TN: 2003 Ridge Geyserville

We finally got to try this, thanks to a sample bottle from our buddy Steve Kolody; it was late in showing up around these parts for the simple reason that the ’02 was rather slow in sales, despite the best efforts of certain retailers.

2003 Ridge Geyserville Sonoma, 76% Zinfandel; 18% Carignane; 6% Petite Sirah, $30, 14.6% alc.: Dark garnet color, with a creamy black raspberry, blueberry, lavender and bubblegum nose, a nice variation of the signature Ridge aromatic theme. Flavors echo more or less, and very nicely so, being a little deeper and darker on the palate, smoothly textured, deceptively well structured and rich and ripe, but not over-the-top. As it opens with air, it doesn’t so much evolve as it just smoothes out and becomes even more generous with all that it has to offer. This is delicious stuff to sip over the course of a 2 hour chess game, and it’ll work quite nicely with a wide variety of food stuffs as well. Like the ’02, the relatively small amount of Petite Sirah seems to show in that it’s not as chunky / dark as many in the past, but having said that, it’s another very fine Geyserville, and why am I not surprised?

- From Following Up

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.

We finally got to try this, thanks to a sample bottle from our buddy Steve Kolody; it was late in showing up around these parts for the simple reason that the ’02 was rather slow in sales, despite the best efforts of certain retailers.

Aha! That probably explains the situation in these parts, too. It's put my Geyserville vertical in peril, a situation I intend to rectify forthwith. Thanks for the report.

Mark Lipton

George, just out of curiosity have you ever had a Ridge wine you didn't like? Not that ther's anything wrong with that.

We finally got to try this, thanks to a sample bottle from our buddy Steve Kolody; it was late in showing up around these parts for the simple reason that the ’02 was rather slow in sales, despite the best efforts of certain retailers.

Aha! That probably explains the situation in these parts, too. It's put my Geyserville vertical in peril, a situation I intend to rectify forthwith. Thanks for the report.

Mark Lipton

Mark, that is indeed a situation that needs rectifyin'! If all else fails, let me know, and I'll grab some for you and hold 'em until we can make arrangements to get 'em in your handses, my precioussssss....

};^)>

George, just out of curiosity have you ever had a Ridge wine you didn't like? Not that ther's anything wrong with that.

Actually Lou, I didn't like any of the '98 Ridge Zins, although I've held on to one lone Geezer in hopes that it might blossom into something more than it seemed to be during subsequent tastings since release. I still can't understand the scores that Bobbie Parker gave them, almost all high 80s to low 90s; they just don't deserve them, IMNSHO (not that I'm a Parker acolyte). Several of the '94s were less than zero too; the Geyserville was the only one that consistently showed well, with a curious "Rhone-ish" character.

There've been more than a few ATP selections that came off more like experiments than worthwhile bottlings as well, but all in all, we're still big fans of this winery, and we're intensely interested in seeing how the wines show as the changing of the guard progresses, with John Olney taking on more winemaking responsibilities.

Just my 2 oz.,

geo