TN: 1996 Ridge Geyserville

I learned something interesting recently about these concentrated berryish rather European-vinified Zinfandels that Ridge has quietly put up at moderate prices for some decades. (Ridge was quietly making and selling them before anyone sold "blush" wine from this grape, for example.) I have to explain the story.

When I first visited that winery for a picnic, August 1981 (friendly but not crowded with visitors, looking like some Napa Valley wineries did a decade or two earlier, and actually looking about the same today, except more ground cleared to park cars), a friend and I were impressed by these rich Zinfandels even young, and split a dozen each of the Geyserville and York Creek Zinfandels 1979 (at US $8.10, apparently 9 minus 10% dozen discount). One of these grape sources is in Napa and the other in Sonoma County, BTW. Over the years we compared them and watched them age. It was a novelty, there was much less info circulating on Zin aging behavior, not to mention my own inexperience of it, but they did seem built to age. Print-out of my inventory (filename "wine.inv") from January 1984 shows five left of each (that's where I got the prices.) The last were used about 1990, still evolving, berryish fruit and oak rolling over to elegant mature characters, coffee, spices. But what I learned about these wines was recent. Someone had a supply of the same vintage (1979) of one of them (sorry don't know which at the moment), well kept, that I tasted in, I think, 2002 and _mirabile dictu_ it was exquisite, it was better than I remembered from ten years earlier (FWIW). Still evolving, or at least evolved, positively.

That was the discovery remarkable to me -- that a Zinfandel, albeit concentrated and well made, could age very seriously, for over 20 years, in directions that would be judged creditable for a serious Bordeaux or other classic red from a good year (with which I have more experience, as does the world in general). This may be old news to Zinfandel faithful but I was awed and educated.

Should have bought more than half a dozen of them.

Quote for the day:

Schoonmaker and Marvel (_American Wines, _ New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1941), writing when the US table-wine industry was restarting after an Interruption, examined climatic suitability of various regions for growing wine grapes, using Winkler's "degree-day" analysis. With this, Napa Valley, Healdsburg, and the Santa Cruz Mountains measure intermediately between Bordeaux and Piedmont; the "Great Central Valley" likewise between Tuscany and Algeria; and Sonoma evaluates close to Beaune in Burgundy. From such data they concluded that light Germanic wines à la Mosel or Rheingau would work poorly in California. However, though the regions were then relatively lightly planted, "California's best table wines, whether white or red, may be expected to come from the Santa Cruz Mountains, from the Napa Valley, and from Sonoma County."

"Mark Lipton" in message news: snipped-for-privacy@eudrup.ude...

phenomenal

another

visitor

Guess what, Mark? Harrod's had both the Geyserville and Lytton Springs when I was in London in May of 2002. They were each ~£20 (sale price). That's not a lot more than here in the US! I bought a bottle of each and we drank them in the hotel. It was comforting to touch base with our native soil after being away for more than a week. :^)

Tom S

I liked the '97 Geyserville better than the '96. Still have a couple of bottles in the cellar and it's holding quite nicely with a mouthful of warm berries and a great, full, velvety finish. (Except for a bottle about a month ago that, upon reflection, must have been corked as it came with a funky nose and rubber-boot taste and very little remaining fruit.)

The 2002 Lytton Springs was released about a month ago with the Ridge Spring Zin-List mailing. Also in the release was the '02 Paso Robles and '02 Ponzo Vineyards. The Ponzo appears to be a new single-vineyard designation--the accompanying propaganda indicates that the grapes were previously used in blending. It's in the Russian River Valley. The Paso Robles apparently is a renaming of what used to be Dusi.

If the three, I would rank them Paso Robles, Ponzo and Lytton Springs third. The PR is a classic example of Ridge heavy fruit-forward wine. The Ponzo has a fascinating spice and vanilla overlay on the fruit which is sufficiently different to make it a keeper. The Lytton, however, seems light and watery and not worth the premium ($30) price.

Still have a bottle of the Lytton for another comparison before ordering some. Will report back.

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

Finding good Zin in UK can be tough, but I've had a couple of decent Beringers and a surprising one from Marks and Spencer. M&S own-brand everything they sell, no matter who makes it, so I don't know who the producer was. IIRC it was called Lone Tree. The ubiquitous Fetzer is OK, if unremarkable. OTOH Primitivo is a bit fashionable right now, and Virgin Wines in particular have some good stuff available.

Regards,

Ian