Allan Bree aka califusa shared the following two from Mr. Ridge with us during his August sojourn in Day-twah; the wines were sourced from the south block of the Lytton Estate Vineyard, just west of Norton Ranch. They are the only two vintages of Maple Vineyard Zinfandel that Ridge has made to date. They are rather different in character from each other, but both are still relatively youthful in their own way.
1992 Ridge Dry Creek Zinfandel Maple Vineyard, 15.2% alc.: Showing clean, dark color, with flavors and aromas of soft cedar, black raspberry and even a little earthy beetroot, this is still well structured for further development, but in a beautiful place right now. Old school Zin the way we like it!
1993 Ridge Dry Creek Zinfandel Maple Vineyard, 14.9% alc.: Clean dark color here, and still showing some Draper perfume, with sweet oak, raspberry and black raspberry shaded with some lavender, a little earth, some nice spicy overtones and a hint of dill. The oak isn't quite fully integrated yet, and the wine is well structured for some years of development, but it's very pretty and almost primary when compared to the '92.
- from Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here
Reporting from Day-twah,
geo t.