2001 Del Carlo Zinfandel

In this vintage, we started working with Ray Teldeschi, one of Dry Creek’s best-known—and best—growers. Ray’s grandfather, Alberto Del Carlo, came to California in 1907 from near Lucca, Italy. Within a year he bought what is now the Del Carlo Ranch—twenty-two acres with vineyard and winery on West Dry Creek Road. Ray farmed the ranch with his father and brother after Alberto’s death, and took sole responsibility in 1995. In 2001, the fruit matured by late September. During fermentation, color and tannins were rapidly extracted. We aged twenty percent of the wine in new or near-new american oak, and the remainder in similar well-tempered barrels. This lovely, structured Zinfandel, with its black, briary fruit, will benefit from a year or two of bottle age, and be at its best over the next five to seven 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 and minimal handling, we strive to produce exceptional wines from distinctive fruit.

Average Rating: 89.4

No. of Tasting Notes: 13

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