TN: 2017 Ridge East Bench Zinfandel: Pretty tannic mid palette. Actually, quite surprisingly so. Otherwise a nice drink, not a ton on the nose and if I can fault it at all, finish is slightly less intense than mid. After a little while it opened up a bit more and became a little rounder. Perhaps a little too young at this point, but have no clue how long this would need.
Thanks for the note Adam, this is typically one I hold for a little bit and give it a little time in bottle before getting into.
Pretty much any of the Ridge Zins don’t seem to really hit their stride until at least age 20. And then drink well for another 10-20+ years… 15 year old Ridge zins are still extremely primary and not showing much age at all.
YMMV but all the Ridge Zins hit their stride well in advance of 20 years in the bottle. A 17 Pagani last night was brilliant. On the other hand a recent 03 Lytton Springs out of magnum was disappointing.
Tom
That’s very much a matter of personal preference. I like them when they’re young and exuberant and I don’t get that excited by very old ones.
I like my Ridge zin with 3+ years to melt away the baby fat but definitely not 20 years. I don’t think they have the right balance to age long term and still suite my palate.