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'97 Rabbit Ridge Olson Vineyard Zin

I've lauded this wine here before; we opened my penultimate bottle this weekend with Mem Day grilling and friends. It's still glorious - burnt caramel, dark berries, some spice - but for the first time, I think it's just turned past peak, as after

30 min or so it had fallen well below initial taste, and it was showing some slight brown at the edges. So I'll drink the rest sooon, but it's the first time I've really felt a decent '97 CA Zin feel (slightly) too old. [Incidentally, I haven't seen this wine around the past couple of years. Nor is it listed - nor is e.g. the Hedin Vineyard - on the winery site. Anyone know the deal?]
Reply to
Ewan McNay
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I still have a few bottles of the 97 St Francis Pagani Ranch Zin which I think is the best example of Zin I have ever tasted. If 97s are over the hill, I'm going to die.

Reply to
Pantheras

'97s aren't over the hill yet. I had a '97 Ridge Geyserville three nights ago and it was cosmic. The '97s may have been the best year of the decade for California Zins. Also had a '02 Ridge Pagani Ranch last week and it is already showing as well as those '97 blockbusters. Paso Robles '02 and Ponzo '02 from Ridge are also great. Suprisingly the Geyersville and Lytton Springs didn't seem as big to me.

Ed Rasimus Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret) "When Thunder Rolled" Smithsonian Institution Press ISBN #1-58834-103-8

Reply to
Ed Rasimus

I haven't had this. I thought the '96 was way too oaky- I liked the Rabbit Ridge OVZ better. Sounds like the ripe '97 stood up to oak better. Actually Ridge Geezer is only zincentric '97 I think I have left.Lately haven't bought RR products.

No. But I might note that I think it's OlsEn, not OlsOn- try winesearcher with that.

thanks for notes! Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

Reply to
Dale Williams

I was in Healdsburg last weekend and the tasting staff at Selby volunteered that Rabbit Ridge is now doing business out of Paso Robles. He said he used to work there, but evidently they got into permit troubles with the county when they upped production from 50K to

300K cases. According to the man we spoke to, "the county isn't in the business of putting wineries out of business," the proprietor opted to move the winery rather than update his permit.

I believe the Selby winemaker, Susie Selby, was an assistant winemaker at RR when your '97 zin was made, perhaps you'll like her Bobcat Zin.

-Amalia

Reply to
ate1

RR got into trouble last fall with the feds for mislabeling some wine with a Russian River appl instead of California.

Reply to
Bill

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