Ridge Vineyards was founded in 1959 when three Stanford Research Institute engineers bought an abandoned winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The vineyards had been planted in the late 19th century by a San Francisco physician who produced his first vintage in the original winery, called Monte Bello, in 1892. The first Ridge vintage was in 1962. Ridge makes Cabernet, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Rhone style wines.
When I first became interested in Zinfandel the buzz was always around the Three R’s of Zinfandel: Ravenswood, Rosenblum and Ridge. 25 years later Ridge is still at the top of its game, turning out single vineyard Zinfandel from some of California’s most precious vineyards.
Geyserville is a traditional field blend of Zinfandel, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet and Mataro. Portions of the vineyard date back 130 years.
Magenta in color. 14.4% ABV. 71% Zinfandel, 19% Carignane, 7% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro and 1% Alicante Bouschet. Savory, high-toned nose of red and black fruits, earthy loam and asian spices. Medium to full bodied with medium acidity. Ripe and jammy with a sense of elegance. Raspberry, boysenberry, licorice and black pepper on the palate. The long, delicious finish might be the best thing here. Drink over the next 4-7 years.
My rating: 91 points.
This wine is fairly priced at about $35 and the 2015 vintage is a worthy addition to the wine cellar.
Ridge is an annual winner in the Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.
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