Just got my Z-List shipment last week, so took one for the team:
1. Ridge Zin PaganiRanch/SonomaVlly/SonomaCnty (83% Zin/10% AlicanteBouschet/7% PetiteSirah; 15.0%; bttld April 2017; 16 mo. in brl; Drk: 2/17-2/27-2/29: EB) Cupertino 2015: Very dark/near black color; very intense blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/ripe slight alcoholic rather sauvage/licorice/pungent/earthy/mushroomy quite dusty/OV classic rustic Pagani complex nose; lightly tart/tangy intense blackberry/noysenberry/Zin/licorice/ripe rather earthy/mushroomy/rustic quite dusty/OV classic sauvage/Alicante/Pagani flavor w/ ample ripe/chewy tannins; very long/lingering intense boysenberry/blackberry/Zin/licorice classic Pagani sauvage/rustic finish w/ ample ripe tannins; no signs of oak obvious, more a Carlisle Zin than a Ridge; the classic Pagani/Alicante/sauvage/rustic character comes thru load&clear; a pretty huge Pagani that needs age. $45.00 (SFW&S)
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2. Ridge Zin PaganiRanch/SonomaVlly/SonomaCnty (14.8%; 88% Zin/9% PetiteSirah/3% AlicanteBouschet; bttld Dec 2017; Drk:
8/17-8/24-8/25: JO) Healdsburg 2016: Very dark/near black color; very fragrant blackberry/Zin/very spicy/bit raspberry rather vanilla/Am.oak somewhat high-toned some dusty/OV less complex more classic Ridge nose; bit softer very strong blackberry/raspberry/boysenberry/very spicy some dusty/OV some vanilla/Am.oak bit simpler flavor w/ modest ripe/smooth tannins; very long/lingering strong blackberry/raspberry/boysenberry/Zin/rather spicy/high-toned some vanilla/Am.oak finish w/ modest ripe tannins; more restrained/high-toned/blackberry/raspberry/Zin more classic Ridge Zin more vanilla/toasted coconut and lighter sauvage character; a more traditional Ridge Pagani. $36.00 (Z-List)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I much preferred the '15 for its intensity and sauvage character, presumably because of the higher Alicante fraction. But the '16 is no slouch of a wine, much more like the Ridge Paganis of yore than the '15.
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2. Well...that's a surprise!! Always in the past, the Pagani has been made by EricBaugher at the MonteBello wnry...which has always been a puzzle to me. This '16 was made by JohnOlney at the LyttonSprings wnry. Not sure what to make of that. It may just be a one-off change to balance out things at te two wineries...or it may be a permanent change. I'll try to find out. To tell the truth, even though they vinify different wines, I've never been able to identify a difference in John's and Eric's winemaking style..they both speak of Ridge winemaking in a single voice. Of course, being a LosAlamos guy, based on this single data point, I'll make a wild-a$$ed grand extrapolation and assert that John's winemaking style is more feminine than Eric's!! Heck...us LosAlamos guys can make grand extrapolations based on zero data points!!
Tom