Dark ruby, very aromatic. On the palate, black cherry, plums, refreshing mint, pomegranate and Zin spice. Deep and long, with emerging complexity.
Is Ridge Geyserville the world’s best fine wine value? (95 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Hey that’s fun, thanks for sharing!
I have a bunch of this.
Thanks for the note Mike. I definitely agree that this wine is consistently a great QPR. It is the first wine I bought regularly when I started drinking wine out of school and I’ve only missed a few vintages over the years.
Love this wine. Drank all my 750s already and only have a magnum left, which will probably get opened this summer.
not sure i would classify this as a qpr as it is close to $40
Yea, but it was $25 on release.
And for the LONG track record of quality, age-ability and pure joy these wines offer…the current price of $35 (Total Wine has it readily available), to me, is one helluva QPR.
I guess it just depends on your definition of a qpr. Seghesio’s regular bottling, <$20, is always good but may not have the ageability like Ridge
Thanks for the note, Mike!!
I am a strong lover of field blends, Zinfandel, Carignan, Mourvedre, Alicante Bouschet, etc. The “Geyserville”, “Pagani”, and “Lytton Springs” wines would probably be right up my alley. I know that I have had a Ridge or two in the past, yet I have no recollection of the flavors.
Drew, Geyserville (along with Ridge’s Pagani and Lytton) is one of the world’s most widely available great field blends. Fruit from the venerable Alexander Valley vineyard “Whitton Ranch”, with vines dating from the 1890s. Grab a bottle - a jewel!
Mike,
I have been buying Geyserville and Lytton Springs for over 10 years. Consistently good. I always try to hold back a few for 10+ years for a special treat.
Don, they age crazy well. Here’s one for popping sometime in the mid-2020s - the 50th year of Ridge Geyserville!
Thanks for the reassurance! Of course, I DO see quite a lot of positive statements about Ridge Zins/blends. The prominent American Oak thing has probably been the reason why I have not pounced on a lot of their stuff.
Mike, I know that the property was probably eventually sold to Ridge by the Trentadue folks after the expiration of the famous 32-year lease, but wouldn’t the Zinfandel fruit be similar between the two wineries?
I have not had anything from Trentadue besides the bargain blend, so I wouldn’t necessarily have a reference point from your response. My question stems more from curiosity.
Drew, great question. Not sure they would be the same. I believe the Ridge has taken fruit from the same portion of the vineyard for decades. In these vineyards, sections dictate the varietal composition of the blends and the age of the vines.
From the Ridge website:
The history of Geyserville cannot be told without mentioning the Trentadue family. Leo and Evelyn Trentadue sold the Monte Bello Winery to the four founding partners of Ridge, and the founders purchased fruit from the oldest vines on the Trentadue’s Sonoma ranch on the southern edge of the Geyserville township. From that purchase, the first vintage of Ridge Geyserville was born. The close relationship with the Trentadues continues to this day. Ridge has made Geyserville as a single-site zinfandel every year since 1966.
From the Trentadue website:
Our 200 acre Geyserville Estate Vineyard consists of 12 red grape varietals, varying in age from 4 to 128 years old. While the majority of our vines are supported by trellis wires, our Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Carignane blocks are head pruned, which we believe allow these varieties to produce higher quality fruit. Although more labor is involved in farming grapes this way, the improved fruit quality outweighs the increase time and labor cost. All of our fruit is handpicked, mostly at night which keeps the temperature of the juice from 50 to 60 ° F, which preserves and enhances the flavors of the grapes.
BTW, I thought the '14 was unusually precocious and accessible for a young Geyserville. I haven’t tasted this wine for a few months, however.
I thought so, too, and even did a double order. Decided to pop one tonight. The precociousness is wearing off, starting to show more over wood and vanilla, killer acid though. I have high hopes for this vintage long-term. Will revisit in a handful of years.
My wife summed up this one in a gratuitious, unexpected comment as we enjoyed grilled filet:
“This wine is perfect. Seriously, what makes Ridge so perfect?”.
And it’s one of the very few red wines she drinks. She is more of a high acid white wine freak.
I love that wine. The 2010 was my WOTY a few years back.
Thanks for the info, Mike!
The 2014 Geyserville is $33.99 at Total Wine and $30.59 when buying six or more of anything. Still a great value to me.
Thanks,
Ed
With careful shopping, I often find Ridge SVDs in the $24-$29 range.