Ridge Pagani Ranch Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Red Blend 2017 with BBQ Ribs
Friday night finds us babysitting for kids/grandkids for the evening. Linda prepared BBQ ribs with baked potatoes and sweet potatoes to take for dinner. I pulled from the cellar a Big Red Blend for an ideal accompaniment.
This is from Ridge Vineyards known for single-vineyard designated labels sourced from exceptional vineyards across Northern California with distinctive terroir - climate, soil, and ideally matched varietals.
I wrote about Ridge Vineyards and other single vineyard designated releases including Zinfandels often in these pages such as these blogposts - Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2014, and, Ridge Lytton Springs at Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Naperville, and Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel Red Blend 2012.
Ridge Vineyards produce a broad portfolio of single vineyard designated Zinfandel labels. They are also known for their ultra-premium flagship Monte Bello red blend produced from their estate vineyard of the same name, first released in 1962. Two years later they released their first Zinfandel label.
Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Red Blend 2017
This Zinfandel based blend is made from the Pagani vineyard on the western side of Sonoma Valley. The majority of the vineyard was planted ninety to one hundred and twenty years ago; portions of it were replanted between 2013—2018. Ridge first released this label in 1991.
The vineyard has been continuously tended by a quality-conscious family for four generations having been planted by Felice Pagani who began planting vines in Sonoma Valley in the late 1890s.
The site was maintained and therefore survived the thirteen years of Prohibition, and the Great Depression indicating proof of its merit.
Today, the site is tended by fourth-generation family members planted to Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, and Mataro in addition to the main varietal, Zinfandel.
This release was awarded 96 Points by Zinfandel Chronicles, 94 Points by Jeff Cox of Decanter, 94 Points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media, Jeb Dunnuck of JebDunnuck.com and Erin Brooks of The Wine Advocate, and 93 Points by James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com and Wilfred Wong of Wine.com.
Winemaker Notes - “Focused jammy blueberry fruit and pepper on the nose. On the palate, fresh cherry, mineral, firm acidity, balanced structure and long lingering finish.”
Dark inky garnet purple color, full bodied, complex, round, ripe plum and brambly blackberry and blueberry fruits, notes of peppercorn, garrigue, smokey cresosote, spice box and leather with hints of mocha turning to sweet grainy tannins on a layered lingering finish.
RM 92 points.
https://www.ridgewine.com/
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