Winemaker Markus Niggli is an amazing talented man with a real deep seated passion for his craft. He has been making astounding aromatic white wines at the “Oldest Independent Family Vineyard” in Lodi; Borra Vineyards.
Bad News: Lodi’s historic Borra Vineyards closed at the end of 2017
Good News: Markus Niggli, bought everything and has began producing his own line of wines at the brand new MARKUS WINE COMPANY.
Steve Borra, a 3rd generation Grapegrower in Lodi started making wine from his families vineyards in 1967. In 1975 he started the “First Bonded Winery in Lodi” in a tiny shack off Armstrong Road and the legends of winemaking in Lodi were started.
Fast forward to a few years ago; Steve was ready to retire. And since his kids didn’t want to make wine, he decided to concentrate on the more profitable area of his family business; growing prize winning grapes and selling them for other winemakers and wineries. Markus and Partner Jon Bjork were the perfect fit to purchase everything for the winemaking side of the business, and they began their own Lodi story.
Swiss born Markus Niggli started his wine carrier near Perth, Austalia where he studied viticulture, learning that the best wines are truly made in the vineyard.
“I’m a firm believer that you need to understand what is going on in the field”.
Later he arrived in Santa Rosa, CA where he started as a Viticulture Technician for Atlus Peak Winery. While he started at the bottom. He didn’t stay there long. Talent, hard work, and a desire to learn have served Markus very well.
“As a winemaker, you must listen to the vineyard. You need to know the story of the fruit to make a great wine,” Markus Niggli
He moved to Lodi, California in 2006 because he knew he could learn and move up quickly in the up and coming Lodi AVA. He was hired by Steve Borra as as Cellar Assistant at Borra Vineyards. Steve Borra recognized his skills and work ethic and put him to work, increasing his responsibilities until eventually turning over the Winemaker title.
Soon afterward Markus convinced Bob & Brett Koth, owners of nearby Mokelumne Glen Vineyards to let him experiment with their unsold German grapes such as Kerner. That is when Markus really began pushing the envelope of Lodi wines, blending them with Gewürztraminer, Riesling, and Bacchus grapes. It wouldn’t take long before the wine enthusiasts were beating a path to Lodi to try his unique dry, acidic, and incredibly aromatic white wines.
Wine Writer W. Blake Gray of the Gray Report said of the 2011 Intuition:
“This is a great wine, one of the best California white wines I’ve tasted this year. It’s delicious. And complex. And constantly interesting. Every sip was worth savoring. And it was even more delicious the next day”
I first met Markus in September of 2016 when I was invited by the Lodi Winegrape Commission for a Press Trip. You can read more about that trip by clicking HERE. I tasted some damn incredible wines, and met the 4-5 generation Grapegrowers of Lodi off and on for 3 days. Markus so graciously hosted us under a grove of shade trees right next to the vineyards, and poured his aromatic white wines for us. I was blown away and an instant convert.
So when Markus contacted me and announced he was expanding to make four red wines all under his label Markus Wine Company, you can imagine I was beyond excited and asked him to send me samples ASAP!
Here are my thoughts:
2015 Markus, Lodi Domo: 75% Carigan 15% Petite Sirah 10% Sirah. This is true OLD VINE Carignan from Borra Vineyards Church Block planted in 1920’s. Light weight and semi translucent in the glass. Cherry pie, Cranberry, clove, and spices. Great acidity and depth, and med tannins. Long finish.
2015 Markus, Lodi Zeitlos: 76% Syrah with just a dash of Viognier at 4%. The Syrah and Viognier were picked and co-fermented the same day in the old Rhone Valley tradition of France. The remainder of the blend is 12% Old Vine Carignan and 8% Petite Sirah. This is a big wine, and possibly my favorite (see below). Deep purple in the glass. Med-heavy weight and firm tannins beg for lamb chops or roasted meats! Raspberry, Floral, Cherry, and Herbs dominate the nose and on the palate. I wish I had several bottles to cellar. I would love to taste this wine in 10 years, It should age beautifully.
2015 Markus, Lodi Blue: 90% Zinfandel from the Borra Vineyard planted about 50 years ago, with 5% Petit Sirah, and 5% Petit Verdot. THIS IS A BIG WINE! At 16.5% Alc , BLUE is reminiscent of big Zinfandels from Lodi, but more layers. Black Cherry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Spicy Pepper, Plum, with a hint of Cedar. Tannins are velvety, and Blue will reward you with a long, long finish of Pepper, Cedar & blue fruits! Well done.
2015 Markus, Lodi Sol: 42% Petite Sirah, 37% Syrah, and 21% Mourvedre all blended from the three best barrels of each varietal. Amazing nose of Blue fruits (Blackberry, Blueberry), Cocoa, and Wet Forest Floor. “SOL” is French for soil, and the name is perfect for this wine. As juicy & succulent of a red wine as this is, the earthiness that is so intertwined with the juicy fruits is brilliant. It begs for a big juicy sizzling ribeye steak fresh off the grill. I know I said I thought Zeitlos may have been my favorite of the 4 wines, but I could easily change my call to SOL… YES, It is that great.
As I stated earlier, I love Markus’s aromatic and acidic white wines. They are NOTHING like typical California butter bomb Chardonnay, and that is a good thing. I will still continue to love them. But understand the Markus Red Wines are outstanding, and even more outstanding is the suggested retail is $39 for each! That is a great price for red wines of this caliber. THAT is the beauty of LODI! The values that are coming out of the Lodi AVA are astounding. If you are ever in the area please send me a note and I will send you taste damn special wines made by damn special people!
Go to his website here for more information and to purchase his wines: http://markuswine.com/
Thank you again for taking your time to read my article. Please leave a comment below so I will know you were here, and feel free to let me know your thoughts.
Terry Hill is the Texas Wineaux!