TN: 2003 Ridge Geyserville

From Alexander Valley, Sonoma.
76% zinfandel, 18% carignane, 6% petite sirah (14.6% alcohol)

Deep red / garnet. Quite viscous visually when poured into the glass. Immediately a jammy layered nose of brambly raspberries and blueberries. There is a slightly singed-by-heat characteristic to this wine. Glycerin (oily) texture as well as sweetness coming from it. The singed-by-heat detected in the nose is felt more in the mouth, giving this wine a slightly roasted character, but I don't think the wine is "cooked." Ripe dusty tannin. Finishes with the classic peppery touch. Short - medium finish. A perfect BBQ wine, in my opinion.

3 stars (good)

About 2003 Ridge Geyserville by the winemaker, Mr. Paul Draper¹:

"Ridge made its first Geyserville in 1966, from nineteenth century vines growing on the western edge of Alexander Valley. Over time, we have included more grapes planted along this quarter-mile-wide strip, which follows the old San Francisco & Northern Pacific Railway right-of-way. This distinctive "single site" now consists of three adjoining vineyards that share the same gravelly soils, exposure, and climate. In 2003, a period of intense heat in mid-September ripened all the zinfandel within two weeks; we harvested non-stop to hold sugars and overripeness in check. Reduced circulation during the natural-yeast fermentations moderated tannin extraction. We pressed at seven days, and a natural malolactic finished within five weeks. After a year of barrel aging in air-dried american oak, the wine was fined with fresh egg whites. This elegant Geyserville is delightful now, but will gain in complexity over the next five to eight years."