Ridge Vineyards Paso Robles Zinfandel 2021 750ml

USA : CALIFORNIA : PASO ROBLES

SUSTAINABLE : Zinfandel

FULL-BODIED, DARK CHERRY, BLACKBERRY, BAKING SPICE, SMOKED MEAT, OAK

Benito Dusi Ranch sits in the Paso Robles foothills with vines planted in 1922 — more than a century in the ground, farmed by the same family since 1924. Ridge has sourced from this site since the 1970s, making it one of the longest producer–vineyard collaborations in California; the continuity shows in the wine's consistency and depth across vintages.

Ridge ferments with native yeast and completes full malolactic fermentation naturally. Sixteen months in 90% American oak — 23% new — tightens the frame without overwhelming the fruit, leaving the wine plush through the midpalate with enough backbone to age through 2033.

2021 was a drought year: under five inches of rain, a July heat spike, then ideal harvest conditions in late September. Lower yields concentrated the fruit. Tom Lee gave it 96 points (Zinfandel Chronicles), Jeb Dunnuck and Owen Bargreen each scored it 94, Wine Spectator 93.

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