1977 Fiddletown Zinfandel

We have always felt that the lower the yield and the smaller the berry size, the more intense and interesting the wine. However, in the second year of the drought these old vines dropped 70% from their typical yield of two tons per acre and we learned that there are limits beyond which further stress has no positive effect. The wine is quite tannic and needs several years of bottle age to show its elegant claret qualities. PD(3/79)

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.