Anybody who enjoys California Zinfandels surely knows the wines of Ridge. Their Pagani Ranch and Lytton Springs offerings typically earn some of the highest scores year in and year out from the critics, not to mention their Monte Bello Cab-Blend that tends to earn 100 points! The 2018s are some of the best Zins to come out of the state in over a decade, and when our buyer tasted these beauties, he was absolutely floored!
Before it was a vineyard, Pagani Ranch was part of the Wildwood Dairy Farm. When Felice Pagani purchased it in the late 1880's, only a few vines had already been established on the western portion of the site. The vineyard is now farmed by the fourth generation of the Pagani Family.
Since 1991, Ridge has made Zinfandel from the old Pagani vineyard on the east-facing side of Sonoma Valley. Almost all the vines here were planted more than a hundred years ago. Pagani Ranch is a fine example of what we look for in a vineyard: low-yielding old vines, carefully tended by a quality-conscious family who, in this case, have worked the land for four generations. The vineyard's long survival is proof of its merit. An average site would have been abandoned during the thirteen years of Prohibition, or during the Depression. Rooted in a mix of gravelly clay loam, the vines must strike deep into the soil to find nutrients. This keeps berry size and yield low, while intensifying flavor.
The attention to detail shows in the farming of the vineyard, in the winery, and in the finisned wine. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate scored this at 94 points and says it's "generous, layered, fragrant".
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2022 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch is a blend of 82% Zinfandel, 9% Alicante Bouschet, 5% Petite Sirah and 4% Mataro. It has layered scents of blueberry preserves, yellow peach, toasted coconut and floral perfume. The palate combines generous, layered, fragrant flavors with silky tannins and bursts of mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long, expressive finish."
Before it was a vineyard, Pagani Ranch was part of the Wildwood Dairy Farm. When Felice Pagani purchased it in the late 1880's, only a few vines had already been established on the western portion of the site. The vineyard is now farmed by the fourth generation of the Pagani Family.
Since 1991, Ridge has made Zinfandel from the old Pagani vineyard on the east-facing side of Sonoma Valley. Almost all the vines here were planted more than a hundred years ago. Pagani Ranch is a fine example of what we look for in a vineyard: low-yielding old vines, carefully tended by a quality-conscious family who, in this case, have worked the land for four generations. The vineyard's long survival is proof of its merit. An average site would have been abandoned during the thirteen years of Prohibition, or during the Depression. Rooted in a mix of gravelly clay loam, the vines must strike deep into the soil to find nutrients. This keeps berry size and yield low, while intensifying flavor.
The attention to detail shows in the farming of the vineyard, in the winery, and in the finisned wine. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate scored this at 94 points and says it's "generous, layered, fragrant".
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2022 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch is a blend of 82% Zinfandel, 9% Alicante Bouschet, 5% Petite Sirah and 4% Mataro. It has layered scents of blueberry preserves, yellow peach, toasted coconut and floral perfume. The palate combines generous, layered, fragrant flavors with silky tannins and bursts of mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long, expressive finish."
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