1997 Ridge “Pagani Ranch” Zinfandel 88% Zinfandel, 7% Mataro, 3% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet.
A friend of mine and I bought a case of this on release to split. We opened up a bottle at the time and found it to be ever so slightly over ripe and completely simple.
I put the remainder of my bottles in my cellar and purposely forgot about them because I thought they were sub par.
Last week I had some friends over for dinner and while picking through the cellar for an appetizer wine match, I came across the bottles of ’97 Ridge Pagani.
Now that it has grown up, it is beautiful wine and definitely not over ripe or simple. Crimson color and long legs in the glass. Cherry, underbrush, ripe peaches, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, and perfume combined with some noticeable acid that made the wine perfect with an appetizer of beef tenderloin medallions with a rich demi glace.
I have never had a bottle of Ridge, with some age, that has ever disappointed me. Most certainly one of my favorite producers year after year after year.