2010 East Bench Zinfandel
Ridge 2010 East Bench Zinfandel
2010 Zinfandel, East Bench, bottled January 2012
100% zinfandel
15.1% alcohol by volume
Winemaker John Olney's Notes (Back Label) -
Planted entirely to zinfandel, this twelve-year-old vineyard on the
Dry Creek Bench set a small crop in 2010. Three days of extreme heat
in late August sunburned clusters, further reducing the crop—and
resulting in the most concentrated wine we have yet produced from
this site. The seven vineyard blocks were harvested and fermented
separately. After natural secondary fermentation, six of the seven
were selected for the final wine, then aged for thirteen months in
air-dried american oak barrels. This full bodied zinfandel can be
enjoyed now, but will benefit from five to six years of bottle age.
JO (1/11)
Tasting Notes - Dark crimson red. Opulent aroma of briar
fruits, savory spice, clay/mineral earth. Red and black mixed cherry
fruits on entry, bright acidity, medium-full body, chalky tannins,
tart plum finish. (2/11)
History
Ridge has made the East Bench as a single-site zinfandel since 2006. One of our few
single-variety wines, this zinfandel vineyard sits high on top of the bench land that
overlooks Dry Creek Valley from the east.
Vineyard
First RIDGE East Bench: 2006
Location: East Bench Vineyard is located on the Eastern bench of Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Soils: Gravelly clay loam
Vines: Zinfandel planted in 2000 from three 19th century
vineyard selections
Training: Head trained (no trellis), spur pruned.
Yields: 3.5 tons per acre
Farming: Sustainably farmed; fish-friendly agriculture
Growing Season
Rainfall: 42 inches (above average)
Bloom: Late May
Weather: Dry winter saved by spring rains followed
by a warm, dry summer.
Vintage
Harvest Dates: 11 September - 1 October
Grapes: Average Brix 26.2°
Fermentation: Natural primary and secondary; twice daily pump-overs; pressed at ten days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (20% new, 25% one and two years old, 45% three,
four and five years old.)
Aging: Thirteen months in barrel
Winemaking
All estate-grown grapes, hand harvested. Destemmed and crushed. Fermented on the native yeasts,
followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria. 0.20 grams/liter tartaric acid
added during fermentation. Minimum effective sulfur 35 ppm at crush, (180 ppm over the course of
aging). Pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is
the sum of our actions.