2022 East Bench Zinfandel

Strawberry, dark chocolate and garrigue on the nose. Well-coated tannins, present acidity and structure with notes of blackberry, cherry, black olive and cigar box. Classic Dry Creek zinfandel. SR (1/24)

In iron-rich soil atop the benchland overlooking Dry Creek Valley, this vineyard is planted solely to zinfandel. For the third year in a row, the vines set a smaller crop and ripened quickly. Blocks 2 and 7 were ready first on August 19. The six remaining blocks were picked by August 23. An excellent example of both varietal and site, this classic zinfandel will be at its best over the next ten years. SR (9/23)

Ridge has made the East Bench as a single vineyard since 2006, one of the few Ridge zinfandels that is 100% zinfandel. The vineyard sits high atop the bench land that overlooks Dry Creek Valley from the east.

Rainfall: 20 inches (below average)
Bloom: Mid May
Weather: 2022 was the third year of drought. Thankfully, we received spring rains that helped the vines. These same rains caused shatter in our zinfandel, reducing their crop. Two heat spells pushed the vines to another early harvest.

Harvest Dates: 19 – 23 August
Grapes: Average Brix 23.5˚
TA: 7.39 g/L
pH: 3.64
Fermentation: Natural primary and natural secondary (malolactic) fermentations.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (19% new, 9% one year old, 8% two years old, and 64% five plus years old).
Aging: Fourteen months in barrel

Hand-harvested; estate-grown organic grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the indigenous yeast, followed by a full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 90 ppm during aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

JamesSuckling.com: 94 Points “Made from estate-grown grapes growing next to the winery, this is 100% zinfandel. Full bodied, firmly tannic and structured for further aging. So concentrated, mouth-filling and delicious, with blackberry, black cherry and sage-like accents. Drink or hold.” -Jim Gordon (May 2024)

JebDunnuck.com: 93 Points “Red, blue, and black fruits, flowery incense, leather, and subtle peppery, underbrush, and cedary notes all shine in the 2022 Zinfandel East Bench, a beautifully textured, medium-bodied, ripe, balanced Zinfandel.” -Jeb Dunnuck (August 2024)

Zinfandel Chronicles: 93 Points “Bright crimson in color. 14.9% ABV. 100% Zinfandel from Funsten Ranch in the Dry Creek Valley. Stunning nose of red fruits, roasted herbs and flowers. Medium body with ample acidity. Loaded with bright fruits. Well balanced. Cherries, strawberry and white pepper on the palate. Nice length on the finish. One of the better Zins from Dry Creek. Best over the next 3-5 years.” -Tom Lee (March 2024)

The Wine Advocate: 93 Points “The 2022 Zinfandel East Bench comes from vines planted in 1999–2000. It has open-knit aromas of mixed berry jam, grilled peaches, dried flowers and earth. The palate offers layer after layer of spicy, floral fruit. It’s structured by finely astringent tannins and bursts of mouthwatering acidity and has a long, detailed finish. It will be long lived in bottle.” -Erin Brooks (September 2024)

Wine Enthusiast: 92 Points “Bright raspberry and cherry liqueur aromas dominate the nose of this vibrantly colored Zin. The palate shows plenty of richness and depth, with some tangy acidity to balance the grip of the tannic structure. Drink with barbecued ribs or pulled pork.” -Tom Capo (June 2024)

Vinous Media: 92 Points “Sourced from Funsten Ranch in the Dry Creek Valley, the 2022 Zinfandel East Bench is a big, purple monster with a sour citrus base and a bouquet of lifted florals. There’s exuberance and concentration here, but also quite a bit of focus. You’d never guess that this clocks in at 14.9% alcohol, as the depth of fruit soaks it right up. The fine tannins are almost chewy, and the finish is long and broad. Well done.” -Billy Norris (October 2024)

JancisRobinson.com: 17+ Points (out of 20) “Medium verging on deep purple in colour. Crushed stones and black-cherry juice onthe nose and palate. Rocky gum-climbing tannin more evident than any other Zinfandel in Ridge’s 2022 line-up. Fresh acidity drives straight through the finish. One to age. Drink 2026 – 2036.” -Samantha Cole-Johnson (December 2024)

Average Rating: 90.1

No. of Tasting Notes: 9

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