2008 Geyserville

Varietal Information

bottled January 2010
72% zinfandel, 20% carignane, 6% petite sirah, 2% mataro
14.8% alcohol by volume

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.

Vintage

Harvest Dates: 23 August - 1 October
Grapes: Average Brix 25.3 degrees
Fermentation: Natural primary and secondary; limited use of submerged cap, limited pump-overs. Pressed at six days.
Aging: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (20% new, 31% one and two years, 49% four to five years old)
Time in Barrel: Fourteen months

Growing Season

Rainfall: Below average at 35 inches, with a very dry spring.
Bloom: Early May, that then set a crop of average size.
Weather: Dry spring and typical warm, dry summer, with no sustained heat spells.

Winemaker Tasting Notes

Intense purple/blue. Ripe black cherry, blueberry, plum sauce. Gravel/mineral, mint/menthol, oak spice. Full body. Dark bramble fruit, firm acid, plush tannins. Great depth and complexity. EB (3/10)

• 2008 GEYSERVILLE ZINFANDEL New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 04-2010 , Tasting
  2008 Ridge, "Geyserville," Sonoma County ($35) Medium-dark purplish ruby; attractive, briary, black cherry and blueberry fruit aroma with hints of vanilla, black pepper...(more)
• 2008 GEYSERVILLE 2008 Ridge Geyserville Proprietary Red Wine, Robert Parker , Wine Advocate 02-2010 , Tasting
  Rating: (90-92)
  
  The 2008 Geyserville Proprietary Red (72% Zinfandel, 20% Carignan, and the rest Petite Sirah, Mataro, and Mourvedre; 14.8% alcohol) exhibits a dense ...(more)
• 2007 GEYSERVILLE 2007 Ridge Geyserville Proprietary Red Wine, Robert Parker , Wine Advocate 02-2010 , Tasting
  Rating: 91
  
  The dark ruby/purple-colored 2007 Geyserville Proprietary Red (58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignan, 18% Petite Sirah, and the rest Mourvedre with 14.4% alcohol) ...(more)
• 2007 GEYSERVILLE Good wines for Thanksgiving, Jon Bonne , San Francisco Chronicle 11-2009 , Tasting
  As part of my inclusive Thanksgiving approach, it seemed right to find diverse examples rather than drill down into one particular thing. So here's a grab bag. Consider it mor...(more)
• 2007 GEYSERVILLE California Zinfandel and Blends, Tim Fish , Wine Spectator 10-2009 , Tasting
  Ripe, exotic, and loaded with personality. Aromas of ripe blackberry, underbrush and licorice lead to concentrated huckleberry and cracked-pepper beef flavors that finish with...(more)
• 2007 GEYSERVILLE ZINFANDEL - More New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 06-2009 , Tasting
  2007 Ridge, "Geyserville," Sonoma County ($35) Medium-dark purplish ruby; attractive, intense, briary, spicy, dark currant and loganberry aroma; medium-full to full body; tigh...(more)
• 2007 GEYSERVILLE Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 05-2009 , Tasting
  RIDGE VINEYARDS Geyserville Sonoma County 2007
  
  SCORE: 91 **
  
  58% Zinfandel; 22% Carignane; 18% Petite Sirah; 2% Mataro. An intriguing note of cranberry-l...(more)
• 2006 GEYSERVILLE Zinfandel year's best, Joshua Greene , Wine & Spirits 02-2009 , Tasting
  SCORE: 92
  
  2006 Sonoma County Geyserville Zinfandel A plump, juicy zinfandel, this manages to be vibrant and savory at once. The ancient vines at Geyserville ...(more)
• 2006 GEYSERVILLE California's Central Coast, Stephen Tanzer , International Wine Cellar 11-2008 , Tasting
  2006 Geyserville Sonoma County (70% zinfandel, 18% carignane, 10% petite sirah and 2% mataro): Ruby-red. Black raspberry. blueberry, smoked meat and dried violet on the fresh ...(more)
• 2006 GEYSERVILLE ZINFANDEL - More New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 08-2008 , Tasting
  2006 Ridge, "Geyserville," Sonoma County - Medium dark ruby with purplish tinges; attractive, intense, briary, complex, dark berry fruit aroma with hints of dill, green...(more)
• 2006 GEYSERVILLE Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 05-2008 , Tasting
  2006 RIDGE VINEYARDS Geyserville Sonoma County
  
  SCORE: 90 *
  
  70% Zinfandel; 18% Carignane; 10% Petite Sirah; 2% Mataro. It is usual for Ridge's Geyserville ...(more)
• 2005 GEYSERVILLE 4-Star California Zinfandels , Quarterly Review Of Wines 06-2008 , Tasting
  2005 RIDGE GEYSERVILLE "40th VINTAGE" (CALIFORNIA). 77% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 6% Petite Sirah. Soft, plump, juicy, utterly fetching, black fruit, French roast and n...(more)
• 2005 GEYSERVILLE Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 01-2008 , Tasting
  2005 RIDGE VINEYARDS Geyserville Sonoma County
  
  SCORE: 95 ***
  
  77% Zinfandel; 17% Carignane; 6% Petite Sirah. Some years back Ridge removed the varietal ide...(more)
• 2005 GEYSERVILLE ZINFANDEL - More New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 08-2007 , Tasting
  2005 Ridge, "Geyserville," Sonoma County - Medium to medium-dark purplish ruby; attractive, spicy, jammy, red berry fruit aroma that developed with airing in the glass;...(more)
• 2005 GEYSERVILLE 5 STARS, Stephen Brook , Decanter , Tasting
  Ripe blackberry nose, coffee and woodsmoke. Spicy and vigorous, sweet but lively, with invigorating freshness and persistence....(more)
• 2004 GEYSERVILLE Lining up some fine Ridge wines, Patrick Comiskey , Los Angeles Times 06-2007 , Tasting
  2004 Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel. From an old vineyard in the Alexander Valley that Ridge has been drawing on for nearly 40 years, it's a formidable wine that leads wit...(more)
• 2004 GEYSERVILLE ZAP, Harold Baer , Colorado Wine News 04-2007 , Press
  The 2004 Geyserville, Alexander Valley, $33, is a blend of 75% zinfandel, 18% carignane, and 7% petite sirah. It was aged in American oak, 27% new, for 18 months and has a smo...(more)
• 2004 GEYSERVILLE Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 01-2007 , Tasting
  RIDGE VINEYARDS Zinfandel Geyserville Sonoma County 2004
  
  SCORE: ** 94
  
  18% Carignane; 7% Petite Sirah. Of all the Zinfandels produced by this greatly ...(more)
• 2004 GEYSERVILLE Zinfandel - New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 10-2006 , Tasting
  2004 Ridge, "Geyserville," Sonoma Valley ($33) -- Medium ruby; attractive, spicy, intense, somewhat jammy, ripe raspberry fruit aroma with notes of black pepper and v...(more)
• 2003 GEYSERVILLE Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 01-2006 , Tasting
  RIDGE Geyserville Sonoma County 2003
  
  **SCORE: 91
  
  76% Zinfandel; 18% Carignane; 6% Petite Sirah. Geyserville bottlings typically have an uncanny knack for...(more)
• 2003 GEYSERVILLE Zinfandel - New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 10-2005 , Tasting
  2003 Ridge, "Geyserville," Sonoma County ($30)
  
  Medium to medium-dark ruby with purplish tinges; attractive, forward, briary, jammy, cedary, ripe black cherry and black- ber...(more)
• 2003 GEYSERVILLE Golden Oldies, W. Blake Gray , San Francisco Chronicle 07-2005 , Press
  2003 Ridge Geyserville Sonoma County ($30) -- Elegant and easy to drink. Aromas of raspberry, blackberry, menthol, black pepper, black currant, licorice and earth. Flav...(more)
• 2003 GEYSERVILLE Beverley Blanning’s tips for top Zinfandel, Beverley Blanning , Wine International 05-2005 , Tasting
  Closed nose, but supple, full and voluptuous on the palate. Drink 2010-2018. Rated: 90...(more)
• 2003 GEYSERVILLE Philosopher/winemaker Paul Draper runs Ridge Vineyards with..., W. Blake Gray , San Francisco Chronicle 03-2005 , Press
  2003 Ridge Geyserville Sonoma County ($30)
  
  An elegant, easy-to-drink wine. Aromas of raspberry, blackberry, menthol, black pepper, black currant, licorice and earth....(more)
• 2002 GEYSERVILLE Ridge Vineyards, Robert Parker , Wine Advocate 02-2005 , Press
  Ridge has been a reference point winery for so many years you would think they are hundreds of years old. The fact is, their history began in 1886, when an Italian doctor purc...(more)
• 2001 GEYSERVILLE Stephen Brook's Top Zins, Stephen Brook , Decanter 09-2005 , Tasting
  Five Stars *****
  
  Rich, smoky aromas and palate, tannic and spicy, but also has a long, elegant finish....(more)
• 2001 GEYSERVILLE Zinfandel - New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 11-2003 , Tasting
  2001 Ridge, "Geyserville," Sonoma County ($30)
  
  Medium-dark purplish ruby; attractive, intense, jammy, very ripe black cherry and blackberry fruit aroma with notes of anise...(more)
• 2001 GEYSERVILLE California Zinfandels – A Very Good Vintage, Robert Parker , Wine Advocate 10-2003 , Press
  2001 Geyserville Proprietary Red -- SCORE: 91
  
  Paul Draper continues to perform brilliantly with his diverse group of Zinfandels and Zinfandel-based blends. His recent port...(more)
• 2001 GEYSERVILLE Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 06-2003 , Press
  Score 90 ~ 1 Star * RIDGE Geyserville Sonoma County 2001
  
  18% Carignane; 8% Petite Sirah. Long the Zinfandel-based wine most associated with the storied Ridge winery, "Geyse...(more)
• 2000 GEYSERVILLE International Wine Challenge 2003 , Wine International 10-2003 , Press
  ~ International Wine Challenge 2003--Other Red Grape Varieties Trophy ~
  
  RIDGE GEYSERVILLE 2000, RIDGE, GEYSERVILLE, CALIFORNIA £23.10
  
  This is a big wine with lots of de...(more)