"I don't care for jam," said Patchen.
"It's not jam, it's Ridge," said the Queen.
"Well, I don't want any to-day, at any rate."
"You couldn't have it if you *did* want it," said the Queen, while, to Patchen's confusion, she opened a bottle of Ridge 2001 Lytton Estate Syrah, a small batch from the Lytton Springs vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, composed of 99% Syrah and 1% Viognier, 14.8% ABV. No longer intensely purple but still fruity. Slightly hot and distressingly flabby, for a Ridge, without the structure to hold up either to the alcohol or to the age. Whereupon the Queen opened a bottle of the same wine from the following vintage, this one 76% Syrah, 21% Grenache, and 3% Carignane, and a mere 13.8% ABV. No longer intensely purple but still fruity. Balanced but still tightly wound, this is a much better wine, and one that really should have been left for a few more years, or decanted early.
Patchen mentioned this to the Queen, who sighed. "The rule is, Ridge to-morrow and Ridge yesterday – but never Ridge to-day."