2009 york creek

Varietal Information

bottled January 2010
93% zinfandel, 7% petite sirah
15.3% alcohol by volume

History

York Creek Vineyard, situated high on Spring Mountain, overlooks St. Helena and the Napa Valley from the west. Ridge came here in 1971 for the old-vine petite sirah. We first harvested York Creek zinfandel in 1975, and have made it in every vintage since.

Vintage

Harvest Dates: 21 - 26 September
Grapes: Average Brix 27.1 degrees
Fermentation: No inoculation; natural primary and secondary. Pressed at nine days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (20% new, 30% one and two years old, and 35% four and five years old)
Aging: Twelve months in barrel

Growing Season

Rainfall: Thirty-four inches (below normal)
Bloom: Late May
Weather: A dry winter saved by spring rains and a warm, dry summer.

Winemaking

York Creek Vineyard grapes, hand harvested. Destemmed and crushed. Fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria. 3 grams/liter tartaric acid and a total of 2 percent rehydration added to two particularly ripe parcels during fermentation. Minimum effective sulfur added (35 ppm at crush, 232 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.

• 2007 YORK CREEK Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 01-2010 , Tasting
  2007 RIDGE York Creek Napa Valley
  
  SCORE: 88 *
  
  22% Petite Sirah. Almost old-fashioned in its zesty combination of ripe berries, dried vanilla, hints of the...(more)
• 2006 YORK CREEK Zinfandel year's best, Joshua Greene , Wine & Spirits 02-2009 , Tasting
  SCORE: 93
  
  2006 Napa Valley York Creek Zinfandel As saturated with fruit as this may be when first poured, it gains with air as the potent structural elements...(more)
• 2006 YORK CREEK Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 01-2009 , Tasting
  RIDGE VINEYARDS York Creek Napa Valley 2006
  
  SCORE: 86
  
  While it is not wanting for richness or size, this weighty effort finds itself on the late-harvest...(more)
• 2006 ZINFANDEL YORK CREEK California's Central Coast, Stephen Tanzer , International Wine Cellar 11-2008 , Tasting
  2006 Zinfandel York Creek (includes 1% petite sirah): Deep ruby with a bright rim. Raspberry, cherry and cinnamon on the nose. Brighter than the Paso Robles bottling, with ner...(more)
• 2005 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL - More New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 08-2007 , Tasting
  2005 Ridge, "York Creek," Napa Valley – Medium to medium-dark ruby; closed-in, tight, toasty, brambly, red berry fruit aroma with notes of vanilla and coffee; full body...(more)
• 2004 YORK CREEK Lining up some fine Ridge wines, Patrick Comiskey , Los Angeles Times 06-2007 , Tasting
  2004 Ridge York Creek Zinfandel. A mountain wine in every way, this wine from Spring Mountain, a Napa County site, has a powerful deep dark chipped earth minerality, wi...(more)
• 2004 YORK CREEK Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 01-2007 , Tasting
  RIDGE VINEYARDS Zinfandel York Creek Napa Valley 2004
  
  SCORE: * 89
  
  13% Petite Sirah. Ripe in tone without suggesting dried grapes or high alcohol and f...(more)
• 2004 YORK CREEK Zinfandel - New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 10-2006 , Tasting
  2004 Ridge, "York Creek," Napa Valley ($28) -- Medium to medium-dark ruby; attractive, intense, spicy, earthy, peppery, brambly, plummy, ripe blackberry and blueberry...(more)
• 2003 YORK CREEK Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 01-2006 , Tasting
  RIDGE York Creek Napa Valley 2003
  
  16% Petite Sirah. While it is by no means a failed wine and, in fact, one that carries a fair measure of varietal fruit and briary...(more)
• 2003 YORK CREEK Zinfandel - New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 10-2005 , Tasting
  2003 Ridge, "York Creek," Napa Valley ($28)
  
  Medium-dark ruby; attractive, initially somewhat closed-in, spicy, ripe raspberry and blackberry fruit aroma; full body; big, fo...(more)
• 2001 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL - Late Picked New Releases From California, Stephen Tanzer , International Wine Cellar 02-2004 , Press
  2001 Late Picked Zinfandel York Creek California ($28; with 20% petite sirah and 2% carignane; 15.9% alcohol): Bright ruby-red. Deeply pitched but fruity aromas of curr...(more)
• 2001 York Creek Zinfandel Late-Picked Zinfandel - New Releases, Nicholas Ponomareff , California Grapevine 11-2003 , Tasting
  2001 Ridge, "York Creek, Late Picked," Napa Valley ($28)
  
  Medium-dark ruby; big, intense, cedary, slightly volatile, very jammy red currant and red berry fruit aroma; full b...(more)
• 2001 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL - Late Picked California Zinfandels – A Very Good Vintage, Robert Parker , Wine Advocate 10-2003 , Press
  2001 Zinfandel York Creek -- SCORE: 91
  
  Paul Draper continues to perform brilliantly with his diverse group of Zinfandels and Zinfandel-based blends. His recent portfolio d...(more)
• 2001 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL - Late Picked Zinfandel, Charles E. Olken , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 09-2003 , Press
  RIDGE Late Picked York Creek Napa Valley 2001
  
  20% Petite Sirah; 2% Carignane. Making good on its claims of being late picked, this cooked and raisiny wine walks a fine lin...(more)
• 2000 YORK CREEK PETITE SIRAH Petite Sirah - More New Releases, Nick Ponomareff , California Grapevine 08-2003 , Press
  2000 Ridge, "York Creek," Napa Valley ($24) --- Medium-dark to dark ruby; attractive, intense, spicy, peppery, cedary, blackberry and sweet loganberry fruit aroma that develo...(more)
• 2000 YORK CREEK - Late Picked Shoppers' Guide to California Wine , Quarterly Review Of Wines 06-2003 , Press
  2000 RIDGE ZINFANDEL YORK CREEK LATE PICKED, $28.
  Medium-deep ruby color; rich, roasted, wild berry nose; plum and nutty oak flavors. 3 Stars * * *...(more)
• 2000 YORK CREEK - Late Picked California Zinfandel , Quarterly Review Of Wines 06-2003 , Press
  2000 RIDGE ZINFANDEL YORK CREEK LATE-PICKED (CALIFORNIA), $28. Three Star ***
  
  Medium-deep ruby color; rich, roasted, wild berry nose; plum and nutty oak flavors....(more)
• 2000 YORK CREEK - Late Picked , Nick Ponomareff , California Grapevine 10-2002 , Tasting
  2000 Ridge, "York Creek, Late Picked," Napa Valley ($27.50)
  Medium-dark ruby; smoky, cedary, briary, tarrish, herbaceous, berry fruit aroma with a hint of VA; full body; big,...(more)
• 1999 PETITE SIRAH YORK CREEK American New Releases, Joshua Greene , Wine & Spirits 12-2002 , Press
  1999 California York Creek Petite Sirah --- Score 91 Ö $24
  The color is blue-black and luminous, the flavor is bursting with fruit. Take a sip of this tense and fragrant wine...(more)
• 1999 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL Guide to California Wine , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 01-2002 , Press
  RIDGE Late Picked York Creek 1999 Napa Valley. Nothing less than an old-fashioned throwback to the late-harvest Zinfandels of the 1970s, this immense, syrupy, impossibly ripe ...(more)
• 1999 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL , Nick Ponomareff , California Grapevine 11-2001 , Press
  1999 Ridge, York Creek, Late Picked, Napa Valley ($27.50) - Medium-dark, purplish ruby; intense, jammy, slightly raisiny, very ripe berry fruit aroma with a note of volatile a...(more)
• 1999 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL , Nick Ponomareff , California Grapevine 11-2001 , Press
  1999 Ridge, York Creek, Late Picked, Napa Valley ($27.50) - Medium-dark, purplish ruby; intense, jammy, slightly raisiny, very ripe berry fruit aroma with a note of volatile a...(more)
• 1998 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL Current Tasting Notes , The Insiders' Wine Line 01-2001 , Press
  The 1998 Zinfandel, “York Creek, Napa Valley (88% Zin, 12% Petite Sirah) has a perfumed nose of plums, blackberry, cassis, spicy, earthy and floral highlights. The flavo...(more)
• 1998 YORK CREEK PETITE SIRAH Zinfandel , Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 01-2001 , Press
  12% Petite Sirah. A hint of fuminess and a slightly chary suggestion limit the wholesale enjoyment of this otherwise ripe and solidly built youngster. Time should bring better...(more)
• 1998 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL Zinfandel, Joshua Greene , Wine & Spirits 10-2000 , Press
  Ridge 1998 Napa Valley York Creek Zinfandel

  The dark and savory black fruit of this zin has a plump, light texture and a clean freshness. It’s an easy and satis...(more)

• 1998 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL Zinfandel, Nick Ponomareff , California Grapevine 08-2000 , Press
  Medium-dark ruby; forward, rich, jammy, plummy, briary, earthy, berry fruit aroma with a slight raisiny component; medium-full to full body; big, rough, briary, ripe berry fru...(more)
• 1998 YORK CREEK PETITE SIRAH , The Insiders' Wine Line , Press
  The 1998 Petite Sirah, “York Creek”, Spring Mountain-Napa Valley (94% Petite Sirah, 6% Zin) has aromas of blackberries, blueberries, pepper, mint, violets, coffee ...(more)
• 1997 YORK CREEK PETITE SIRAH Focus on California, Stephen Tanzer , International Wine Cellar 05-2000 , Press
  1997 Petite Sirah York Creek Spring Mountain: Good medium ruby. Cherry, dark chocolate and smoky oak on the nose; also hints at a roasted, port-like quality. Plump and ripe bu...(more)
• 1997 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL The Best New Releases from California, Stephen Tanzer , International Wine Cellar 11-1999 , Press
  1997 Zinfandel York Creek California (15.3% alcohol; includes 5% petite sirah): Good deep red-ruby. Cassis, bitter chocolate, nutmeg and fresh herbs on the bright nose. Concen...(more)
• 1997 YORK CREEK ZINFANDEL Red Wines/California, Claude Kolm , Fine Wine Review 09-1999 , Press
  The York Creek Zinfandel is very deep and rich with plum and some fig fruit, and fine length....(more)