New Reviews from Owen Bargreen

OwenBargreen.com

June 2025

Owen Bargreen recently published new reviews for several of our new releases, including 95+ point scores for eight different wines. Bargreen is the founder of OwenBargreen.com and has been writing about wine for more than ten years, having reviewed thousands of wines from around the world for publications such as Vinous and Decanter.

Among his favorites were the new vintages of Lytton Estate Rosé and Benito Dusi Zinfandel: “Check out the outstanding new 2024 Ridge ‘Lytton Estate’ Rose, which is tension-filled and bright with beaming acidity. I love the 2023 Ridge ‘Benito Dusi’ Zinfandel which is downright seamless throughout the drinking experience.” Read on to see his reviews for all fourteen new releases.

2023 Pagani Norma’s Block Zinfandel | 96 points

“A stunning wine and a truly novel blend, the 2022 Ridge ‘Pagani Ranch Norma’s Block’ Zinfandel has 10% Petite Sirah and 14% Alicante Bouschet blended in. It is lively, with serious verve once on the mouth, with a refined mouthfeel. Gorgeous red and dark fruits parade with dark chocolate shavings, graphite and soft tannins that frame this beauty. A total stunner, this is the finest edition of this wine that I have yet savored.”

2023 Evangelho | 96 points

“A dense and delightful new bottling coming from the Costa County, the 2023 ‘Evangelho’ is mostly Carignane with a good portion of Zinfandel and Mataro blended in. Green herbs combine with wet stone, Cuban cigar and shades of wild blackberry on the nose. The palate is powerful and concentrated with a great acid backbone and loads of exotic spice nuance. Great now, watch this develop over the next ten plus years.”

2023 Benito Dusi Zinfandel | 96 points

“The 2023 ‘Benito Dusi’ Zinfandel comes from these ancient vines which are over 100 years of age. On the nose this takes on smoky accents that meld well with red currants and wild blackberry. This is marvelously concentrated on the palate with gorgeous black fruits, Satsuma orange zest, tilled earth and chocolate tones that mingle well with salty and stony soils, with hints of diatomaceous earth.”

2023 Blasi Zinfandel | 96 points

“The 2023 ‘Blasi’ Zinfandel unlike the ’22 edition does not have any Petite Sirah blended in. Coming from the Chalk Hill AVA, fresh sage and dark fruits mark the nose alongside white pepper and orange zest on the nose. The palate has amazing concentration and finesse with good salty nuances. Cardamom and exotic spices fill the palate alongside a glorious melange of red and dark fruits on the palate. This is nothing short of a stunning edition of this wine that is wonderfully smooth throughout the drinking experience. Enjoy now and over the next ten-plus years.”

2023 Green & Red Zinfandel | 95 points

“The 2023 ‘Green & Red’ Zinfandel has a touch of Petite Sirah blended in. Coming from the Napa Valley, this opens with red plum and allspice dusted red currants with chocolate and green herb notes. The palate is big, round and generous with serious texture and good underlying verve, alongside salty nuances. Great now, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten-plus years.”

2023 Ponzo Zinfandel | 95 points

“The 2023 ‘Ponzo’ is nearly all Zinfandel from the Russian River Valley. It is dense and chewy stuff, as refined tannins meld well with a glorious core of dark fruits and chocolate tones, with coffee grounds, freshly tilled loamy soils and shades of cardamom all combine on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, with great freshness, enjoy now and over the next ten to fifteen years to come.”

2023 Sandy Lane Carignane | 95 points

“100% varietal, the 2023 Ridge ‘Sandy Lane’ Carignane shows off pipe tobacco and loamy soil character on the nose alongside wet gravel and shades of black licorice. The palate is fresh and highly approachable with a seamless texture and beautiful amalgamation of red and dark fruits with tobacco and milk chocolate accents.”

2023 St. Peter’s Church Zinfandel | 95 points

“The 2023 ‘St. Peter’s Church’ Zinfandel has 5% Petite Sirah blended in. Sourced from this location in Sonoma set on clay and loamy soils, this has terrific tension and brightness once on the mouth. A hedonistic melange of red and dark fruits combine with salty soils, tobacco leaf, kumquat zest and shades of bramble on the palate. Really good now, enjoy over the next ten plus years.”