Name: Ridge Zinfandel East Bench 2018 750ml
Brand: Ridge
SKU: 1010557
Price: 61.68 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 92.3 (6 reviews)

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Winery Ridge

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Varietal Zinfandel

The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.

Country United States

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.

Region California

California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.

Appellation Sonoma Valley

California's beautiful and remarkably fertile Sonoma Valley has grown over the decades to become one of the United States' most respected and profitable wine regions, with wineries within the region benefiting from the superb Californian sunshine, low rainfall and wonderfully rich soils. Because of this vital combination of excellent conditions, the region is able to grow a wide range of grape varietals for use in the production of an impressive array of wines, with many different red and white wine grapes flourishing each year and producing excellent and characterful results. The soils have been enriched by volcanic activity, and the presence of geothermal springs, which make this region a unique one, and very much the beating heart of California's ever growing wine industry.

WE 94pts

Wine Enthusiast

Complexity and balance are the hallmarks of this beautifully composed and full-bodied 100% Zinfandel wine. Black-pepper, dried sage, and deep blackberry aromas lead to a rich, velvety, subtly tannic texture and supple black-fruit impressions. Best through 2030. (Editors' Choice)

JD 93pts

Jeb Dunnuck

All Zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley, the 2018 Zinfandel East Bench offers up a great, pure, medium to full-bodied style that carries lots of classic spice, brambly herbs, incense, and plum-laced fruits. Nicely balanced, structured, and with solid length, this terrific Zinfandel will be even better with a year in bottle and keep for a decade.

WNS 93pts

Wine & Spirits

Not far from Ridge’s Lytton Springs, East Bench was planted to vines in the 19th century, though those vines were abandoned in the early 20th. Nearly 100 years on, the team at Ridge started replanting the site, using cuttings selected at four vineyards planted before Prohibition. David Gates farms it as he does Ridge’s historic mixed plantings, the vines head trained and spur pruned. John Olney made this wine from vines planted in 2000 and 2001, creating a plump and delicious zinfandel emphasizing cozy fruit richness and firm tannins. It is exuberant, a pleasure to drink, while holding enough tension to make it a cellar candidate.

WS 92pts

Wine Spectator

Appealingly old-school and just rustic enough to highlight the vibrant, briary wild berry flavors, laced with dried sage and licorice notes, building tension toward lively tannins. Drink now through 2028. 6,250 cases made.

WA 91pts

Wine Advocate

The 2018 Zinfandel East Bench has aromas of spice-laced red and black berries with accents of earth and tar. Medium-bodied, the palate is surprisingly juicy, with earth-laced fruits, pleasantly chewy tannins and a lifted finish. 6,250 cases produced.

VM 91pts

Vinous Media

The 2018 Zinfandel East Bench is an absolute joy to taste. Bright acids perk up the sweet red berry fruit in this lively, flavorful 100% Zinfandel from vineyards in Dry Creek. Fresh, vinous and so wonderfully inviting, the 2018 is delicious now, but also has the energy to develop in bottle for another decade, perhaps more.