Ridge Ponzo Zinfandel 2017
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Wine &
Spirits -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Nose of raspberry, guava and floral notes. Bright cherry fruit on the palate with refreshing acidity, elegant tannins and finishes with an accent of pepper.
Blend: 98% Zinfandel, 2% Petite Sirah
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
A roseate red, this is the pinot noir of zinfandel. The variety accounts for 98 percent of the blend (there’s only a touch of petite sirah) and the wine transforms the thin skins of zin into a delicate, transparent structure, displaying clarity in the tannins with notes of raspberry seeds and crushed black peppercorns. It has the kind of tannins that would meld into eggplant tapenade with grilled lamb. The lasting flavors of raspberry and apple skin glow red, the wine’s energy and stamina pumped up with luscious grape gentleness. A California beauty. Best Buy
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Jeb Dunnuck
Mostly Zinfandel (there's 2% Petite Sirah), the 2017 Zinfandel Ponzo sports a deep purple color as well as a juicy bouquet of blueberries, plums, licorice, and toasted spices. It's a rounded, medium to full-bodied, supple, seamless beauty with plenty of sweet fruit, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's another terrific Zinfandel from this team to enjoy over the coming decade.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyards is blended of 98% Zinfandel and 2% Petite Sirah. It aged ten months in 100% air-dried American oak, 10% new. Medium ruby-purple colored, it opens with youthfully gregarious aromas of sliced stone fruits (smoked cranberries and red cherries), desiccated flowers, baked blueberries and gobs of underbrush, licorice and exotic spices. It's medium to full-bodied, layered, perfumed and light on its feet, with a ripe, grainy frame and just enough juicy freshness on the long, floral finish.
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2018-
Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling -
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Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Wilfred
Wong
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Wine
Enthusiast
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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.