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Zinfandel, Geyserville, - 2005 - Ridge Vineyards
Ref: A118405
Because of the Zinfandel's unusually firm structure, a very little Petite Syrah was included. As in most years, the 120-year-old Carignan was an elegant, vibrant addition. This outstanding vintage was aged fourteen months in air-dried american oak. Rich primary fruit gives the wine immediate appeal; it will develop greater complexity over the next ten years. The blend is 77% Zinfandel, 17% Carignan and 6% Petite Syrah. It is 14.6% alcohol by volume.

Cool, rainy weather in early spring delayed budbreak, but clear skies by late March brought flowering and a good set by mid-May. Above-average temperatures throughout the summer moved ripening along. Mild autumn weather with
occasional fog slowed maturation while allowing color and flavor to deepen. Harvesting began in mid-September and extended over twenty days as each of the thirty-three parcels ripened fully. The separate lots fermented on their natural yeasts, and were pressed at dryness (average seven days).

Located on the western edge of Sonoma's Alexander Valley, Geyserville was Ridge's first source of red wine grapes, other than Monte Bello Ridge. The first vintage — 1966 — was an essence. The combination of Geyserville's climate, gravelly soils, and varietal mix (Zinfandel, Carignan, Petite Sirah, Alicante, Mataro, etc.) imparts elegance and definition not usually associated with Zinfandel. It's hard to describe a "typical" Geyserville. Each vintage is unique, distinct, extraordinary. Yet they do have elements in common, including the blackest of blackberry fruit, peppery spice, tar, cedar. The term "layered" was invented for Geyserville. And the wines change, re-inventing themselves in bottle, developing more nuance and complexity as years pass. Most ageworthy of all Ridge "zinfandels," they can be magnificent when young.

The history of Ridge Vineyards begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a medical doctor and prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge. He terraced the slopes and planted vineyards; using native limestone, he constructed the Monte Bello Winery, producing the first vintage under that name in 1892. This unique cellar, built into the mountainside on three levels, is Ridge's production facility. At 2600 feet, it is surrounded by the "upper vineyard."

In the 1940s, William Short, a theologian, bought the abandoned winery and vineyard just below the Perrone property; he re-planted several parcels to Cabernet Sauvignon. From these “middle vineyard” vines in 1959 the new owners—Dave Bennion and his three partners (all Stanford Research Institute engineers)—made ten gallons of “estate” Cabernet. That Monte Bello Cabernet was among California’s finest wines of the era. Its quality and distinctive character convinced the partners to re-bond the winery in time for the 1962 vintage.

The first Ridge Zinfandel was made in 1964, from a small nineteenth-century vineyard on the neighboring Picchetti ranch. This was followed in 1966 by the first Geyserville Zinfandel. The founding families reclaimed the Monte Bello terraces, increasing vineyard size from fifteen to forty-five acres. Working on weekends, they made wines of unprecedented intensity and regional character. Ridge Vineyards was incorporated in 1967; Dave Bennion left SRI to become president. New shareholders made it possible to acquire Perrone's old winery. Production increased to just under three thousand cases and the next year, 1969, Paul Draper joined the enterprise.

A Stanford philosophy graduate—recently returned from setting up a winery in Chile's coast range—he was a practical winemaker, not an oenologist. His knowledge of fine wines and traditional methods complemented the straightforward, "hands-off" approach pioneered at Ridge. Under his guidance the old winery was restored, the finest vineyard lands leased or purchased, the consistent quality and international reputation of the wines established. In the early 70’s Ridge participated in the replanting of the Cabernet vineyards on the Schwabacher Ranch further down the hill. These vineyards were taken under long-term lease in 1993 and became the “lower vineyard.”

Ridge now makes between sixty and sixty-five thousand cases of wine per year. Cabernet and Zinfandel account for most of the production; Merlot, Mataro, and Petite Syrah constitute a small percentage. Known primarily for its red wines, Ridge also makes limited amounts of Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay.

Price: £24.12
Including VAT at 17.5%

Qty:

California (Central Coast Region)	2005	Full Bodied
Zinfandel/Petite Syrah	Red	Grilled Meats/Barbecue/Beef/Game/Pasta
Ridge Vineyards	Medium Dry	Drink or keep

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