Ridge Three Valleys Red 2003

Three Valleys is a Ridge proprietary name, referring to three of Sonoma County's finest appellations. Roughly half the grapes in this vintage come from four vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, forty percent from four vineyards in Alexander Valley, and the balance from two vineyards on a single site in the Russian River Valley. The wines fermented on their natural yeasts, were pressed at seven days on average, and completed a natural (uninoculated) malolactic fermentation seven weeks later. This is the one wine whose character we determine by blending from a number of sites. The grapes are handharvested, and the wine receives the same care and attention as our single-vineyard bottlings. The 2003 Three Valleys aged in air-dried american oak barrels, of which a quarter were new and one year old, the rest two to seven years old. Enjoyable now, this rich, well-structured wine will develop fully over the next four to five years.

72% zinfandel, 12% carignane, 10% petite sirah, 4% grenache, 2% mataro (mourvèdre)