Gang of Pour - Alan Kerr's Tasting Notes, Reporting From The Valley


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	\| Dry Creek has to be one of the most beautiful parts of the Golden State and when Mr. Ridge can be seen on the horizon, nothing can be finer. Although the Lytton Springs winery is a far cry from yesteryear, in the days when it was our first port of call on our daily suicide missions into wine country, it is a location not to be missed. I met Christina Donley, (left) Lytton’s tasting room manager, for the first time last year. Christina is a warm and wonderful person who was kind enough to take time from her busy schedule to take me through a taste of the wines available at the tasting bar and a couple that were not. Ridge Buchignani Ranch Carignane 2004 $26.00 This 100% Carignane hails from the Western side of Alexander valley. It shows some dusty sweet cherry notes with a mouthful of dark cherry, raspberry and bitter chocolate. There is plenty of black fruit acid to keep it lively and interesting. Find this wine Ridge Santa Cruz Mountain 2003 $33.00 At this moment in time, this wine is really tight and shows only hints of what it may become. I get traces of sweet berry perfume, a layer of medicinal fruit candy, dusty chocolate tannin, black raspberry and stony mineral. De-stemmed and 100 % whole berry fermentation, I imagine in about five years this wine will start to show what it is made of. 40% of the wine saw 21 months in new American oak. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5 % Petit Verdot and 4% Cab Franc. Find this wine
Ridge Ponzo Zinfandel 2003 $26.00 Memories are aroused of freshly baked sweet black berry pie. The nose also shows maraschino cherry, floral notes, pepper, zinberry and blackcurrant coulis. The palate is quite full, well rounded and caries a layer of tingly acid through to the finish. Ponzo vineyard is on Old Redwood Highway just south of Healdsburg. It is mostly composed of Zinfandel, but a row or two of Petit Sirah and Carignane crop up here and there. Find this wine Ridge York Creek Zinfandel 2003 $28.00 My favourite of the day, at least up to this point! The aroma profile is deeper and more complex. Blackberry and dark cherry share centre stage. A touch of wet leaf and stone, extracted from its Spring Mountain location create a nice balance. The layers of sweet fruit hang on the finish. It is really enjoyable right now and that’s why I like it! Find this wine Ridge Lytton Springs 2004 $33.00 Lots of meaty fleshy tarry notes with plum, glycerin, black raspberry, zinberry and a touch of forest floor. It is fruit laden, ripe and rich. An expressive example of how freakin' good Dry Creek Zinfandel can be. Find this wine Ridge Geyserville 2003 $33.00 Although this shows one more year of maturity than its cousin from Lytton, it is entering a stage that stifles much of the wines aromatics and flavour components. It releases a tease of Asian spice, chocolate, black pepper, red cherry and bramble. The palate actually shows much more than the nose by showcase layers of extracted creamy red fruit. As with most Geyserville, time is going to turn this into a beauty. Find this wine Ridge Lytton Springs 2005 Barrel Sample Treat time as the missing Christina returned with a carafe a powerful and aromatic wine in hand and a grin on her face. “2005 Lytton Springs barrel sample,” she said. It shows massive layers of Bordeaux styled dark fruit, Ozzie mint and mineral. At this point the balance appears flawless. It should put a tilt in the kilt of many a wine lover in a decade or so. Happily reporting from the valley, CZ Front Page \| Robert Biale Vineyards \| Tandem Winery \| Carlisle Winery David Coffaro Winery \| Elyse Winery Quivira Vineyards \| Unti Vineyards \| Ravenswood Winery Quaint Watering Hole Called Pancha’s BACK TO THE TOP Alan Kerr's Home Page and Main Index

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