2024 East Bench Zinfandel

Bright strawberry, clove and vanilla aromas. Mouth-coating tannins with medium plus acidity. Raspberry, sage, chocolate and black olive flavors give way to a long finish. SR (12/25)

This twenty-five-year-old zinfandel site set a generous crop. Abundant winter rain, followed by warm, consistent conditions, assisted in rejuvenating the vines. The vineyard’s increasing age now confers deep fruit flavors, intense depth and complexity on the wine. An excellent example of both varietal and site, this classic Zinfandel will be at its best over the next seven years. SR (11/25)

Ridge has made the East Bench as a single-vineyard wine since 2006, one of the few Ridge Zinfandels that is 100% Zinfandel. The vineyard sits high atop the benchland that overlooks Dry Creek Valley from the east.

Rainfall: 45.6 inches (above average)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A cool start to the season. From early June on, the weather was warm to hot, leading to a condensed harvest.

Harvest Dates: 29 August – 3 September
Grapes: Average Brix 24.9˚
TA: 7.36 g/L
pH: 3.69
Fermentation: Natural primary and natural secondary (malolactic) fermentations
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (19% new, 9% one year old, 8% two years old, 66% five-plus years old).
Aging: Fourteen months in barrel

Hand-harvested; estate-grown organic grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the indigenous yeast, followed by a full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 156 ppm during aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

OwenBargreen.com: 95 Points “100% varietal, the outstanding 2024 ‘East Bench’ offers molten chocolate, tar and briar notes on the nose alongside suggestions of tobacco leaf. The palate is dense and delicious with a refined mouthfeel and great sense of weight and tension, loaded with salty nuances. Complex and delicious, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2026-2036.” -Owen Bargreen (March 2026)

JamesSuckling.com: 94 Points “A hefty, deep and fruity wine that’s full-bodied and moderately tannic, offering floral, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry aromas with a slightly chewy texture and a lingering finish. From a Ridge-owned property near its Lytton Springs winery. Drink now.” -Jim Gordon (March 2026)

Wine Spectator: 93 Points “Expressive and zesty, with lively flavors of raspberry and plum laced with briar patch, savory anise and white pepper notes that build richness and tension on the finish. Drink now through 2035.” -Tim Fish (March 2026)

Zinfandel Chronicles: 92 Points “Purple in color. Stunning nose of black fruits, anise, baking spices and flowers. Full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Big and lush with notable tannins. Black cherry, blackberry, plums and white pepper on the palate. The finish is long and supple. The savory side of Dry Creek Zinfandel. This is a keeper. Best over the next 5-7 years. ” -Tom Lee (February 2026)

Wilfred Wong: 92 Points “The 2024 Ridge East Bench Zinfandel shows a deep ruby, purple hue with aromas of dried spices and a hint of oak; medium- to full-bodied, dense and packed on the palate; dry, with balanced acidity and very good overall balance; ripe berry flavors show depth and concentration; finishing with an active, energetic edge. Paired with a simply grilled New York strip, the wine’s firm structure and spice notes align beautifully with the steak’s salt-and-pepper crust and charred exterior, while the juicy, medium-rare texture softens the wine’s density, creating a clean, focused, and deeply satisfying combination. (Best Served: 2026-2030)” -Wilfred Wong (March 2026)