Ridge Geyserville 2021
An inviting nose of ripe cranberries, cassis and exotic oak spice. The palate is medium to full, with layers of dark bramble fruits, chocolate and clove, with a fine core of acidity and silky yet well-structured tannins.
The Geyserville vineyard is home to Ridge's oldest vines, including a section aged over 130 years. It is predominantly planted with a mix of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan and Mataro vines, which are head trained and spur pruned. The soils are deep gravelly loam mixed with large river rocks and the vineyard has been certified organic since 2015. Harvesting was carried out by hand from the middle to the end of September.
The bunches were destemmed and crushed with an eight-day maceration with daily pump-overs, before undergoing alcoholic fermentation using indigenous yeasts followed by natural, full malolactic. Only the bare minimum of sulphur was used during production and ageing. The wine was then aged for thirteen months in air-dried American oak barrels (11% new, 42% one and two-year-old, and 47% three and four-year-old).
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Alcoholic strength | 14.1% |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Subregion | Sonoma |
| Grapes | Zinfandel 69%, Carignan 20%, Petite Sirah 8%, Alicante Bouschet 2%, Mataro 1% |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Organic | Yes |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Cork |
One of the best-loved names (and most distinctive labels) in wine, Ridge has achieved the rare distinction of iconic status not just domestically, in the US, but around the world wherever fine wine is consumed. This is thanks to the thoughtful and consistent application of simple principles: carefully chosen, mature vineyards farmed with great care, minimum intervention winemaking, production decisions guided by continual blind tasting, and total transparency through ingredient labelling. In pursuit of quality on its own unwavering terms, Ridge has become immune to the whims of fashion, and joined the ranks of the timeless classics.
