 2001
Ridge Syrah/Grenache Lytton Estate, 14.8% alc.: This dark garnet is a 50 - 50 blend of syrah and Grenache, but you can hardly tell that from the aromatics or flavors, which are all about red wine from Ridge. The nose explodes with beautiful Draper perfume in all its glory, bursting with blackberry, black plum, blueberry and just the right amount of oak. These follow through in the somewhat fat, somewhat creamy flavors, where a little chocolate emerges with air. The tannins try to fight it out with the big fruit and Mr. Ridge personality, but finish in 3rd place, as this is drinking so well already. It reminds me of the
'95 Ridge Pagani Mataro ATP, which was also gorgeous when it was released, but showed almost no varietal character whatsoever. Kim and I love this wine, and while it will improve over the next three to five years, we'll have a hard time keeping our hands off until then.
2001 Ridge Geyserville, 74% Zinfandel, 18% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, $30, 14.4% alc.: This was my first taste of this dark garnet Geezer since
ZAP '03, and perhaps the time has helped it come around some. Initially less aromatically effusive than the '01 Syrah/Grenache (which it was tasted immediately after) it shows less overt Draper perfume over blackberry, black raspberry and blueberry, accented with a subtle note of chocolate. The nose brightens up noticeably with air, and the flavors echo in a somewhat subdued kind of way, not being as sweet and forward, but rather more claret - like, and with a nice touch of that ol' bramble and briar. With an hour's worth of air, the flavors start to open as the bouquet did earlier, becoming somewhat sweeter and more expressive, gaining a little leather along the way. The tannins can use some time, but this is drinking quite well right now. Classic Mr. Ridge claret, with not a Bordeaux varietal in the mix.
2002 Ridge Lytton Springs, 75% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane, $50 (Beverly Hills Grill, Beverly Hills, MI), $30 from the winery,14.7% alc.: We took the opportunity to get our first taste of this dark garnet while dining out with
Scott "The Geek" Tobias, and we were most delighted with it. It exudes plenty of that Draper perfume, with luscious flavors and aromas of reduced raspberry, black raspberry and a little blueberry, prettied up with just the right amount of sweet oak and little hints of coconut and dill that compliment, rather than detract from the character at this point. Scott added impressions of "coffee, caramel; really spicy, almost picante." It shows good acidity and a nice long finish, along with tannins that will take it quite a way down the road, but if you're one of those who prefer Zinfandel in all of it's young and vibrant expression, this has more than enough lovely fruit to charm your socks off right now. As "The Geek" put it, "This is refined, yet powerful, what I look for in a really good Zinfandel."
2001 Ridge Lytton Springs, 76% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane, $30, 14.7% alc.: The color hasn't changed since the
last time we tried
it, but this bottle is showing much more dill and coconut than the
others we've slurped. Flavors echo with added raspberry, blackberry and even a little blueberry. Substantial tannins can't quite restrain the big fruit or the big oak; as it opens there's more and more big, luscious, almost jammy fruit, literally exploding on the palate, with a good long finish, but the coconut and dill never dissipate. Much like the '97 Geyserville, this needs five years or so to sop up all the oak, judging from this bottle; the fruit is killer and the tannins I can handle, but the oak is just too much right now.
2002 Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel, $25, 14.8% alc.: This dark garnet zin can really use an hour in a decanter before drinking at this early stage of its development; we didn't give it that, so what we found is a wine that initially seems a little hard, and is definitely of a darker spectrum than these usually are. There's the obligatory "Draper perfume," of course, along with sweet oak, deep dark blackberry and black raspberry, a hint of briar - bramble and some dark chocolate and boysenberry as it opens. Plenty of deep, rich, delicious fruit here, with a good dose of tannins, balanced acidity and a long finish, so this should be at its best in two to five years.
2002 Ridge Ponzo Vineyards Zinfandel, 96% Zinfandel, 2% Carignane, 2% Petite Sirah, $25, 14.4% alc.: Dark garnet, with a big sweet oak, spicy, brambly black raspberry, blueberry character that has some tar and cola - root beer lurking in the background. The fruit seems a little hard when first poured, and while it opens with air, it lacks the kind of depth on the mid - palate and finish that I'd expect from a Ridge zin in a good vintage.
 1993 Ridge York Creek Petite Sirah, $40, 12.6% alc.: 69% of the grapes for this inky, almost opaque purple - black colored wine saw whole cluster fermentation, which Paul Draper says enhanced the fruit, added complexity and moderated the tannins, but this is still a chunky, chewy wine with a long life ahead of it. A hint of the barnyard is just one element that gives it a Rhone - like character, along with big earthy black currant and dark plum, a little smoke and a note of leather as it opens. There's also less of that "Draper perfume" than I would have expected, though just enough to I.D. this as a fine Mr. Ridge. Approachable? Yes, especially as it opens with air, but still, this wants another five years minimum to mellow and develop more complexity. Many thanks to
Dan McDonald for this excellent Pettie Sarah.
Report from Zinfinity
1998
Flowers Mendocino Zinfandel Talmage Bench, 14.8% alc.: It's been a while since we last had this somewhat cloudy ruby garnet, but I'm happy to report that it's still pumping out sweet, rich, intense flavors and aromas reminiscent of raspberry, cherry and cranberry, accented with a note of chocolate and that
"la Follette" signature perfume that we were so fond of back when Greg was the resident winemaker. There are still some tannins to resolve here, and it will probably continue to improve for at least a year or two. From a winery that has been accused of making "syrah - like" pinot noir, this could almost be described as being a "pinot noir - like" zinfandel, in a big boned kind of way, and we think it's absolutely delicious. Many thanks to
Allan Bree for gifting this to us.
1999 Neyers Contra Costa Zinfandel Pato Vineyard, $27.99, 15.3% alc.: We've always enjoyed the
Pato Zins from Neyers, at least until we tasted this one; it's a dark garnet with reduced dark berries, dark chocolate, briar - bramble and a little coffee on the nose. Flavors echo and explode, with plenty of tannins and acids and they're packing heat. Thick and extracted, this is pretty rough right now, and just way too hot. Based on past positive experiences, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and suggest that perhaps we just had an off bottle, but…
2002 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel, $14.99, 15.2% alc.: Dark garnet, with sweet, toasty oak over a wide spectrum of red, black and blue berries in both flavor and aroma, and accented with more than a hint of mint; very pretty, but a bit angular when first opened, with moderate tannins, good acidity and a nice long finish. The wine smoothes out with air, becoming creamier, and some briary character comes out as well. Very nice, and one of the relatively few high quality $15 Zins still available; a worthy successor to the delicious
2001
model.
Reporting
from Day-twah,
Bastardo
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