2018 Ridge Geyserville

[Nicklasss]

I will always remember that first official BWE Friday night dinner in 2001 in Chicago, where someone (stefan, JScott and Whuzzup_, I guess) opened my eye on Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel. A life changing event, nothing less!

The Zin from Ridge are kind of very special wines, being big, but complex and restrained at the same time, high alcohol but well integrated, and good from day 1 to.... until when? For me, the oldest was a 2001 Lytton Springs opened in 2017 and still gorgeous.

I bought some bottles of the 2018 Ridge Geyserville, under Gerry's strong short comment of "outstanding", and it is the utopic wine, like described above: i can understand it will never have a dumb phase like a red Bordeaux, or ups and downs with diluted character like a red Bourgogne. It is medium dark red wine, with a complex and let say it that way, a superb sexy and convincing nose of bluefruit, red berries, meat, spicy vanilla american oak, flowers, incense, pink peppercorn, and a very light heat from the 14.7 % alcohol, all this at... 2.5 years old! In mouth, of course this is sligthly lush, but on flavors of concentrated acidic zin redberries, sweet blueberries, sweet bbq sauce on leather, infused oak, smoke, with some ripe tannins, return from the red acidic fruit on the long final. Clearly, that wine doesn't have too much class or tie style, but it is an extremely tour de force in the expression of a 100 % kind of near perfect american dream wine. Rating : 444C.

*
As wine appreciation is highly subjeçtive, unprecise, how to keep things simple? I think it is Orlando Bobby or Robert Goulet that lately made a comment about wine and soul. That made me think a bit, and I came with that idea: rating with 3 numbers and a letter. The devil is in the details.

First number between 1 to 5:
1 being a wine I did not appreciate.
2 a ok drinkable wine, with small pleasure.
3 now we're talking, worth a try.
4 clearly a wine I liked a lot, a superior excellent wine.
5 the best.

Second number, between 1 to 5, is the soul of the wine, mixing complexity, balance, how it touches me.
1 not memorable.
2 kind of simple, not much complexity, and maybe something proeminent (tanins, acids,...) but still ok to have interest to drink.
3 the basic fun of wine, little bit of complexity, balanced, maybe not that concentrated but enjoyable.
4 we get into something here, good complexity, superb balance, you would like to drink it back for sure.
5 touch your soul, superb definition, complexity, a superb hard to describe balance.

Third number, between 1 to 5, longevity.
1 past it's best.
2 going down after the "best time" plateau.
3 right on
4 will be even better in the next 10 years.
5 will be better in the next 8-20 years.

Last is a letter.
M the wine correspond to my perception of a wine made/taste > 65-70 % Modern way.
C I can say if it is Modern or Traditionnal
T the wine correspond to my perception of a wine made/taste > 65-70 % Traditionnal way.

[JimHow]

I'm happy to have my case of the 2018 Ridge Geyserville, I've drunk seven bottles of it this past year and have ten more. I have always enjoyed my Geyservilles upon release because of their upfront fruit, I'm hard pressed to see how it would improve with age, I suppose I should save a bottle for a Blanquito or two. Meantime, I'm sure I'll enjoy a bottle or two with steak from the grill on the back deck this summer. This wine seems consistently excellent each vintage, but I agree with Gerry, the 2018 seems like the best yet.

[RPCV]

A big thumbs up to the 2018 Lytton Springs zinfandel blend as well. Had both and would say the are worthy of purchase. Lytton is vibrant, acidity that cleanses the palate, a streak of tannin and lots of old-fashioned, old school zin flavors.

[Blanquito]

At my last visit to Ridge’s Lytton Springs winery and visitors center, they had these big signs up describing the wine making process and the things added to their wines (noting that law doesn’t require wineries to disclose additives and ingredients in their wines).

The thing that really stood out to me as surprising is that Ridge adds acid to nearly all of their wines, including Lytton Springs. Geyserville, to my dellight, is the main exception, which instead usually gets a deacidification treatment!

[JimHow]

These should last me through the year but I'll blanquito a bottle or two.

[Blanquito]

I can’t help but romanticize Geyserville. As beautiful and ancient as the Lytton Springs vineyard is, Geyserville is all the more so. The ‘old patch’ in Geyserville is especially impressive with some 120+ year old vines and charming tree covered hillsides in the background.

[JimHow]

Mmmmm makes you want to get more...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAF9r43DAIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgSbkVBcPlY

[Gerry M.]

The cheapest price anywhere me is Total Wine @$35 w/10% disc on a min 6 bottle purchase. With only 2 left I may be making the drive.

[Winona Chief]

In the Spring of 1985, Paul Draper made a trip to DC to introduce Ridge wines. He brought about 100 bottles of various Ridge wines with him. There was a $5 admission fee to the event that included all of the wine you wanted from the various Ridge vineyards plus many appetizers and treats. All the DC wine aficionados were invited. This was my first experience with Ridge and I have been a fan ever since. And Geyserville is my number 1 favorite Ridge wine. It always tastes great. In case anyone is wondering, l too think the 2018 Geyserville is wonderful.

Chris Bublitz