Wine Information
Ridge 2010 Pagani Ranch
Varietal Information
82% Zinfandel
16% Alicante Bouschet
2% Petite Sirah
14.9% alcohol by volume
History
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.
Vintage
Harvest Dates: 5 October
Grapes: Average Brix 25.1 degrees
Fermentation: No inoculation; natural primary and secondary. Pressed at eight days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (15% new, 10% one year, 75% two and three years old.)
Aging: Sixteen months in barrel
Growing Season
Rainfall: 42 inches (above average)
Bloom: Late May
Weather: Cool, late spring, cold summer, two very hot days in August (24 & 25th).
Winemaker Tasting Notes
Aromas of ripe plum, red cherry fruits, and exotic spice. Intense flavors of berry fruit, sensuous and layered with round tannins. Juicy acidity and a long finish. (8/2012)