2000 Buchignani Zinfandel

As in 1999, these old vines set a modest crop. Just before harvest, several very warm days pushed ripeness, adding intense berry flavors to the fruit’s spiciness. For elegance and bright acidity, we included a significant percentage of equally-old Buchignani carignane. Fermented without inoculation on the naturally-occurring yeast, the juice was pumped over a floating cap of grapes until reaching dryness. Secondary fermentation was also natural. For aging, twenty percent of the wine was racked to new and two-year-old air-dried Ozark oak. The rest aged in six-year-old barrels of Minnesota oak. This lovely wine is rich and ripe, yet beautifully balanced and well defined. Delicious now, it will be at its best over the next five years.

Since 1962, Ridge has championed single-vineyard winemaking, searching California for those rare sites where climate, soil, and varietal are ideally matched. Our aim is to guide the natural process; using traditional methods, we strive to produce exceptional wines from distinctive fruit.

Average Rating: 86.1

No. of Tasting Notes: 9

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