Picked up to accompany some tenderloin beef, one of the better zins I’ve come across. There’s none of the warm, melting plastic nose I tend to get on zins, but instead a pleasant woodsy, cherry aroma, framed by light spice notes. The palate is another revelation. The acids keep all of the bright cherry, spice and tobacco notes lifted and light and the tannin, while not imperceptible, is negligible alongside the beef. Even without food, this would fool me into guessing it’s something Ridge produced with maybe 5+ years bottle age. Try one if you see it.
I’m a fan!!!
Hmmm…I’ve only heard of “Rutherford Dust” in the context of Rutherford Cabernet.
Never heard it applied to a Zin from there.
Tom
I do think this is one of the better sub $25 buys for zin in cali. It annually belongs in the same fighting class as the sonoma bedrock/Carlisle, ridge, etc. the 11 is slightly more restrained than some other vintages, which I liked, and have mostly drank up.
Tom, I think they have been labelled as such for a few years now.
Tom,
I had edited my post as my last original line was ‘the only negative about the wine is the silly name, Rutherford Dust.’ But apparently it’s a vineyard? At least, according to Neal:
I could be wrong about this, but I think that the vineyard is on Mee Lane in Rutherford.
OK, Peter…I guess that makes sense.
Tom