We fortuitously took advantage of the Indian Summer we are currently enjoying by spending a weekend at a local State Park which, apart from spectacular scenic beauty, is bereft of fine dining options. So, to supplement meals at the Inn, we brought along a bottle of:
2002 Ridge Geyserville (84% Zin; 14% Carignan; 2% Petite Sirah) nose [day 1]: dark fruit with an overlay of oak palate [day 1]: full body, almost creamy feeling, balanced
After a day of sitting recorked at room temp, we tried it again:
nose [day 2]: dark fruit, earth, tarry palate [day 2]: medium-full body, firm acidity, dark fruit, earth
What a transformation! Our initial impression was of a goopy, overly oaky Zin, but by day 2 the wine had been transformed to a very structured, taut wine with lots of complexity. Paul Draper's back notes suggest drinking this wine from 2010-2013, but I'll suggest that it could go much longer. This is a wine that'll benefit greatly from more time.
Mark Lipton