What I’m Drinking: A Lodi Cabernet as good as any Napa Cab

Sometimes I like to have friends try a wine without telling them where it is from (fortunately they don’t inspect labels too closely). I was curious what some of my Napa Cabernet loving friends would think of Michael David’s 2015 Rapture Cabernet Sauvignon. This Lodi winery is better known for its whimsical label designs and series — such as the circus-themed Freak Show, 7 Deadly Zins or Earthquake – rather than for serious cab. Until now.

Out of a couple Napa cabs that I also opened that night, Rapture stole the show. We loved its easy-drinking, silky texture. But that doesn’t mean it’s a simple wine. Rapture — made only in the best vintages — comes from winery co-founder Michael Phillips’ vineyard, and is aged for 19 months in all new French oak. The name Rapture reflects the wine’s limited production, and as they say, you don’t want to miss out on this wine.

Here’s why. This full-bodied complex and dense purple-hued wine has rich, jammy blackberry, cassis and black plum fruit, savory anise spice and sweet vanilla and salted caramel flavors that enhance the never ending finish. The great thing? Rapture is $60. Find me a Napa cab as good for that price point.

2 Comments

  1. We went out to Total Wine and bought several bottles of Rapture after trying it. Thanks for the introduction! And for what it’s worth, I think it’s often helpful to try wines without the baggage of knowing where they are from at first.

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