Ridge Vineyards was founded in 1962. Paul Draper joined the winery in the late 60’s and was the driving force at Ridge for the next 50 years. Eric Baugher is the current winemaker.
When I first became interested in Zinfandel the buzz was always around the Three R’s of Zinfandel: Ravenswood, Rosenblum and Ridge. 30 years later Ridge is still at the top of its game, turning out single vineyard Zinfandel from some of California’s most precious vineyards.
100% Zinfandel from Benito Dusi Ranch which is situated in Paso Robles and dates back to the 1920’s.
Blood red in color. 14.6% ABV. Fragrant nose of black fruits, licorice, leather and spice. Medium to full bodied with nice acidity. Rich and somewhat jammy. Blackberry, black cherry, spiced plums and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. More modern in style than the Lytton Springs and Geyserville but just a great expression of Paso Robles Zinfandel. Best over the next 2-4 years.
My rating: 92 points.
This wine is fairly priced at about $30 and the 2016 vintage is a worthy addition to the wine cellar. On top of that the wine is rather easy to find at retail.
Ridge, not surprisingly, fared well in the The 2018 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.