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. John Olney is Head Winemaker at Ridge. Shauna Rosenblum was recently named the Winemaker at Ridge Lytton Springs.
Geyserville is a traditional field blend of Zinfandel, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet and Mataro. Portions of the vineyard date back 130 years. Geyserville is on the western edge of Sonoma’s Alexander Valley.
Bright crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. 71% Zinfandel, 19% Cariganne, 7% Petite Sirah and 3% Alicante Bouschet. Superb nose of red and black fruits, anise and pepper. Medium body with mouth watering acidity. Great structure and balance with bright, juicy fruits. Black cherry, raspberry, earth and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. This wine was exceptional on release and continues to shine. Best over the next 6-8 years.
My rating: 94 points.
Ridge has been defined by their Zin program for as long as I can remember and in recent years these wines have soared to new heights. The entire Ridge lineup is available at the winery and for the most part at retail as well. Exceptional wines that are fairly priced, well crafted and easy to find. Everyone is always looking for the latest and greatest when it comes to wine. Sometimes it pays to stick with the tried and true. There is so much to like here.
I reviewed a bunch of Ridge wines recently in New Releases from Ridge Vineyards Part 1 and Part 2.