First time trying Mark Adams’ wines and very impressed. Some really interesting characteristics in his wines!
2014 Ledge Grenache Blanc G2 Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Very enjoyable experience at The Vineyard in McLean. Color was a clear pale yellow. Lots of lighter tropical fruits on the nose like guava. Low to moderate acidity, smooth, light body a little brisk. Would be a great summer wine. (88 pts.)
2013 Ledge Syrah Adams Ranch Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Second wine at The Vineyard. Light purplish red. I do love the nose. Lots of black peppercorn, earthy. Is a little tight and needs time to open up. Moderate tannins and moderate body. Slight minerality in the finish. Very interesting soil type, sandy soil and this is Mark’s own vineyard. (91 pts.)
2013 Ledge Zinfandel Dusi Ranch- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Third wine at The Vineyard. This is one I would be interested in buying to try again in the future. Lighter than expected in color, light ruby red. A ton, and I mean a ton of floral notes. Palate was slow to attack, then very thick at the end and a little meaty. Moderate plus tannins 6.5/10 and full bodied. Needs a little bit of time to fully come together but delicious and so interesting. Long lingering finish. If served blind, would never have guessed that this was a Zinfandel. (92 pts.)
2013 Ledge Vineyard Drive- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Fourth wine at The Vineyard. Second favorite out of these wines. The syrahs need now time to integrate. Light purplish red. Nose had dark berries, and violet or lavender. Definitely more fruit than the previous wines. Moderate tannins (6/10) and moderate body with lingering finish. Could be cellared for up to a decade. (92 pts.)
2013 Ledge Syrah James Berry Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Last of the Ledge wines at The Vineyard. Deeper red with purple hues. A little bit of heat in the nose with petroleum and some light floral notes. Lots of texture, very furry, almost like sandpaper. High tannins 7.5/10 with a moderate body that will need at least a couple years to integrate. (91 pts.)
Nice notes on the Ledge wines - thanks. A group of friends and I visited with Mark Adams in 2014 and he opened a bunch of his Ledge wines as well as wines from his other labels. Ledge is Mark’s “signature” label though there were some standouts among the other labels too. Just as you hit upon in your notes, the Ledge wines I tasted needed time in the cellar to fully develop. They’re worth checking out - not shy wines by any means (they’re from Paso, after all) but not your typical big, jammy Paso style either.
Thanks for sharing your notes too Ken, love the blog btw. And you are completely right they definitely need some time to integrate and fully develop. Loved that zin thou
I’ve been a fan of Mark’s Ledge wines for a little more than 3 years now. Even on the young end, you can tell these are very well made. Of these 2013s, I’ve only had the Drive GSM and thought it to be wonderful.
2013 Ledge Vineyard Drive- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (1/2/2016)
First non-Adams Ranch Syrah I’ve had from Ledge and this is in-line with expectations from such an under-the-radar winemaker. This was singing upon opening. Consumed over back-to-back nights but it was difficult to stop after two glasses. Second night no different from the first. The nose is beautiful; big and rich, deep, dark red fruits, with pretty floral notes hitting every now and then; on the palate, this is big and rich, yet elegant and not heavy in the mouth; moderate tannins and a bit lighter on the acid; all three grape varietals are in concert with one another here, providing layers of slight differene and nuance. I really like this. No reason not to drink now, but I’m sure it would hold a decade. (93 pts.)