2005 Sullivan Zinfandel

This is the first time we have made Bill Sullivan’s grapes into a separate wine; in the past, they have been included in our Three Valleys Zinfandel. In 2005, their quality merited a separate bottling. The vines grow atop a knoll adjacent to the front petite sirah block at Lytton West. Given its proximity to our vineyard and the fact that it is farmed identically, we were interested to see if the wine’s character would match that of Lytton Springs. We soon found that the Sullivan fruit made quite a different wine–softer, less structured, yet with strong, distinctive fruit. These qualities–particularly appealing in 2005–have provided a delightful, approachable zinfandel that will be at its best over the next three to five years.

Since 1962, Ridge has championed single-vineyard winemaking, exploring California in search of those rate 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: 89.4

No. of Tasting Notes: 40

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