Markus Wine Co. spotlight
James Suckling's Jim Gordon is on camera with Markus Niggli in Lodi old-vine country, the same winemaker behind this 2021 Nero.
The market on this bottle
Wine-Searcher tracks this 2021 Markus Wine Co. 'Nero' Lodi across the open market. Their published U.S. low is $15.85 and the average is $15.85. Our slash is $16.00.
2021 Markus Wine Co. 'Nero' Lodi, USA
Markus Niggli's darker savory Lodi red, black cherry and spice, a 2021 you can open at thirty-two dollars.
The 2021 Nero is a small-lot Lodi red shaped toward balance: black cherry, plum, dried herb, cocoa dust, now $32.
California fruit with a more disciplined spine
Nero sits in the Markus lane that makes the house compelling: ripeness shaped with European balance, texture, and drinkability. It is dark, a little savory, and built for dinner rather than a trophy shelf.
The house
Markus Niggli is known for native fermentation, quiet oak, and old-vine Lodi possibilities rather than oversized sameness.
The wine
Nero is the darker, savory-minded bottling: black cherry, plum, earthy spice, polished grip.
The scores
Wine-Searcher aggregate 94 on this 2021.
The drinker
Serve 58 to 62 F. Open 20 to 30 minutes. Mushroom ragu or rosemary lamb.
Dark fruit, savory shape, enough lift for dinner
Black cherry, plum skin, dark berry, a faint dried-herb edge. Medium-plus body, polished grip, acidity that keeps the wine from feeling heavy.
A savory Lodi red year. Nero drinks fruit-forward now, with spice and earth ready to move forward over the next few years.
Black cherry, plum, dark berry, dried herb.
Medium-plus, polished grip, enough acidity to stay dinner-ready.
Savory spice, cocoa dust, a clean Lodi warmth. Serve 58 to 62 F.
The Markus signature is freshness first
Niggli's wines have a recognizable through-line: fruit with energy, tannin with purpose, oak as a quiet frame. For Nero the useful buyer read is house style: small-lot Lodi fruit shaped toward balance and a more European sense of restraint.
Oak is for texture, not vanilla gloss. Native-leaning fermentation and food-friendly acidity are the house habits.
Open 20 to 30 minutes. Decant if the lamb or mushrooms are rich.
Lodi is having a smarter moment. Markus helped make that possible
Lodi has the raw material. What it needed were winemakers willing to treat that material with imagination.
Old vines, sandy soils, warm days, and growers who know how to coax flavor without pretense. That is Lodi's inheritance.
Swiss-born Niggli settled here and made a reputation on heritage fruit and uncommon blends that feel fresh and serious.
Nero fits that story. It is not trying to cosplay Napa. It is Lodi with a sharper suit: dark, expressive, built for the table.
Pair it where the wine can show its savory side
Nero wants flavor, not fuss. Lamb with herbs, mushrooms with depth, char from the grill.
Two plates. One mushroom ragu over polenta. One garlic-rosemary lamb chop.
Open 20 to 30 minutes before dinner. Serve 58 to 62 F. Decant with lamb or mushroom ragu.
Creamy Polenta with Mushroom Ragu
Earthy mushrooms, tomato, herbs, and creamy polenta highlight Nero's darker register.
Why it works: Mushroom umami mirrors earthy spice. Polenta gives the tannins something plush to hold.
View Recipe for mushroom ragu with polenta (opens in a new tab)
Garlic and Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops
Rosemary, garlic, and char pull forward savory spice while lamb richness softens tannin.
Why it works: Dark fruit and herbal lift meet fat and grill smoke, making the wine feel longer.
View Recipe for garlic rosemary grilled lamb chops (opens in a new tab)Buy Nero for the nights that should feel considered
Markus Niggli, a savory 2021 Lodi red, thirty-two dollars.
Put six in the cart. It can handle lamb, mushrooms, and a second night open.
