2019 Jimsomare Zinfandel

Beautiful purple hue with aromas of black cherry, ripe plum, orange blossoms, sweet oak, vanilla wafer, wet stone and baking spices. Medium-bodied entry leads to flavors of rhubarb and Bing cherry. Well-balanced with rich and full-grained tannins, lively acidity, and a long, mouthwatering finish. TG (3/22)

The Monte Bello vineyard is known for its special micro-climate. Cooler than most other California growing regions, it is ideal for growing cabernet sauvignon, especially at higher altitudes. Since 1968, Ridge has also produced a Jimsomare Zinfandel from a small six acre parcel at the lower part of the vineyard. Here, zinfandel fully ripens with a lively acidity that brings intense fruit and rich tannins together in a wine to be enjoyed over eight to ten years. JO (3/21)

Since the late 1960s, Ridge has made small quantities of wine from this nineteenth-century vineyard. The vines were planted by Alsatian Pierre Klein, a San Francisco restaurateur. While famous for his Bordeaux-varietal wines, which won gold medals at the Paris Exposition of 1900, it was his zinfandel plantings that survived Prohibition and the Depression. In 1936, the Schwabacher family purchased Klein’s Mira Valle property, re-naming it “Jimsomare,” for James (father and son), Sophie (wife and mother), and Marie Louise (daughter). In 1966, vineyard manager Elmano Homem pruned the long-neglected vines, and brought the vineyard back to life. Ridge first harvested the zinfandel in 1968, and took over the farming of the ranch in 1996 as part of our Monte Bello Estate. We now refer to it by its original owner’s name as the Klein Ranch.

Rainfall: 50 inches (above normal)
Bloom: Late May
Weather: Rain soaked California throughout the winter. Spring rains continued until mid-May. Warm summer weather allowed the large crop to ripen evenly, resulting in an abundant, excellent harvest.

Harvest Date: 30 September
Grapes: Average Brix 24.4˚
TA: 5.30 g/L
pH: 3.50
Fermentation: Grapes were destemmed and fully crushed; fermented with a floating cap and pressed at five days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (100% four years-old).
Aging: Fourteen months in barrel

All estate grown Monte Bello Vineyard grapes, hand-harvested; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 80 ppm over the course of aging). In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Average Rating: 92.7

No. of Tasting Notes: 10

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