Comments on: There’s Zin. And then there’s Ridge Geyserville. [mature wine]

By: Chris Parente

Chris Parente — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 01:28:07 +0000

A bit off topic, but I was disappointed in the Bordeaux blend, a 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate. Not bad but not worth the $30+ price.

Next time I’ll try the Zin!

By: John of Portland

John of Portland — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 22:19:57 +0000

I couldn’t agree more. I am slowly creeping my way through my stash of 1990s Geyservilles (not to mention many other old zins I got through Ridge’s mailing list) and these are serious, well-made, ageworthy wines. No, they aren’t spicy, snappy, briar-y young zins. They are complex, soft, multilayered wines. Erickson, above, called these ‘zinfandels for grownups’, and this is absolutely correct. Ridge is doing its usual beautiful work. It endures.

By: CB

CB — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 01:01:19 +0000

i had the Ridge Geyserville with Christmas dinner and was impressed…so impressed that i bought the 9 remaining bottles at a local wine merchant’s store. after reading through the article and subsequent comments, i’m wondering just what to do next-tuck away all, most or some of the 9 bottles of RG….

By: Delayed Gratification, or If Life is a Cabernet, Then Sex is a Zin! | oenophiliacs

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 06:29:06 +0000

[...] the blow of yet another birthday. To wash down Thanksgiving turkey, we’ve got some hearty Ridge Zinfandel on the block. New Year’s comes in with the miraculous muted bang of a venerable Yquem. And so [...]

By: Which affordable wines can age? How can I be a sommelier? [new blogs] | Dr Vino's wine blog

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:10:01 +0000

[...] add a plug for chenin blanc, especially leading producers of Vouvray, such as Foreau and Huet, or Ridge zins. Hit the comments with your thoughts on this $64 (for two or more bottles) [...]

By: Keith Marton

Keith Marton — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 23:26:47 +0000

As you suggest, Ridge is the exception, not the rule, when it comes to ageability of Zins. And, it may well be the blend of Zin plus others that does the trick–plus Ridge always makes such balanced wines.
I’ve been buying (and keeping) Ridge wines for nearly 45 years and prefer to drink almost anything they make when it has at least 10 years on it.

By: Chris Parente

Chris Parente — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:29:11 +0000

Really nice post. I’m a Zin fan and will look for some of these. Recently picked up a Ridge Bordeaux blend highly recommended by Calvert Woodley in DC — looking forward to enjoying that one.

By: Vitabella » Blog Archive Vitabella Wine Daily Gossip - Luxury Wine - Marketing Strategy - Edition December 6, 2010

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 04:30:55 +0000

[...] art, finance and many others. Wine of Argentina: The world in reverse? (Buenos Aires Herald) Ridge California: There’s Zin. And then there’s Ridge Geyserville. (Dr Vino) History of New Zealand Wines…Saluting Selaks: Let's drink to the 'Dallies' (Southland [...]

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 04:25:12 +0000

Visited the US for a meeting last month, and was delighted to find a nearly complete range of the Ridge Zins at the local retailer. Unfortunately, the duty-free allowance flying back into Australia is only three bottles, so had to choose two of the Geyserville 2007′s for laying down, and an East Bench 2006 to drink soon. Glad to hear it was a good choice. Great photos too, by the way.

By: Stevie

Stevie — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 21:31:17 +0000

I’ve never had aged zinfandel though after reading this I will look for it! Your photographs are beautiful! It looks like the trip was really fun and relaxing. I do drink a fair amount of zin. Much of it comes with screwtop caps. Do you think that would make a difference in aging? Also the zins that you’re writing about seem to have been blended wines. Do you think that a 100% zin would also age well?

By: Dave Erickson

Dave Erickson — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 15:06:59 +0000

I don’t think it’s any secret that Ridge makes zinfandel for grownups.

I love the look of old head-trained zin vines. I’m waiting for them to be featured as a Disturbing Element in a James Cameron film.

By: Jon Troutman

Jon Troutman — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 22:52:57 +0000

Great notes here, Tyler. It’s a shame… zinfandel is definitely a wine that can hang out in the cellar for awhile, but too few producers make it with the balance that Ridge achieves. I can’t think of many zin producers from the late 90s / early ’00s that were making zin with the acid structure needed to age. It seems like lately a few names are popping up that craft zin with the same sensibility of Ridge (Bedrock comes to mind).

By: Christopher Watkins

Christopher Watkins — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:25:59 +0000

What a wonderful post! Being a proud member of the Ridge Vineayards staff, I’m of course biased, but it was truly heartening to see this depth of appreciation so elegantly, eloquently, and thoroughly expressed. Cheers!

Regards,

Christopher Watkins
Tasting Room Manager
Ridge/Monte Bello
Host: “4488: A Ridge Blog”

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:29:23 +0000

I was lucky enough to taste seven 1990 California zinfandels recently. At least for that vintage, Lytton Springs was much livelier than Geyserville. Ravenswood Dickerson was the other wine with a lot still going on.

By: CHRIS ROBINSON

CHRIS ROBINSON — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 15:38:34 +0000

I can’t believe it – two best kept secrets gone in one article. Those great Zins from Ridge revealed to everyone – and their age-ability. Some of these old Ridge Zins have been in a London friend’s wine cellar for many many years and I have had the pleasure of drinking them over many occasions. Have no qualms, these babies do well with some ageing – and without!!