1976 Fiddletown Zinfandel

The drought cut down the size of the crop on these old vines and we picked the grapes early to attempt the elegant claret style of the 1975. The grape tannin and the oak are quite evident but the fruit typical of the region comes through. This fine wine should be laid down for at least two years to show well and probably needs four or five years to develop fully. PD(1/78)

Ridge wine is made with an emphasis on quality and naturalness that is rarely attempted. Our grapes are grown in select vineyards (usually identified on the label), where they are left to ripen to peak maturity, often at some loss of quantity. We let the wine settle and age in small barrels, with only rare cellar treatment other than racking. Varieties are not blended unless indicated on the label. Near Black Mountain on Monte Bello Ridge, our main vineyard is 10 miles south of Palo Alto, 15 miles inland from the ocean, and over 2000 feet in elevation.