You should 1000% do that, ha!
Also…welcome to WineBeserkers! 
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The first 100pt Zinfandel! Congrats! 
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Ha! Only took 57 years 
Last night, in an evening dominated by Grand Cru Burgundies, one standout wine was a 1979 Ridge Langtry Road. These old Zinfandels can do well next to virtually anything.
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Love that Howard! I’m grateful to have quite a bit of older Ridge in the cellar, as the prices have definitely rocketed up over the past handful of years. For example, i mentioned there were some 1973 Geyserville’s on Winebid this past week. One of them just hammered for at least $420 (might have gone higher but that was last I saw it heading into overtime bidding). That’s… a bit more than i paid for the few i have in my cellar, ha!
I believe that’s from the Schoolhouse Vineyard.
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I don’t have any old Ridge Zin but have a friend who does and so I have had a few bottles including 1977 and 1978 Geyserville. They really age well. I have started keeping some of the “newer” Geyserville and Lytton Springs wines I have bought and now go back to 2006 with Geyserville and 2003 with Lytton Springs. In your experience, how old do these wines have to be to start to get some of the complexity of the wines from the 1960s and 1970s?
Also, I may have a chance to get a 1979 Ridge Shenandoah. Have you had that or do you have any thoughts about it (assuming good storage, which is always a risk with older wines)?
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So crazy!! I was tracking it and it started at $160!!!
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I love their old Eschen and Esola Zins. The point the fruit mellows to, almost twany. Some bottlings have awkward structural points sticking out. This '79 doesn’t. The bottles i bought of this, and consumed a long time aho, must not have been stored too well, but i loved how they showed. Had one more recently, from someone else, and it was younger and more vibrant.
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Having a friend with old Ridge is a good friend to have, ha!
Great question on the aging of more ‘current’ releases. IMHO, while they can be enjoyable early on, they hit a much better spot around the 15 year mark and then should continue to evolve from there (certain vintages better than others of course). For reference, i opened a 2018 Lytton Springs two years ago and it was ‘nice’…but still felt super young and Primary to me. These wines just hit a different gear after some time in the bottle, and ive been doing the same as you in terms of acquiring newer releases to hold longer term. Even snagged 3L’s and magnums of my kids birth-years (2010 and 2012) as I’ve enjoyed many Geyservilles from my birth-year of 1980.
And unfortunately ive never tried that Shenandoah but i bet it would be really good…or at the very least…very interesting! I’ve had good luck with ‘lesser’ Ridge vineyards from 1970’s and early 80’s (Howell Mountain zin, etc)
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Right! Figured it might get bid up a little (bottles seemed to be in great condition)…but that was wild!!
I just bought a ‘97 Geyserville (anniversary vintage) and wanted the ‘73 (birth year). Oh well.
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If we meet up in AZ sometime ill open one!!
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Great note and great win!
One of the former members of my tasting group was a big collector of all things Mayacamas. He opened several old LHZ bottles, though none so old as that. Usually it was ‘73 or ‘74. Great wines.
Thanks for bringing back some cool memories.
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Thanks David! And that’s awesome you were able to taste the 73/74 and glad this brought back some nice memories
That would be amazing!
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As of last year, the dessert room at Bern’s still had a smattering of these from the 70’s. Full disclosure, my group (mostly winemakers) ordered one on a recent-ish visit, but it was in the neighborhood of the 7th or 8th bottle of the night, so the details are a bit…fuzzy. That said, certainly perfect provenance! 
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We’ve definitely all been in that position before, ha!
And i REALLY need to get my ass out to Berns sometime!