The Dirty Pure Project ‘F Bomb’ Red Blend Lodi 2022

This is the brainchild of winemaker Molly Lippitt, who spent fifteen years learning her craft alongside California royalty like Heidi Barrett, Philippe Melka, and Julien Fayard. Her approach to The F Bomb is brilliantly contrarian – while most “red blends” are just relabeled Zinfandel or Merlot with minimal additions, Molly creates a genuinely thoughtful field blend built around Grenache, with supporting roles from Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Merlot.

The result is astonishingly good – juicy aromas of strawberry hard candy and red plum leap from the glass, with a light frame of toasty vanilla. The lush, soft palate delivers layers of ripe blue and red berries with beautiful balance. If I tasted this blind, I’d have guessed it was a Southern Rhône wine at twice the price.