2010 Geyserville Zinfandel

The 2010 Geyserville comes across as very sweet. Dried prunes, cooked cherries, flowers and licorice are some of the notes that emerge from the glass. Today, the 2010 is a bit disjointed. The fruit, the Zinfandel in particular, shows the clear effects of the heat spikes. In 2010, the blend is 64% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 2% Mataro Mourvedre. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. Indiana Jones and I have one thing in common – a fear of snakes. That is why every time I see the sign in the Ridge parking lot that reads “Beware of rattlesnakes,” I get a little uneasy. So it’s quickly into the tasting room for me. Winemaker Eric Baugher and his team have prepared a great tasting covering all of the Ridge classics, plus a few smaller-production bottlings I am tasting for the first time. This is a sublime set of new releases from one of this country’s greatest heritage wineries. It’s hard to know where to start, but the highlights are the 2009 Monte Bello, followed by the 2010, which will be released this year, plus some of the Zinfandels and Zinfandel-based wines. The 2010 harvest was not an easy one. The summer was very cold, as it was throughout California. Ridge was severely affected by August heat spikes that were crippling for Zinfandel. The wines that were bottled are the result of a severe selection of the best fruit that survived the heat. Tel. (408) 867-3233

(64% zinfandel, 20% carignane, 12% petite sirah and 2% each of alicante bouschet and mataro): Glass-staining ruby. Ripe cherry and blackberry aromas are complicated by suggestions of mace, star anise and smoky herbs. Sweet dark fruit flavors pick up a refreshingly bitter quality with air, along with a note of candied violet. Spicy and broad on the finish, which clings with impressive sweetness and persistence. This wine drinks well now, especially with a bit of aeration. (JR)

The 2010 Geyserville impresses for its sensual perfume, bright red cherries, rose petals and stone fruit. The Carignane plays an important role in the personality of the 2010. The blend is 62% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane and 14% Petite Sirah.