2016 Ridge Geyserville... Best ever?

[JimHow]

Stellar. Loved this wine. Youthful and decadent but not over the top, young but had a balance and lightness on its feet.
Great fruit. I'm glad I have 11 more bottles in my cellar, I think I'll drink one bottle per year over the next 11 years.
95 points.

[Blanquito]

yum.

[jal]

Ok, so I had this about three weeks ago and I agree with your note. I loved it while drinking it.
But
I woke up that night with a massive headache at 2:00 am. Now I'm not saying it's necessarily the wine but these headaches usually occur when I drink New World wines (with some exceptions such as Oregon Pinots and some specific CA wineries)
I don't think I'll buy any Ridge anymore.

[JimHow]

Ha ha. well, of course you are talking to the survivor of the infamous "Night of the Zins" following the Friday night dinner at the first BWE convention in Chicago 2001. I almost did not make it to the historic first Saturday night dinner, indeed, I do not ever recall puking more in my entire life than during that next 22 hours.
Fortunately there were no similar side effects following this 2015 Geyserville.

[AKR]

What is this 15%-16% abv this year?

[JimHow]

whoa, I just looked at the bottle this was the 2016, not 2015...

Gotta change that in the title.
14.5% alcohol.

[jal]

What is this 15%-16% abv this year?

2015 also 14.5%

[Nicklasss]

Ok i'll buy a few.

Ah yes, the infamous Zin night in Chicago 2001. Me too almost did not survive, but at the opposite of Jim, I went out with whuzzup that night, drinking beers in blues bar until 5 am...

Nic

[Nicklasss]

Just bought 3 bottles of the 2016 Geyserville. And also 3 bottles of the 2016 East Bench as well.

It is very cold here, perfect time for Zin!

Nic

[OrlandoRobert]

The 2016 Geyserville is outstanding. Love the dip into the red fruit spectrum, in addition to its brambly darks, and it’s blood citrus fruit acid. American oak dialed in. The latter point has been a bone of contention for me with Ridge, a long-time favorite winery. Many of its bottlings over the last 7-8 years have had an uptick in the use of new American oak. I stopped buying the Estate Cab and Lytton Springs for this very reason. Geyserville has kept the use of new American oak, and it's the better wine for it. Frankly, I wish Ridge would move to French oak, but that's another discussion.

[Nicklasss]

Had the 2016 Ridge Geyserville and East Bench last night. Two impressive wines and I agree that the 2016 Geyserville is one of the nicest zinfandel I have tried. So complex and elegance for a zin.

The East Bench has more red fruits than black and a slightly more candy (red licorice, candy radberries) but is great too.

The 2016 Geyserville deserve a 93-94 while the 2016 East Bench deserve a 91. Wow.

Nic

[JimHow]

The 2016 Geyserville is a stunner.
There are 12 bottles in NH Hampton South, hoping to get at least some of them on my way south this weekend.

[Blanquito]

Immensely enjoying a 2013 Geyserville tonight. Gorgeous nose of brambly fruit, fresh attack of loganberries and cranberries, and a long sweet-tart, minty finish. Tangy, sweet, energetic, with hallmark old vine intensity and some incipient exotic nuances (lavender, cloves, even garrigue) reminsiscent of an old school Chateauneuf.

With the caveat that I’ve only tried the 2013 of the Geyservilles since the 2010 vintage, this is the best young Geyserville I’ve had. The 2007 was brilliant on release with its low 58% Zinfandel, but it went through a dull, awkward phase not long after release (from which it has emerged). The 2013 is better. Still primarily primary, still drinking great.

I especially dig about the 2013 that it is sweet without any heaviness nor roastedness, in fact for all its fruit and dark color, it is quite fresh and bright. As much as I like Ridge in general, sometimes they can be too roasted, heavy, licorice-dominated (Lytton Springs more than the Geezer), but not the ‘13. Just as nice, the 2013’s oak treatment is positively subtle by Ridge’s (former?) standards. Like Orlando, I would prefer that French oak be used at Ridge, but the American oak influence on the 2013 is nearly invisible.

Enjoy now or for the next 20.

[Nicklasss]

You're blanquito, the 2013 is also a stunner.

Nic