7 Deadly® Virtual Tasting with Texas Wine Writers

We received the product for review and all opinions are our own.

Sign of the times in 2020, the Zoom meeting has become part of our normal routine now. Many wineries have likewise found this medium as an additional resource providing another path to reaching potential and existing customers. We were no exception as we logged on to our virtual tasting session with other Texas wine bloggers and writers on a Tuesday evening in October to join winemaker Scot Dahlstrom of 7 Deadly®.

As you may recall, the seven deadly sins include wrath, greed, envy, vanity, sloth, gluttony, and LUST! 7 Deadly was founded in 2002 and the name was a nod to the seven deadly sins. There was a desire to produce lust worthy wines from Old Vine Zinfandel fruit sourced from seven different Lodi vineyards practicing Lodi certified sustainable rules. That vision was realized, and the winery has gone on to add additional wines to the lineup including a 7 Deadly Cabernet and a 7 Deadly Red.

Although it can be one of the controversial topics for the industry students, the characteristics of the Lodi AVA was reviewed on the call, highlighting that this AVA in California’s Central Valley is well known for producing award winning grapes given its warm days and cool nights. The region is blessed with well drained mineral rich sandy clay soils. There is also a rich tradition in producing superior Zinfandel grapes here, which is part of the reason that 7 Deadly Zinfandel has become the leading Zinfandel that wine drinkers reach for when they want a high-quality Zin to enjoy.

The group started their tasting session with the 2018 7 Deadly Red, which was produced from a combination of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet, and Merlot grapes. This particular blend changes annually on the percentages and combination of these grapes, but remains among these grapes, depending on the quality of the fruit harvested annually. This vintage highlighted rich fruit forward flavors of dark and red fruit, along with a subtle touch of smoke and vanilla, though the vanilla is very subtle because this wine is aged in both American and French oak. This is a smooth fruit forward, think cherry and plums, easy to drink red that is well balanced and not very dry, making it a great wine for food pairing and enjoying on its own.

The second wine enjoyed during the session was the 2018 7 Deadly Cabernet. This full-bodied wine, aged in American Oak is bigger, bolder, and drier than the others. The fruit primarily is sourced from southern Lodi areas with cooler climates and the wine is a blend of primarily Cabernet with a touch of Merlot. This wine presented deep dark fruit flavors of blackberry and has a lingering dry finish. This is definitely a lovely wine to pair with food.

The final wine, the 2017 7 Deadly Zinfandel, was praiseworthy. This full-bodied wine, produced at four times the volume of the other two wines, is the star in the lineup. This wine has big bold jammy fruit flavors, with ripe red fruit shining through. There is a touch of spice with maple notes that enhances the spice finish of the blend. The fruit sourced for this wine is the best of the vineyards produced every year. This was the spotlight wine and after swirling, sniffing, and sipping, there was no doubt why this is the leading Zinfandel that you should be drinking. This is a bright, silky smooth, rich fruit forward beauty that deserves to be lusted after as originally envisioned from the founders. I think they succeeded in realizing their vision.

These wines are sold across the nation and can be found locally at Costco, H-E-B, Wal-Mart, Total Wines, and Whole Foods. The price point is between $10-$16, making these three wines great bottles to enjoy any day. The quality of the wines will also impress your friends and family, making these attractive buys when looking for nice reds to enjoy.