Paso Robles

On a grape-seeking mission in 1967, Ridge founder Dave Bennion found Benito Dusi's meticulously-maintained old head-pruned zinfandel vineyard on the east side of Highway 101 in Paso Robles. The unbroken series of Paso Robles wines begins in 1976, and has attracted not a few hard-core fans. A typical Ridge Paso Robles is ripe, medium- to full-bodied, with a burst of cherry/berry/plum fruit, characteristic pepper/fennel/wild thyme spice, some clay/earth notes, best drunk youngish. But "typical" can't begin to tell the whole story. It's the year-to-year variations — sometimes surprising, always appealing. The 1997 Late Picked: Large, for sure, but supple and symmetrical. The delightful 1995, elegant by comparison. And the "essences" of '78 (10.5% R.S.) and '93 (17.2% R.S.): beautifully-made, concentrated, acid lending complexity to the rich, sweet fruit.