Ridge Vineyards
Ponzo Vineyard Zinfandel Petite Sirah
Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA
A few things; I still have not opened a bad bottle of Ridge, not even a corked bottle & I’ve had a number of them. First time having this bottling. I don’t drink a lot of Zinfandel or Zinfandel blends but when I do, I prefer Ridge’s style.
96% Zinfandel & 4% Petite Sirah. Decanted 40 minutes.
Intense nose of; brambly blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, boysenberries and hints of blueberries, incense, soft black pepper, mid berry cola, black licorice, light barrel shavings, vanilla, melty, dark chocolate, caramel notes, dark spice, some; nutmeg, clove, cinnamon. Liquid violets, lavender and red candid flowers.
The palate shows; round, lush & juicy fruits of; brambly blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, liqueured dark cherries. boysenberries, notes of poached strawberries and hints of blueberries. Incense, soft black pepper, mid berry cola, black licorice, light barrel shavings, vanilla, melty dark chocolate, caramel notes, dark spice with some heat, a little; nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, finely crushed rocks, dry top soil, dry twig, used iron pan notes, powdered minerals, liquid violets, lavender and red candid flowers, excellent round acidity, tall structure & fairly big tension, well balanced and nicely, layered, polished finish that lasts nearly 90 seconds.
Still a bit young to me. Better in 5-7 yrs and will drink well for another 5-7 after that. More new wood use here than I am used to in their Zin & Zin blends.
Paired nicely with my Allen Brothers burger.
Photos of; the drive up entry to Ridge’s tasting room hilltop above Cupertino, cellar barrel, Ponzo Vineyard fruit and their tasting terrace.
A few things; I still have not opened a bad bottle of Ridge, not even a corked bottle & I’ve had a number of them. First time having this bottling. I don’t drink a lot of Zinfandel or Zinfandel blends but when I do, I prefer Ridge’s style.
96% Zinfandel & 4% Petite Sirah. Decanted 40 minutes.
Intense nose of; brambly blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, boysenberries and hints of blueberries, incense, soft black pepper, mid berry cola, black licorice, light barrel shavings, vanilla, melty, dark chocolate, caramel notes, dark spice, some; nutmeg, clove, cinnamon. Liquid violets, lavender and red candid flowers.
The palate shows; round, lush & juicy fruits of; brambly blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, liqueured dark cherries. boysenberries, notes of poached strawberries and hints of blueberries. Incense, soft black pepper, mid berry cola, black licorice, light barrel shavings, vanilla, melty dark chocolate, caramel notes, dark spice with some heat, a little; nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, finely crushed rocks, dry top soil, dry twig, used iron pan notes, powdered minerals, liquid violets, lavender and red candid flowers, excellent round acidity, tall structure & fairly big tension, well balanced and nicely, layered, polished finish that lasts nearly 90 seconds.
Still a bit young to me. Better in 5-7 yrs and will drink well for another 5-7 after that. More new wood use here than I am used to in their Zin & Zin blends.
Paired nicely with my Allen Brothers burger.
Photos of; the drive up entry to Ridge’s tasting room hilltop above Cupertino, cellar barrel, Ponzo Vineyard fruit and their tasting terrace.
Big and spicy. Typically an earlier earlier drinking cuvee in the Ridge lineup, so no surprise the oak is dominating. Cinnamon and nutmeg. Drink up.
Big and spicy. Typically an earlier earlier drinking cuvee in the Ridge lineup, so no surprise the oak is dominating. Cinnamon and nutmeg. Drink up.
Dec 24th, 2023
Christmas 🎄 2017
Trying for a diverse group of wines, hopefully crowd-pleasers, needing to pair with a large assortment of tasty treats today.
Happy holidays to everyone.
Christmas 🎄 2017
Trying for a diverse group of wines, hopefully crowd-pleasers, needing to pair with a large assortment of tasty treats today.
Happy holidays to everyone.
Gorgeous cool climate Zinfandel. The American Oak is better integrated than other Ridge wines. Dried red fruit, herbs and spices, humming acidity, chalky tannin. A powerful achievement by Ridge, no surprise there.
Gorgeous cool climate Zinfandel. The American Oak is better integrated than other Ridge wines. Dried red fruit, herbs and spices, humming acidity, chalky tannin. A powerful achievement by Ridge, no surprise there.
Dec 24th, 2017Ridge Vineyards Dinner; 15 December 2017 at Wheatleigh, Lenox, MA
Ridge Vineyards Dinner; 15 December 2017 at Wheatleigh, Lenox, MA
Dec 15th, 2017New American oak all over the palate but well integrated. Calm acidity, mint, lead, tannin abound, woody.
New American oak all over the palate but well integrated. Calm acidity, mint, lead, tannin abound, woody.
Oct 6th, 2017Gorgeous. Generous fruit as the 15s are all showing that.
Gorgeous. Generous fruit as the 15s are all showing that.
Aug 15th, 2017
Tart, sweet, fruit forward, strawberry, cherry, blackberry, and tobacco...96% Zin 4% Petite Syrah.
Tart, sweet, fruit forward, strawberry, cherry, blackberry, and tobacco...96% Zin 4% Petite Syrah.
2 people found it helpfulJul 28th, 2013
Underwhelmed by this wine. The Ridge name had me expecting more depth but this seemed to have only 1 to 2 layers at most and seemed simple for RRV Zin.
Underwhelmed by this wine. The Ridge name had me expecting more depth but this seemed to have only 1 to 2 layers at most and seemed simple for RRV Zin.
1 person found it helpfulDec 18th, 2017