"Tom Lee, Zinfandel Chronicles 93 Points
Dark crimson in color. 14.2% ABV. 65% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 14% Petite Sirah and 5% Mataro. Awesome nose of red fruits, anise and pepper. Medium to full body body with ample acidity. Warm and supple. Cherry, strawberry, baking spices and pepper. The finish is long and spicy. Widely available and as always a great value. Best over the next 3-4 years.” (March 2024)"
Since its inception, Ridge has specialized in single vineyard wines. Three Valleys is the exception, made by carefully blending selections from multiple vineyards. Mild temperatures throughout the growing season allowed the fruit to mature slowly and develop deep fruit flavors for which Sonoma is known. Enjoyable now, this wine will continue to develop over the next five years.
Hand-harvested grapes, destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts followed by a full malolactic on the natural-occurring bacteria; tartaric acid; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine. 12 Months in 100% air-dried American oak barrels (10% new, 50% four years old, and 40% five plus years old).
2022 was the third year of drought. Thankfully, we received spring rains that helped the vines. These same rains caused shatter in our zinfandel, reducing their crop. Two heat spells pushed the vines to another early harvest.
