RIDGE, ZINFANDEL -Temporarily out of stock-
| 2005 |
Ridge Vineyards, Geyserville |
| red |
NORTH AMERICA |
75cl |
| 77% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane 6% Petite Sirah - Located on the western edge of Sonoma`s Alexander Valley, Geyserville was Ridge`s first source of red wine grapes, other than Monte Bello Ridge. The first vintage — 1966 — was an essence. The combination of Geyserville`s climate, gravelly soils, and varietal mix (zinfandel, carignane, petite sirah, alicante, mataro, etc.) imparts elegance and definition not usually associated with zinfandel. It`s hard to describe a "typical" Geyserville. Each vintage is unique, distinct, extraordinary. Yet they do have elements in common, including the blackest of blackberry fruit, peppery spice, tar, cedar. The term "layered" was invented for Geyserville. And the wines change, re-inventing themselves in bottle, developing more nuance and complexity as years pass. The `73 still shines. Most ageworthy of all Ridge "zinfandels," they can be (witness the `97) magnificent when young. Go taste a Geyserville. Any vintage will do. "Cool, rainy weather in early spring delayed budbreak, but clear skies by late March brought flowering and a good set by mid-May. Above-average temperatures throughout the summer moved ripening along, and we started to sample for flavor in late August. Mild fall weather with occasional fog slowed maturation while allowing color and flavor to deepen. Harvesting began in mid-September and extended over twenty days as each of the thirty-three parcels ripened fully. The separate lots fermented on their natural yeasts, and were pressed at dryness (average seven days); once natural malolactic was underway, we began assembling the finest and most characteristic. Because of the zinfandel`s unusually firm structure, we included very little petite sirah. As in most years, the 120-year-old carignane was an elegant, vibrant addition. This outstanding vintage aged fourteen months in air-dried american oak. Rich primary fruit gives the wine immediate appeal; it will develop greater complexity over the next ten years. " Paul Draper, winemaker |
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