I’d love to have some Zin Essence, I hear previous vintages have been wonderful, but $50/375, YIKES, that’s pricey!!! I’ll pass… I’m thinking that there is a lot of good Port that I would rather have at less than $100 a bottle. Anybody biting??
From Ridge’s email to me:
10.5 Barrels Produced
2007 Geyserville Vineyard
bottled Dec 2008
We made our first Zinfandel Essence from Geyserville in 1966. To produce an essence, the vines must remain vigorous late into the season, with green leaves for photosynthesis. We chose two blocks-one zinfandel, one petite sirah. To intensify color and concentrate sugar, the grapes were left on the vine for three additional weeks; they co-fermented on natural yeasts. To our delight, the initial Brix reading was beyond the hydrometer’s ability to measure. It took five days for the yeast to begin fermentation, another five days to stop naturally-fully stable. The wine aged in air-dried american oak barrels; clarity was achieved through careful racking. Opulent and full-flavored, the 2007 Essence can be enjoyed now and over the next twenty years. EB (9/08)
Initial sugar at harvest: 40.8% By Volume
Residual sugar in the wine: 16.95% By Volume
This Essence is the thirteenth in our forty-eight year history.
Tasting Notes
Black cherry jam, candied plum, cherry-chocolate cordial; clove and nutmeg spice. Concentrated dark berry fruit. Viscous, full-bodied, with notes of pepper, gravelly earth. Juicy acid; long, sweet finish. EB (7/09)
What is Essence?
An “essence” is vinified from grapes left intentionally to hang for an extended period. During that time, flavors and sugar become concentrated through on-the-vine ripening; this is a totally natural process and not a result of botrytis. When the fruit is picked, sugar generally exceeds 35 degrees Brix. As a rule, the fermentation of naturally-occurring yeasts stops on its own at an alcohol content between 10.5% and 13%, with substantial sugar (usually 6%-10% w/v) remaining. This natural preservative allows for extended bottle aging. Younger wines are dense and syrupy, showing plum, raisin, and candied fruit flavors offset by exotic spice. An older essence will show increased complexity, while retaining amazing depth, color, and richness. The inherent stability of these wines means they are frequently bottled without filtration; sediment is not uncommon.