title="Soucie Vineyard" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2soucievyd.jpg" style="width: 419px; height: 419px;" height="419" width="419" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2soucievyd.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="419" alt="'Bonsai Vines' m2 Wine's Old Vine Zin sources the fruit from Soucie Vineyard's 100 year old, head-trained, own-rooted in Devries sandy loam.| Image: L.M. Archer©" data-original-width="419" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1471021262","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0010152284263959","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2soucievyd.jpg?w=500" /> ‘Bonsai Vines’ m2 Wine’s Old Vine Zin sources the fruit from Soucie Vineyard’s 100 year old, head-trained, own-rooted in Devries sandy loam.| Image: L.M. Archer©
Layne Montgomery of m2 Wines sources his old vine zinfandel from fifth-generation wine grower Kevin Soucie of Soucie Vineyard.
" data-orig-size="375,535" title="m2 Old Vine Zinfandel" data-image-title="m2 Old Vine Zinfandel" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2ovz.jpg" style="width: 293px; height: 419px;" height="419" width="293" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2ovz.jpg?w=210" data-original-height="419" alt="The Wine Abides...m2 Wines 2011 Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi Soucie Vineyard. | Image: L.M. Archer©" data-original-width="293" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1471020196","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0053191489361702","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2ovz.jpg?w=375" /> The Wine Abides…m2 Wines 2011 Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi Soucie Vineyard. | Image: L.M. Archer©The Wine Abides
Montgomery affectionately refers to his block of Soucie Vineyard as ‘bonsai vines.’ Planted in 1916 by Kevin Soucie’s grandfather, these hundred-hear old head-trained, self-rooted Zinfandel shrubs splay out like gnarly, battle-hardened warriors under the Lodi sun. Tapped into Devries sandy loam, the vines invariably chew Layne Montgomery up and spit him out every vintage. But that tough love beats out a beautiful elixir, as we taste vineyard-side. The m2 2014 Select Block Zinfandel exhibits a glorious rouge hue, complex structure, and unexpected elegance.
m2 Wines opened the doors to their sleek, cutting-edge tasting room and production site in Lodi in 2014.
" data-orig-size="500,375" title="m2 Wine Tasting Room" data-image-title="m2 Wine Tasting Room" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2tr.jpg" style="width: 356px; height: 356px;" height="356" width="356" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2tr.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="356" alt="Scene of the crime: m2 Wines state-of-the-art tasting room and production site in Lodi.| Image: L.M. Archer©" data-original-width="356" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1471023966","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0011074197120709","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2tr.jpg?w=500" /> Scene of the crime: m2 Wines state-of-the-art tasting room and production site in Lodi.| Image: L.M. Archer©
Soucie Vineyards boasts Lodi’s oldest zinfandel vines, used to make Lodi Native Old Vine Zinfandel by m2 Wines.
" data-orig-size="500,620" title="Kevin Soucie Pouring 1945" data-image-title="Kevin Soucie Pouring 1945" data-orig-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2kevinoldpour.jpg" style="width: 356px; height: 356px;" height="356" width="356" data-medium-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2kevinoldpour.jpg?w=242" data-original-height="356" alt="Kevin Soucie pours forth his grandfather's 1945 wine as Layne Montgomery watches from behind the m2 tasting room bar.| Image: L.M. Archer©" data-original-width="356" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPad mini","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1471025992","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.3","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-large-file="https://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/m2kevinoldpour.jpg?w=500" /> Kevin Soucie pours forth his grandfather’s 1945 wine as Layne Montgomery watches from behind the m2 tasting room bar.| Image: L.M. Archer©Montgomery collects our glasses, and we decamp down the road to Wegat Vineyard, where fellow Lodi Native and grower Todd Maley proffers his own old-vine version, an age-worthy contrapunto to the clarion call of Soucie Vineyard.
Finally, appetites whetted, we slosh our way back to m2 Wine’s ultra-chic tasting room, where we belly up to the bar pre-prandial before devouring our luscious, locally-catered meal.
As the early evening sunlight filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Kevin Soucie breaks out a bottle of 1945 wine bequeathed to him by his grandfather. In hushed appreciation, we marvel at the lively liquid, still viable. Now a deep walnut hue, it offers up an ambered finesse not unlike a time-tuned madeira. The wine abides.
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Link here to Part 1 of 2: Back From The Brink | Lodi Wines Demand Respect.
Thank you:
The Dude: Layne Montgomery & Team m2
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