Last night, with Andrew under the weather, we decided to stay in and make a simple dinner of pizzas. With these pizzas, Jean wanted a Zin so down from the cellar came:
2004 Ridge Ponzo Ranch Zinfandel (RRV) nose: tarry, dark berry fruit, cedar palate: medium body, rich, moderate acidity, fruity, clean
We'd bought a few bottles of this a couple of years ago and this was the first that we'd opened. At $27, this was no bargain Zin, but was purchased as something to open while waiting for the Geyservilles and Lytton Springs to come around. Interestingly, whatever oak treatment it received was mostly manifested in the mouthfeel of this wine, with little oak flavor evident. A very nice, but somewhat simple, Zin, and a nice match with the pizza. Paul Draper's notes on the back label indicate his expectation that this wine would continue to improve for another year or so, but I don't see much point in waiting longer.
Mark Lipton