2022 Ridge Vineyards, Geyserville, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA

67% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah and 3% Mataro. Winemaker John Olney thinks the Carignane portion distinguishes this popular wine. More clay than Lytton Springs. Official notes: ‘Low rainfall limited yields. A warm summer proceeded to ripen the grapes evenly. However, on Labour Day, a record-breaking heatwave threatened the Zinfandel with rapid overripening. We picked day and night to bring the grapes in ideally ripe. Fourteen months in barrel has fully integrated the fruit and tannin of this fine wine. Approachable now, it will continue to develop for 12 to 15 years.

Hand-picked from 22 August to 14 September. Average Brix 24.5. TA 6.73 g/l. pH 3.5. Full crush, 100% floating cap. Natural primary and natural secondary malolactic) fermentations; daily pump-overs. Aged 16 months in 100% air-dried American oak barrels: 65% Appalachian, 20% Kentucky and 12% Ozark 28% new, 24% one year old, 25% two years old, and 23% three plus years old). Grapes destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally-occurring bacteria; oak from barrel ageing; minimum effective sulfur for this wine 35 ppm at crush, 139 ppm over the course of ageing); pad filtered at bottling. Organic’.

Slightly paler crimson than the Pagani Ranch. Still quite youthful on the very savoury nose with fine tannins and notable acidity. Berry flavours but none of Zin ’s jamminess. A long-term wine, currently less approachable than Pagani Ranch 2022. Chalky-textured finish. 

Drink 2024 - 2036