Ridge Vineyards : Geyserville Zinfandel 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for Ridge Vineyards Geyserville Zinfandel 2024

Tasting Notes

Appearance
This wine reveals a particularly intense and deep purple hue.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet displays great complexity, blending scents of black cherry and violet with indulgent touches of chocolate. Nuances of spice, liquorice and damp earth round out this olfactory ensemble.

Palate
The attack is lively, offering superb tension that evolves into a wonderfully refined mid-palate. The palate unfolds flavours of raspberry and black olive, supported by beautifully supple tannins and pronounced acidity. The finish lingers with remarkable persistence.

Food and Wine Pairing
This cuvée pairs wonderfully with hearty meats. It is ideally suited to charcoal-grilled rack of lamb, delicious duck confit, or pulled pork.

Serving and Cellaring
To fully enjoy the Geyserville Zinfandel 2024, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature between 16 and 18 °C. With excellent ageing potential, this wine can be cellared and enjoyed until around 2034.

A Great Red Wine from California, a Historic Expression of Alexander Valley by Ridge Vineyards

The Estate
Officially founded in 1962 by a group of engineers, the Ridge Vineyards brand is a true icon in California. Although its winemaking roots date back to 1885, it is the estate's artisanal, pre-industrial approach that has forged its worldwide reputation. Now led by John Olney, the property has belonged since the 1980s to the Japanese group Otsuka Pharmaceutical. The estate stands out for its environmental commitment, with a fully certified organic vineyard, and its determination to produce exceptional terroir wines that remain true to California's historic traditions.

The Vineyard
Located in the renowned Alexander Valley appellation, in Sonoma County, this historic terroir lies on a former riverbed. The vines thrive at an altitude of 65 metres on particularly well-drained gravelly soils. The vineyard benefits from warm daytime temperatures, ideally cooled by fog rolling in from the Pacific Ocean. It is notable for its very old, mixed-planted vines, cultivated with the utmost respect for the environment thanks to full organic certification.

The Vintage
The year was marked by a particularly rainy winter, followed by a mild spring. The summer season then turned warm, which accelerated the ripening process of the berries. These weather conditions led to an early harvest, beginning as early as late August and concluding in mid-September.

Winemaking and Ageing
Following manual harvesting, the grapes destined for the Geyserville Zinfandel 2024 are destemmed and then crushed. Alcoholic fermentation begins naturally thanks to indigenous yeasts, as does malolactic fermentation. This American wine then undergoes a meticulous ageing process of sixteen months in American oak barrels, 15% of which are new, refining its structure while preserving the brightness of the fruit.

Grape Varieties
This blend is composed of 71% Zinfandel, 19% Carignan, 8% Petite Sirah and 2% Alicante Bouschet.