Looking for a throw-away wine the other night w/ my BarBQue Tofu, I cracked:
!. Ridge Zin EastBench/DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (100% Zin; 14.7%; bttld 12/2018; Drk: 9/18-9/24-9/25: JO) 2017: Med.dark color; strong blackberry/Zinberry/DCV raspberry some pencilly/smokey/Am.oak rather spicy quite attractive nose; fairly tart/tangy fairly strong blackberry/Zinberry/rather spicy some vanilla/Am.oak slight earthy/dusty attractive flavor w/ modest tangy tannins; very long strong spicy/blackberry/DCV Zinberry modest vanilla/Am.oak slight dusty/OV flavor w/ light tangy tannins; really has put on weight & evolved into quite a nice/classic Ridge Zin; not a profound Zin but speaks some of that LS spiciness. $32.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Whatta surprise this wine was. The EastBench is from younger vines planted on the LyttonWest block of the LS property, which is located right on the Western edge of the EastBench of the DCV, overlooking DougNalle's vnyd. I've always regarded the EB Zin as a relative lightweight Zin, one (small) step above their basic 3Vllys Zin. When I had it on release, it evinced the usual "ho/hum" reaction. So I was not expecting much from this wine. But whatta surprise, it, in the intervening yr, had put on a lot of weight & lot of blackberry Zin character and developed into quite an attractive Ridge Zin, even displaying some of the classic LS spiciness.
So to all of the TomHill Sheep who foregoed this EastBench '17 based on my initial luke-warm review, my apologies. Bah ha ha...don't be a sheep to famous reviewers, you'll be led astray!!
Tom