Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Zinfandel East Bench, made from 100% Zinfandel aged 12 months in 10% American oak, has a medium ruby color and is scented of violet, lilac, warm peaches and yellow apricot with wet clay, dust, red and black cherries, bramble fruit and notions of dried herbs and earth melted right into all that fruit. Medium to full-bodied, it has wonderful earth-tinged fruits in the mouth with chalky, integrated tannins and juicy acidity, finishing long and layered. A more serious expression.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Ridge East Ridge Zinfandel—one of the winery's newer single vineyard Zinfandels, launched in 2008—has built a pretty good track record as a top performer. The 2017 vintage is one of the best Zinfandels of the vintage. TASTING NOTES: This wine is firm, yet zesty and bright on the palate. Its aromas and flavors of zesty berries and dried earth should pair it well with a spicy and piquant lamb stew. (Tasted: February 27, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Zinfandel East Bench comes from the Dry Creek Valley and has a classic bouquet of spice blue fruits, sweet kirsch, cedar, and tobacco leaf. It's a juicy, forward, delicious effort that has notable purity, as well as balance. Drink it anytime over the coming 15 years or more.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Not unexpectedly ripe and fruity, yet a touch overconcentrated for some palates, this expressive effort focuses clearly on Zinfandel berries and brings along notes of dark spice and roasted vanilla beans for added range and interest. Full in body, supple and on the “meaty” side in texture, the wine possesses obvious tannin that drive it to the muscular side of the varietal spectrum. It has the depth and structure to age well, and its fruit is solid enough to last a half-decade in bottle, but this wine is always going to lean to the sturdy side, even with age.
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Wine & Spirits
This wine is a paean to Ridge’s devotion to California’s viticultural heritage. The 19th-century vineyard site, neighboring Ridge’s Lytton Springs vineyard, was abandoned in the early 20th century. Working with cuttings from four pre-phylloxera vineyards, Ridge has been replanting the site, including the two blocks that provided this wine, planted in 2000 and ’01. They produced a lean, fragrant red in 2017, a gracious young zinfandel with notes of stewed cherries and shiso. Pour it with applewoodsmoked baby back ribs. Best Buy
RIDGE's history begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor and prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He planted vineyards and constructed a winery of redwood and native limestone in time to produce the first vintage of Monte Bello in 1892. The historic building now serves as the RIDGE production facility.
In 1962, Ridge Vineyards made its first Monte Bello, and two years later its first zinfandel. The RIDGE approach is straightforward: find the most intense and flavorful grapes, guide the natural process, draw all the fruit's richness into the wine. Decisions on when to pick, when to press, when to rack, what varietals and what parcels to include and when to bottle, are based on taste. To retain the nuances that increase complexity, Ridge winemakers handle the grapes and wine as gently as possible. There are no recipes, only attention and sensitivity.
In August 2021, Ridge Vineyards joined International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), a group of like-minded wineries that are dedicated to decarbonizing the global wine industry. RIDGE is committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050 and completes a biannual greenhouse gas audit utilizing the World Resources Institute Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol methodology and be verified by an internationally accredited, third-party auditor.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
A multifaceted and highly reputable sub-region of Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley is responsible for a wide range of wine styles—both red and white. One of the smallest AVAs in California, Dry Creek Valley has a winning combination of ideal geography and climate. Fertile, well-drained soils create concentrated varietal character while long, warm days, bookended by cool nights, allow grapes to reach full phenolic ripeness and balance. The warm and welcoming appellation is home to a number of family-owned vineyards and wineries that place a strong emphasis on sustainable farming practices.
Zinfandel reigns supreme here and still produces in a great number of very old vineyards—often 100 years old or older. These old vines create a powerful, voluptuous and sultry wine unlike those of any other region. Sauvignon Blanc, the valley’s signature white grape, also performs exceptionally well. Many other varieties grow comfortably here, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Syrah. Petite Sirah is often found in blends with Zinfandel.