2024 Paso Robles Zinfandel

Plush, rich expression with a nose of dark Morello cherry and strawberry jam. The palate shows generous fruit density with well-incorporated acidity and tannin, carrying into a juicy mid-palate of ripe blackberry and a lingering, vibrant finish. LL (12/25)

Despite delayed budbreak, sustained summer heat quickly ripened the grapes for a late August harvest. Natural yeast fermentations completed within seven days. After pressing, the wine began malolactic in tank but was then sent to barrel to finish. Aging in twenty percent new American oak adds spice to the abundant fruit. Sensuous and immediately pproachable, this classic Paso Robles Zinfandel can be enjoyed over the next six to seven years. JO (10/25)

Benito Dusi’s Ranch is the only zinfandel vineyard that Ridge sources from within the Central Coast Viticultural Area. The 1967 vintage was our first wine from the Dusi Ranch. It was planted to zinfandel in 1922 which is unusual because Prohibition had started two years earlier. Purchased by Sylvester and Catarina Dusi in 1924, the property has been farmed since the 1940s by their son Benito, the owner. Benito passed away in 2019, leaving the care of the vineyard to his nephew, Mike.

Rainfall: 17 inches (normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A cool start to the season. From early June on, the weather was warm to hot, leading to a condensed harvest.

Harvest Dates: 4 – 6 September
Grapes: Average Brix 25.1˚
TA: 5.0 g/L
pH: 3.57
Fermentation: 100% natural primary and secondary fermentation.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (15% new, 20% one year old, and 65% four and five years old).
Aging: Twelve months in barrel

Benito Dusi 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, 236 ppm over the course of aging). Pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

OwenBargreen.com: 95 Points “Sourced from the Benito Dusi Ranch, the 2024 ‘Paso Robles’ Zinfandel offers sweet sandalwood and loganberry notes on the nose alongside suggestions of coffee grounds. The palate is plush and rich with terrific toffee and roasted fig notes alongside serious tension on the palate. Delicious now, enjoy over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2026-2036.” -Owen Bargreen (March 2026)

Vinous Media: 93 Points “The 2024 Zinfandel Paso Robles leads the charge with a rich, oak-driven personality, but it’s impressively fresh and bright for such a broad-shouldered wine. Milk chocolate, wild blueberries, fresh orange zest and pretty violet tones sizzle through the long finish, leaving behind a nip of cocoa powder tannin to pull it all together.” -Billy Norris (January 2026)

See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.