Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Ridge Geyserville (Sonoma County) 2001

When last noted in 5/2006, I opined that this wine was “Drinkable now, but unusually firm tannins still need some time to resolve.”

With two more years of bottle age, the 2001 Geyserville now stands as a brilliant example of what a great winemaker can achieve with Zinfandel (74% with 18% Carignane and 8% Petite Sirah) sourced from a great vineyard in an excellent vintage.

As with the best mature Zins, the 01 Geyserville has shaken of the brambles and blackberry off youth. Indeed, on first taste, my wife mistook it for a classed growth Bordeaux. I can see why.  The lovely bouquet suggests black fruits, mocha java, soy, and toffee. On the palate, the wine lingers through an extended finish.

I’ve got six bottles left in my cellar. I plan to space most of them out 1 per year or so for the next five years, leaving the last to 2021 just to see what happens to this remarkable wine. Most Zins don’t evolve, they just sort of keep going. But this one has already evolved, so I want to give it a fair chance to keep developing.

Grade: A