2016 Sixth Sense Syrah Michael David

I am a fan of wines from Lodi, California. When I find one on a shelf, I buy that bottle. Over time, I have discovered a delicious subcategory. Michael David is the wizard of Lodi Apellation.

To be clear, The Lodi Appellation is a federally designated agricultural area of about 1/2 million acres at the northern edge of the San Joaquin Valley east of San Francisco Bay. Currently about 100,000 acres are growing wine grapes.

The Syrah vineyard that conjured the grapes for the 6th Sense was planted in 1982. Magic takes time. The transformation spell cast by Michael David took another 14 months in french oak barrels.

I was enchanted with the dark red pour. I was spellbound by the smooth, earthy blackberries that seemed to be delivered on a wooden spoon.

I was unnerved that Michael David writes darker wine poetry than I could imagine.

“I smell with one nose, an ancient black rose, a memory lingering, briefly exposed. I see with two eyes, through shadows and lies, a secret revealing, wrapped in disguise. I hear with my ears, three fallen tears, echoing softly, heightening my fears. I taste with my tongue, my panics begun, four sides enclosed, melding as one. I touch with my hands, a sinister plan, five fingers discerning where I do stand. I sense with my mind, a thought so unkind, I’m trapped six feet under in a bottle of wine."

TLC Dashboard Rating System