2010 Geyserville
Ridge 2010 Geyserville®
2010 Geyserville Vineyard, bottled February 2012
64% zinfandel, 20% carignane, 12% petite sirah,
2% alicante bouschet, 2% mataro (mourvedre)
14.3% alcohol by volume
Winemaker Eric Baugher's Notes (Back Label) -
Winter’s strong grip on California delayed bud-break. Bloom in late May
was followed by a cold, foggy summer that set harvest back a month.
Extreme heat on August 24 damaged half the zinfandel crop, but left
carignane and petite sirah unaffected. Assemblage was later than usual,
due in part to slow malolactics, and our need to taste finished wines
for the best selection. New oak was held to a minimum; a mix of older
cooperage has allowed fruit to dominate. Quantities are, unfortunately,
limited. Rich, elegant, and structured, this fine zinfandel will provide
enjoyment over the next decade. EB (1/12)
Tasting Notes - Intense ruby color. Ripe cherry and plum,
peppermint, clove barrel spice, gravel/earth. Well-defined stone fruits
on entry, medium- to full-bodied, coated tannins; a long finish with
refreshing acidity. -Eric Baugher (2/11)
History
Ridge has made the Geyserville as a single-site zinfandel in every year since 1966.
The grapes are grown in three adjoining vineyards on a defined stretch of gravelly
soil approximately one-and-a-quarter miles long and a half-mile wide.
Vineyard
First RIDGE Geyserville: 1966
Location: Geyserville Vineyard is located on the Western edge of Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
Elevation: 200'
Soils: Gravelly loam
Vines: Youngest 9 years, oldest over 120 years; sixty percent 45 years or older.
Training: Head trained (no trellis), spur pruned.
Climate: Occasional morning fog, warm
days with frequent evening breezes.
Exposure: Southern
Yields: One to three tons per acre
Farming: Sustainably farmed; fish-friendly agriculture
Growing Season
Rainfall: 42 inches (above average)
Bloom: Late May
Weather: Cool, late spring; cold summer; two very hot days in August (24 & 25) damaged
fruit, reducing yields by 50%.
Vintage
Harvest Dates: 18 September - 14 October
Grapes: Average Brix 25.1°
Fermentation: Natural primary and secondary; limited use of submerged cap,
limited pump-overs; pressed at eight days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (10% new, 12% one and
two years old, 78% three to four 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.
0.26g/liter (17,067 grams total) calcium carbonate to thirteen small fermentors to
moderate unusually firm acidity; 2.4 percent rehydration (added to five particularly
ripe young vine parcels); minimum effective sulfur (35 ppm at crush; 75 ppm over the
course of aging), and seven fresh egg white fining added per barrel to moderate
tannins. Pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal
intervention, this is the sum of our actions.