Somm Picks

2020 Geyserville, Ridge Vineyards, Alexander Valley, USA


Case Size: Single Bottle
Price:
Sale price£69.95

2020 Geyserville, Ridge Vineyards, Alexander Valley, USA

Somm Picks

OVERVIEW

A superb vintage in Sonoma for Zinfandel which contributes to a higher % of the blend in the Geyserville this vintage with 77% Zinfandel, 19% Carignan, 7% Petite Sirah and 3% Alicante Bouschet.

Offering terrific value for money, delicious today and with the ability to cellar for over a decade, this is another case buy from Ridge.

CRITIC REVIEWS

Enormously complex and full of personality. Lots of juiciness and briaryness, with notes of espresso, soy sauce and gaminess. Very rich, impressive and structured, 2020 was Ridge’s 55th consecutive vintage of Geyserville, a wine that many Ridge collectors consider the winery’s best Zinfandel blend. Its pedigree is uncontested. Made from old vines, some of which are more than 125 years old and 60% of which are 50 years old or older, leading of course to tiny yields. A historic field blend of approximately 69% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 1% Mataro (the old name used in California for Mourvedre). The grapes are grown in three adjoining vineyards, all of which are defined by an ancient washout of the Russian River that carried and deposited gravel and river stones to the site. 96 Points. Decanter

The founding partners at Ridge purchased the Monte Bello Winery from Leo and Evelyn Trentadue, who also farmed some of the oldest surviving vines in Sonoma County at their ranch on the Alexander Valley floor near Geyserville. The Old Patch, planted in the 1880s, has provided the base of the blend for Ridge’s single-vineyard wine since 1966. In 2020, it was harvested just as the first fires broke out; generations of vines at the Trentadue’s ranch provided 28 different lots, with John Olney selecting 20 for this wine. He finds that carignan, which makes up 20 percent of the mixed planting (along with small amounts of petite sirah, alicante bouschet and mataro), provides the acidity to refresh the zinfandel, which accounts for 69 percent of the vines. The early harvest produced a ripe, rich Geyserville with racy energy. The dark blueberry flavors are layered with red cherry, their seemingly weightless concentration sustained in a sleek, clean and graceful impression that lasts. A great 2020. 95 Points. Wine and Spirits Magazine

FOOD PAIRING INSPIRATION

This delicious majority Zinfandel blend will pair well with fatty poultry like duck or goose as well as a barbeque. Will even pair with some chocolate desserts.

VINTAGE AND WINEMAKING

2020 was a challenging vintage that yielded high quality fruit it Sonoma County.

The growing season enjoyed rains in March and April which helped with the heat of the summer produce wines of excellent quality.

The grapes are hand-harvested; destemmed and crushed then fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally-occurring bacteria.

The wine undergoes a daily pump over and is pressed after six days. The wine is matured in 100% air-dried American oak barrels for twelves month in a mixture of barrels up to 5 years old with 20% new oak.

PRODUCER NOTES

Quite simply some of the most sought after wines in the world competing in quality with the very best of Bordeaux in their reds and the finest Grand Cru Burgundies with their whites. Many of the wines come from old vines and are exceptionally concentrated benefitting from being delicious in youth and also age-worthy developing delicious tertiary characteristics over their evolution.

The 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting catapulted Ridge into the spotlight and instant international acclaim and their wines grew in reputation (and price!) over the ensuing years. However, there has been little change at Ridge itself.

Ridge and Paul Draper have always concentrated on extracting the maximum potential from their vines looking for flavour and concentration in the vineyard with minimal intervention in the winery. Their range of Bordeaux blends and Chardonnays from Monte Bello's fine terroir plus the Zinfandels from the Lytton Springs and Geyserville vineyards in Sonoma County, are among some of the best wines in the world.

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SERVICE AND STORAGE TIPS

This wine should be stored around 12°C and served between 16-18°C. We recommend a minimum of 3 hours decanting before approaching this wine.

    DELIVERY INFORMATION

    Delivery is free when you spend over £150. For orders under this amount then a £9.99 delivery charge will be applied.

    We use a tracked DPD delivery service who provide text and email tracking updates.

    Every bottle sold by CoolerSomm is subject to our quality guarantee. If a wine is corked or faulty, we will replace it.

    2020 Geyserville, Ridge Vineyards, Alexander Valley, USA

    Wine Card
    Wine Producer Ridge Vineyards
    Wine Region California, USA
    Wine Classification Alexander Valley AVA
    Wine Type Red
    Grape Variety 69% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Mataro
    Vintage 2020
    Vintage Quality Excellent - Parker
    Maturity Will Improve with age
    Body Full Bodied
    Sweetness Dry
    Alcohol % 14.1%
    Bottle Type Bordeaux 75cl
    Serving Temperature 16-18°C
    Food Pairing Duck, Goose, Turkey, BBQ
    Awards 96 Points - Decanter
    95 Points - W&S Magazine

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