2021 3 Muses Cellars Lodi, California Red Wine

Every winemaker has a vision of how a particular wine should taste. And they bring that vision to the blending table. But they also must deal with reality: Nature possesses neither intentions nor vision. Rather, it influences the climate, weather and soil that impact the raw materials with which the winemaker works: the grapes.

Thus, regardless of the vision, the vintner is always limited by the raw materials provided by nature in any given vintage. In the case of the 3 Muses Cellars 2021 Red Wine, those materials came from quality-focused vineyards in California’s Lodi district.

The 3 Muses winemaker declined to reveal the exact makeup of the cuvee, or even the grape varieties selected. But what we do know is that the vision was realized in a most delicious way, as the wine dazzles the palate with an array of engaging fruit, earth and spice impressions — a classic example of a vintner working with nature’s gifts.