I usually taste my ATP wines right off the boat. So I was a bit chagrined when Bruce posted a TN on this last Thurs. Man...some people just can't wait. Anyway, Susan & I tried this last night:
1. Ridge Calif Zin DusiRanch (100% Zin; 85 yr old BenitoDusiRanch/SLOCnty; 15.8%; 48 brls; Drk: 12/07-~ Ridge Calif Zin DusiRanch (100% Zin; 85 yr old BenitoDusiRanch/SLOCnty; 15.8%; 48 brls; Drk: 12/07- 12/12- 12/13:EB) 2006: Dark color; very strong blackberry/boysenberry/chocolaty/framboise very/very spicy slight dusty/old vines slight pencilly/oak nose; soft/rich/lush/mouthfilling bit tannic very strong blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/framboise/slight licorice very spicy slight alcoholic flavor; soft very long bit tannic lush/blackberry/boysenberry/framboise bit jammy very spicy slight pencilly/oak slight alcoholic finish; needs a yr or two; a bit of alcoholic heat but not at all overripe/raisened/pruney/late harvesty; terrific Zin. $28.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Bruce's note led me to expect great things from this wine. He did not lead me astray. This is perhaps one of the best Ridge Paso/Dusi Zins...maybe ever. Though it has some alcohol and a bit of alcoholic heat on the palate; it does not have any of the late harvesty/raisened/pruney/overripe character that you'd expect from 15.8%. What was really striking about this Zin was the terrific spiciness it has; much more than many in the past. Almost as if EricBaugher put a gunny sack (Kansas colloquialism for burlap bag) filled w/ exotic spices in each fermentating tank. The Ridge Paso Zins tend to have a lot of ripe/blackberry/jammy character you often find in Paso Zin (maybe it's that terroir thing); but that was only a minor role in this wine. It's a pretty big & soft wine and I have questions if it will age well as Eric predicts; but that terrific spiciness may call for it to be drunk young, over the next few yrs. Anyway...a truly terrific Paso Zin by Ridge it is. I'm going back for more.
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2. I've followed Ridge PasoRobles Zins (always from Beni Dusi's ranch) from the very start. Back in the early '70's, they were harvested to give about 13%-14% alc. They often had a bit green/chalky bit austere/lean character to them that did not strike my fancy. Though some of them did age rather well. Since they've been harvesting at riper levels, I've liked their blackberry/juicy character much more and find them just flat-out good drinking...whadda concept.
When you're driving up 101 North into PasoRobles, just before you hit the Hwy 46 West intersection, Beni's vnyd is over on the right. Absolutely impeccably maintained, as if Beni uses kindergarten scissors to maintain it, on his hands & knees. None of that BioDynamic crap for ol' Beni. Across 101 is bro DanteDusi's vnyd, who sells to Turley and a bunch of other wineries.
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3. In case none of you have noticed, Ridge has done an exemplary job of maintaining their prices over the last 10 yrs....only a very slight creep upwards in a couple of them. I, for one, appreciate that.
Tom