2018 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Pagani Ranch

2018 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Pagani Ranch

2018 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Pagani Ranch; Sonoma Valley, USA

Wine Enthusiast: 96 Points + Cellar Selection “Drenched with ultra rich fruit flavors, this generous, full-bodied and mouth filling wine is an unabashed, fully ripened wine that exults in Zinfandel’s jammy blackberry and blueberry extravagance. High octane but also supple in texture, this will be a great wine to linger over at the end of a special meal. Best through 2030.” -Jim Gordon (January 2021)

Zinfandel is a dark-skinned red wine grape variety widely cultivated in California. It arrived in the Americas from Europe in the early years of the 19th Century, and was an immediate success in both Napa and Sonoma counties, which remain its strongholds today. After 30 years of discussion and disagreements (including legal intervention by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms), DNA research carried out by Carole Meredith of the University of California at Davis from the early 1990s to 2002 (known as the Zinquest) confirmed that Zinfandel is identical to Italy’s Primitivo.

Sonoma Valley is one of California’s most notable wine regions, located withinin the southern part of the Sonoma County wine region. The AVA (American Viticultural Area) is largely planted to grape varieties that thrive in its warm, sunny climate which include Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Chardonnay.The AVA, which was recognized in 1982, stretches from the coast of the San Pablo Bay, to just south of the city of Santa Rosa. The region covers a tranche of Sonoma County’s southeastern corner with approximately 5,500 acres (2,200ha) under vine.

Ridge Vineyards is a famed Californian wine producer founded in 1962, and based in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but with vineyards in several parts of the state. Its flagship wine, Monte Bello, is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated Bordeaux blend known for delivering the complexity and elegance of Bordeaux wines, as well as typical California fruit intensity. It is also well known for its range of Zinfandel wines and Zinfandel-based blends, led by the Geyserville cuvée.