Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel 2018
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Jeb
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Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Pairs well with grilled hanger steak quesadillas with blue cheese and caramelized onions or a slow roasted rack of lamb with wild mushroom fricassee and a chestnut-sage gremolata.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Zinfandel Paso Robles, from Benito Dusi Ranch, bursts with layered aromas of orange peel, blue and black berries, aniseed and floral nuances. In the mouth, it's soft and approachable, refreshing and spicy and packed with fruit, and it finishes long with an addicting juicy quality.
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Tasting Panel
Deep color and lush, jammy nose; smooth, deep and riding on a core tangy, crisp acidity; long and dense; from one of California's premier vineyards; packed and long.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from the Benito Dusi Ranch Vineyard in Paso Robles and 100% varietal, the 2018 Zinfandel Paso Robles offers a big, classic nose of plums, cigar wrapper, sandalwood, and candied violets. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully fruited, and textured, it has good acidity as well as a clean, dry finish. It's a classic Paso Robles Zinfandel to enjoy over the coming 7-8 years.
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Wine Spectator
Defined by a taut core of lively tannins and acidity, this draws in raspberry, smoky dill and green peppercorn flavors. Best from 2021 through 2030.
Other Vintages
2021-
Jeb
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Wine &
Spirits
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Wilfred
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James
Suckling -
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Jeb
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Wilfred
Wong - Vinous
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Robert
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wilfred
Wong -
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Robert
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Wilfred
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Wilfred
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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.
Though Ridge began as a Cabernet winery, by the mid-60s, it had produced several Zinfandels including the Geyserville. In 1972, Lytton Springs joined the line-up and the two came to represent an important part of Ridge production. Known primarily for its red wines, Ridge has also made limited amounts of Chardonnay since 1962.
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.
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.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.