WTN: 1994 Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel

[Brad Ballinger]

For the Super Bowl, I cooked up a vat of chili using 100% ground venison. I made it more on the rich side, less on the spicy side.

1994 Ridge Zinfandel, Pagani Ranch, Sonoma Valley. 75% zinfandel in a field blend with a bunch of other black grapes. I think this wine is beginning its descent. The first glass was imbalanced toward more alcohol, but that did blow off a bit for the subsequent pours. What the wine eventually settled into was black raspberries, cinnamon, pepper, and what I can only describe as whatever else was in the field blend other than grapes – a somewhat briary character. Tannins nearly resolved, mellow acidity. Structurally, seemed loose and out of focus. The wine was definitely more “powerful” in its youth. And age, while not wholly unkind to it, didn’t do it many favors, except to add some complexity to the flavor profile.

[Florida Jim]

Brad,

A curious note. I have had this three times in the past 2 years and it has been excellent showing no imbalance and only the slightest drying while delivering a complexity rare in zinfandel.

Is provenance known/assured with your bottle?

Best, Jim

[Brad Ballinger]

Jim,

I bought this shortly upon release, and have stored it well. Now, you've read my notes on various boards long enough to know that I'm hyper sensitive to alcohol (and that's where the imbalance showed initially -- although it did go away).

The drying out isn't uncharacteristic of older Ridge wines IMO. I do agree with you that this wine was more than quintessential zin-like. I have also had the wine in its youth. Had I not, maybe I'd view it a bit differently now.

And, of course, we can't rule the food pairing influence out...

Edited February 2, 2004 by Brad Ballinger (log)

[winebill]

I had this wine once long ago on release. Found it Big, jammy, full of fruit and really extracted............ A nice experience. It was nice then. It seems that aging Zins rarely reward us with pleasure. So why don't we drink them young?

[GordonCooks]

I will concur with brad somewhat to say that the last of my 94 Lytton Springs are peaked and not as bright as they were a couple of years ago.

[Brad Ballinger]

A couple of comments here. Typically, I will drink zinfandel young. Ridge is one of the rare exceptions, producing wines that can (as Jim experienced) develop complexity rarely seen in the variety. For example, the 1992 Ridge Geyserville is positively singing right now.

Vintage is, of course, also a factor. I'm confident that 1995 ageworthy zins will have a longer tail on them then their 1994 counterparts. And, as a brief aside, it's also time to drink up those 1994 Cabs. It was a great vintage upon release, but the wines have been early maturing and when they slide, they slide.

[Florida Jim]

And, as a brief aside, it's also time to drink up those 1994 Cabs.  It was a great vintage upon release, but the wines have been early maturing and when they slide, they slide.

You'll not get away with brief on that one, laddy.

Care to name labels of those that have slid?

I have had a few in the last year that haven't: Laurel Glen, Speletech, Beringer Bancroft Cab., Flora Springs Trilogy, Mondavi Res., Snowden and White Cottage.

Best, Jim

Edited February 3, 2004 by Florida Jim (log)

[Brad Ballinger]

Labels...

BV Georges Latour

Staglin

Whitehall Lane

Jos. Phelps

These come to mind as wines that should've lasted longer. Your list is also of upper-ish tier producers. But if you look at the middle-of-the-roaders (Pezzi King, Sebastiani, some Pine Ridge, Silverado, Markham, Buehler, Hess Collection, etc.), many of these slid sooner than they would have in other vintages.

But, yes, perhaps the generalization was too broad (no matter how emphatic a disclaimer could be). A more accurate statement would be that some are already sliding.