Winemaker Notes
Nose of toffee, black cherry, wild herbs and orange zest. Coating tannins with flavors of raspberry, honeycomb, black tea and balanced acidity.
Blend: 82% Zinfandel, 9% Alicante Bouschet, 5% Petite Sirah, 4% Mataro
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
2024 Ridge PAGANI RANCH ZINFANDEL, Sonoma Valley — One of the great Zinfandels that needs more attention! This wine has a deep ruby-purple color; attractive, voluptuous aromas of ripe berries rise generously from the glass; packed, full-bodied, juicy, and wonderfully round on the palate, with bold berry flavors delivered with impressive depth and persistence; dense and powerful, yet never overblown, with a beautifully long, composed finish. Pair with a rosemary-grilled, well-marbled ribeye, charred shallots, and crisp roasted potatoes. (Tasted: September 15, 2026, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
An extra-ripe and rich red, offering maple, chocolate and vanilla-bean flavors alongside dark plums, dried cherries and orange zest. So full-bodied, with smooth tannins, great breadth and length. A field blend from vines dating back to the 19th century, including zinfandel, alicante bouschet, petite sirah and mataro (mourvedre).
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Wine Enthusiast
Opulent aromas of roasted berries, dark chocolate, cinnamon, and flowers jump from the glass on the nose of this Zinfandel. The palate feels soft and balanced, with velvety tannin, juicy acid, and flavors of fresh cherry, blueberry, zesty citrus, malted cocoa, and flowers that blossom across the finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Full-bodied layers of concentrated, chocolaty blue fruit ride along a supple, well-integrated palate in the 2024 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch, which leads with Zin but also includes small percentages of Alicante Boushet, Petite Sirah, and Mataro. Fleshy and firm, with years to go, it's a powerfully structured wine that will benefit from cellaring. Drink 2030-2038.
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Wine Spectator
Potently structured and brooding, with deep blackberry flavors accented by dark chocolate, fruitcake spices and black olive as this builds toward full-bodied tannins. Best from 2027 through 2037.
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.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.