2021 Jimsomare Zinfandel

Aromas of red plum, black cherry, cola, and white peach with earthy undertones. Bold fruit at entry with a medium body. Flavors of lychee, cantaloupe, and baking spices. Full and structured mid-palate tannins that evolve into a long and lingering finish. TG (1/23)

This dry growing season began with a chilly winter followed by a warm spring and mild summer. Despite water stress, the conditions led to a typical mid-September harvest. This lower block on Monte Bello with its unique micro-climate, produced an exceptional zinfandel. Barrel-aged for sixteen months, this alluring wine is balanced with bold fruit, rich tannins, and lively acidity. It will develop fully over the next twelve to fifteen years. TG (1/23)

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, renaming 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: 14 inches (30% of normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A dry winter and spring stressed the vines, limiting yields and concentrating flavors. Harvest was early, accelerated by a heat wave in early September. For the first time in our 50+ year history we finished our Monte Bello harvest before Lytton Springs.

Harvest Dates: 18 September
Grapes: Average Brix 22.2˚
TA: 8.0 g/L
pH: 3.63
Fermentation: Grapes were destemmed and fully crushed; fermented with a floating cap.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (17% new and 83% three years old).
Aging: Sixteen 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, 77 ppm over the course of aging). In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

WineSpeed: 95 Points “Ridge is known for making the complex, beautiful, structured side of Zinfandel. And they make many of them – vineyard-designated Zins from special and often old plots of grapes. Of all of their recent releases, this “Jimsomare” was especially stunning. It’s inky and intense, riding on waves of incense and spices. Loads of black licorice and black plums. And best of all, it’s so fresh, it seems actually cooling on the palate. Most important of all, this Zinfandel is massively delicious and very long.” -Karen MacNeil (September 2024)

Zinfandel Chronicles: 94 Points “Bright red in color. 13.9% ABV. 100% Zinfandel from the Monte Bello Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Pretty nose of red fruits, roasted herbs and flowers. Medium body with perfect acidity. Light, Claret style Zinfandel with rustic fruits. Black cherry, wild strawberries, tobacco and earth on the palate. Nice length on the finish. Beautiful Zinfandel from a cool climate vineyard. Best over the next 3-5 years.” -Tom Lee (March 2024)

Robert Parker Wine Advocate: 93+ Points “The lively 2021 Zinfandel Jimsomare is perfumed and lifted on the nose with boysenberry, bramble, peach skin and hoisin aromas. The palate is equal parts plush and spry, lined with lip-smacking acidity and detailed, chalky tannins on the finish. At 13.9% alcohol, this is a bright, energetic bottling of Jimsomare that should be a delight to follow into the next decade and beyond.” -Matthew Luczy (April 2024)

Wine Enthusiast: 93 Points + Editor’s Choice “From a very old, some say 19th century vineyard, this bottling reflects the wild hillsides where it grows, showing aromas of sagebrush, chaparral, oregano and bay leaf alongside the blackberry core. The palate balances charred black cherry, coffee bean, herb and licorice flavors.” -Matt Kettmann (June 2024)

Vinous Media: 93 Points “Hailing entirely from the Monte Bello estate, the 2021 Zinfandel Jimsomare is a rustic, old-school interpretation of Zinfandel, hearkening back to another era. Soft and supple, it’s laden with exotic spice, underbrush, pine needles, damp leaves and blood orange, building berry fruit concentration and sour lemon acidity as it opens in the glass. Juicy, vivid and chalky, this one feels alive.”
-Billy Norris (October 2024)

Jeb Dunnuck: 90+ Points “The 2021 Zinfandel Jimsomare comes from the Santa Cruz Mountains (Monte Bello Vineyard) and is 100% Zinfandel. It’s classic stuff, with lots of red plum, mulberry, sweet cigar, cedary spice, and candied flower/incense-like notes as well as medium-bodied richness and depth on the palate. It’s a juicy, elegant, nicely balanced Zinfandel to drink over the coming decade, and this is one where I wouldn’t be surprised to see it evolve even longer given its bright acidity and terrific balance. ” -Jeb Dunnuck (August 2024)

Average Rating: 90.9

No. of Tasting Notes: 12

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