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Red Wine by Ridge from Napa Valley, California. Blend: 89% Zinfandel, 11% Petite Sirah York Creek Vineyard lies high on Spring Mountain, overlooking Napa Valley. The 2005 growing season began late; foul April weather disrupted bloom and set, substantially reducing the crop, but consistent summer weather enabled Ridge to harvest, as usual, in late September. Grapes from the individual parcels were destemmed, then crushed to seven small tanks-three with grids submerging the cap of skins, four with cap floating. Natural fermentation began within three days, they pressed on the eighth; only a small amount of press wine was included. Following a brief uninoculated malolactic, the separate lots were racked to fifty-three-gallon air-dried american oak barrels to begin aging. By May, Ridge had assembled the most distinctive of these, returning them to barrel for further aging as a blend. Every three months, the wine was carefully drawn off its settled lees to achieve clarity. A mix of new, two-, and four-year-old oak allows vineyard and varietal character to dominate. This appealing Zinfandel is redolent of York Creek's well-defined mountain fruit. Enjoyable now, it will continue to develop over the next five to six years. 11% Petite Sirah. Solidly fruity right from the start with touches of caramel and new leather overlying its essential themes of ripe berries and plums, Ridge's York Creek bottling proves that full ripeness in Zin does not necessarily come with bothersome heat or jammy simplicity. It is moderately rich but never flamboyant, and, if trimmed with noticeable edge of Petite Sirah tannin, it is very much a table wine in direction and will develop nicely if set aside for a few years. -Connoisseurs' Guide
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