The 2017 Ridge Geyserville was the winning bottle in the July Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I did not decant the wine but in retrospect that might not be a bad idea.
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.
Crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. 68% Zinfandel, 18% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah and 2% Alicante Bouschet. Stunning nose of red and black fruits, warm licorice and white pepper. Medium to full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Dark, concentrated and bursting with juicy fruits. Black cherry, raspberry liqueur, plums and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Just a baby. This has the stuffing to really age well. Drink over the next 6-8 years.
My rating: 95 points.
$55 at the winery and retail.
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.
Sandwiched between the great 2016 and 2018 Geyserville bottlings the 2017 has always been slower to develop in the glass. I believe the 2018 is the best Geyserville that I have ever had. I have a couple of 2017 and will let them go longer in cold storage. Love Ridge, sad to hear Carlisle is closing up shop in a couple years. All the best….to you