We tasted tonight (2/28/18) Some New Zins:

5. DryCreekVnyd Zin HeritageVines/SonomaCnty (14.5%; Vine age: 22+ yrs; 79% Zin/20% PS/1% Primitivo;
www.DryCreekVineyard.com) Healdsburg 2016
: Med.color; strong raspberry/blackberry/Zin/DCV bright/spicy light
vanilla/oak very attractive nose; lightly tart spicy/Zin/raspberry/blackberry/Zin light coconutty/vanilla/oak
smooth/balanced flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long very spicy/bright/raspberry/DCV Zin light coconutty/
Am.oak finish w/ light smooth tannins; another classic DCV Heritage Zin. $nc (SR)/$24.00
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6. Ridge Zin Heritage Oakville/NapaVlly (14.8%; 17 brls; bttld 12/2016; Drk: 8/16-now: JO; tartaric acid;
HeritageVnydProject/ZAP&UC/Davis) 2015
[/b]: Med.dark color; classic Ridge/vanilla/Am.oak rather spicy/blackberry/
Zin bit dusty attractive/interesting nose; rather soft/fat some Ridge/Am.oak/vanilla fairly strong blackberry/
Zin/raspberry bit dusty/earthy attractive flavor w/ light smooth/ripe tannins; long soft strong blackberry/
Zin/raspberry some Ridge/Am.oak slight earthy/dusty finish w/ light soft tannins; plenty of blackberry/Zin
fruit but not very structured and lacks grip. $31.50 (ATP)
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7. Ridge Zin KiteHill/YorkCreekVnyd/SpringMtnDist/NapaBlly (81% Zin/19% PS; 14.3%; 42 brls; bttld Dec 2015;
Drk: 8/15-8/21-8/22: JO; 0.5% tartaric acid addition) 2014
: Med.dark color; rather overripe Zin/raspberry/
blackberry bit fumey/EA slight pruney very light vanilla/oak nose; bit soft some overripe/pruney bit alcoholic
slight spicy/raspberry/blackberry/Zin bit simple some vanilla/Am.oak flavor w/ light bit tangy tannins;
med.long simple/raspberry/very ripe/blackberry/Zin some vanilla/oak finish w/ light tannins; bit on the
overripe & fumey side. $28.80 (ATP)
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8. Ridge Zin MillBlock/YorkCreek/SpringMtnDist (100% Zin; 14.8%; 39 brls; bttld Jan'15; Drk: 10/14-10/19-10/20: JO;
0.5% water addition, tartaric acid) 2013
: Med.dark color; strong blackberry/Zin/raspberry/spicy slightly
less overripe light smokey/vanilla/oak bit more interesting nose; somewhat soft rather raspberry/Zin/blackberry/
spicy light smokey/vanilla/Am.oak flavor w/ light tangy tannins; long spicy/raspberry/blackberry/Zin/
less overripe some vanilla/Am.oak finish w/ light tangy tannins; a bit more interesting and less overripe
but decidedly unthrilling. $27.90 (ATP)
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9. Ridge Zin Boatman SonomaCnty (96% Zin/4% PS; 14.5%; bttld 12/2015; First release; Plntd: 1980's; Jake's/
WaterTank/Wiley'sTerrace blcks; Drk: 9/15-9/20-9/21: JO; 6.5% water addition, tartaric acid; 44 brls) 2014
:
Med.dark color; strong blackberry/raspberry/Zin/fairly spicy some vanilla/Am.oak light earthy pleasant nose;
bit soft somewhat dilute/ho-hum some bhlackberry/boysenberry/Zin lightly spicy some Am.oak flavor w/ light
smooth tannins; med.long soft rather blackberry/boysemberry/Zin/lightly spicy bit earthy some Am.oak/vanilla
finish w/ light smooth tannins; lacks structure & grip; an altogether pleasant enough Ridge Zin but no more
than that. $32.00 (ATP)
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10. Ridge Zin Blasi ChalkHill/SonomaCnty (15.3%; 20 brls; > 100 yr old vines; Drk: 8/16-8/21: JO;
2.5% water addition) 2015
: Med.dark color; strong blackberry/Zin/quite spicy some dusty/OV very light vanilla/
oak rather perfumed/fragrant attractive nose; lightly tart fairly strong blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/some spicy
some dusty/OV light vanilla/Ridge oak fairly rich/lush flavor w/ light ripe tannins; very long lightly tart
rich/lish strong blackberry/Zin/boysenberry/fairly spicy some Ridge/oak bit complex finish w/ light ripe/gentle
tannins; quite an attractive Ridge Zin and better than the others above. $35.00
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11. Ridge LyttonEastHills SonomaCnty (61% Zin; 39% PS; 14.4%; 45 brls; From oldest LS vines; bttld: Jan 2016;
Drk: 10/15-10/25: JO; tartaric acid) Healdsburg 2014
: Med.dark color; strong very spicy/blackberry/Zin/boysenberry
rather dusty/OV very light vanilla/Am.oak quite spicy/bright/classic LS fairly complex nose; fairly tart rather
rich/lush/some structured very light vanilla/Ridge oak bright/blackberry/Zin/boysenberry/ripe some complex flavor
w/ modest ripe tannins; very long/lingering bright/very spicy/blackberry/Zin/boysenberry slight vanilla/oak rather
dusty/OV bit complex finish w/ modest smooth/ripe tannins; shows that classic LS/briary spiciness; not quite the
structure of the regular LS and sort of a LSJr but quite good at a very attractive price. $29.70 (ATP)
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12. Ridge Zin Carmichael SonomaCnty (88% Zin/8% PS/4% Carignane; 14.4%; 48 brls; bttld: 3/15;
Drk: 1/15-1/20-1/21:EB; tartaric acid added) Cupertino 2013
: Med.dark color; some earthy/dusty/OV strong blackberry/
Zin/boysenberry/spicy light vanilla/oak lovely complex nose; lightly tart fairly rich/lush strong blackberry/Zin/
quite spicy some dusty/OV light vanilla/smokey/oak bit complex flavor w/ light gentle tannins; very long fairly
strong blackberry/Zin/spicy some dusty/OV bit complex finish w/ light smooth tannins; quite an attractive Zin and
moving into its prime drinking window. $30.00 (ATP)
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13. Ridge Zin Carmichael AlexVlly/SonomaCnty (82% Zin/18% PS; 14.2%; 52 brls; bttld 2/2016;
Drk: 11/15-11/20-11/21:EB; tartaric acid) 2014
: Med.dark color w/ very strong very spicy/blackberry/Zin light
vanilla/Am.oak rather dusty/OV bit complex nose; lightly tart very spicy/blackberry/Zin/boysenberry some dusty/OV
light vanilla/Ridge oak bit complex flavor w/ modest smooth tannins; very long/lingering quite spicy/blackberry/
Zin/ripe/boysenberry some dusty/OV bit complex finish w/ modest smooth tannins; quite an attractive Zin; my
favorite of the Carmichaels. $32.00 (ATP)
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14. Ridge Zin Carmichael/AlexVlly/SCnty (14.1%; 87% Zin/13% PS; 53 brls; bttld Feb 2017; Submerged cap frmtn;
Drk: 12/16-12/21-12/22: EB; tartaric acid) 2015
: Dark color; some TCA/corked/musty/wet newspaper some blackberry/
Zin/spicy bit vanilla/oak nose; lightly tart some TCA/corked some blackberry/spicy/Zin flavor w/ modest brisk
tannins; pretty much robbed of character by the TCA. $33.30 (ATP)
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15. Ridge Primitivo LyttonEstate/DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (12% PS; 14.4%; 40 brls; Bttld: 2/14;
Drk: 1/14-1/18-1/19: JO; 3.8% water addition, tartaric acid) 2013
: Very dark color; very strong blackberry/Zin/
DryCreekVlly raspberry rather spicy modest Am.oak light earthy/dusty bit complex nose; slightly soft very strong
blackberry/Zin/very spicy light earthy/dusty/slight rustic some vanilla/Am.oak fairly structured very attractive
flavor w/ modest ripe/tangy tannins; very long/lingering very strong vanilla/Ridge oak some earthy/rustic bit
complex finish w/ modest ripe tannins; a very good Ridge ATP at a good price. $28.80 (ATP)
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More blatherings from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Primitivo: This Zin is from the newer LyttonWest vnyd. I had this when it first arrived and was pretty
underwhelmed. But, like some of the Ridge ATP's tend to do, it has this uncanny knack of, with some age,
of rising up and biting you on the a$$ with how good its become.
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2. DCV Heritage Zin: This is one of my go-to Zins when I want something tasty at a reasonable price. About two yrs
ago, National marked down the '13 vintage to clear it out of the warehouse. When the '14 came in, they forgot to
change their price on their WebSite. Same story when the '15 arrived. So we can buy this wine off the shelf at
Kokoman for $14/btl, $12.50 w/ case discount. A stupid/silly price.
I tried the '15 again after this tasting. It is a rather bigger/more intense blackberry Zin than this '16. So
we will get more of this from Koko. The '16 seems to be a more refined/polished Zin w/o the intensity of Zin
fruit. But I suspect it will put on weight w/ btl age and be just as good as the '15 in time.
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3. Ridge Heritage: This is a new Zin for Ridge made from grapes from the ZAP/UC-sponsored Heritage vnyd at the
UC/Davis Oakville station. When I saw John's suggestion for drinking "now", I suspected that it would not be
too thrilling a wine. It had plenty of blackberry/Zin fruit but woefully lacking in structure and grip. Sorta
like this is how BeniDusi would grow Zin in Oakville if he could. A bit disapointing.
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4. Ridge YorkCreek: Of the vnyd-designate Zins from Ridge, I've long thought the YC ones to be the least interesting.
In the past, they've been plagued by overripeness, but they've been less so in the recent past. Still, I don't
recall any YC Zin that thrilled me much.
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5. LyttonEastHills: Another new ATP for Ridge. From the oldest LS vines on the far SE part of LS where it slopes
up to the top of the hill. Not sure why this didn't make the cut for the regular LS Zin, but quite good on its
own right. Easily the best of these ATP wines.
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6. Carmichael: The '13 was, I believe, the first Ridge Carmichael. It was a pretty stunning wine on release and
sold out fast. Mary, bless her heart, managed to find me another case unspoken for up at the LS wnry. They
don't quite rise to the level of the best Ridge Zins, but seem reliably good.
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7. Ridge ATP: There have been some complaints about the Ridge ATP program over the yrs and many people have
dropped out of ATP. These are supposed to be special "small" (if you call 1,000 cs "small") lots of Ridge
(mostly) Zins that don't (or seldom) make it into National distribution. I typically find them a step above the
3Vllys/EastBench Zins but not nearly the level of their flagship Zins (Pagani/LS/Geyserville. If I would fault
the ATP Zins it would be that they're not significantly distinct one from the other. But I continue my ATP
because I like the Rhones and, occasionally, they'll hit one out of the park. The ATP's tend to be a bit
unthrilling at release but sometimes will rise up and bite you on the a$$ w/ how good they've become w/
bottle age. And they are, after all, Ridge. Some of us can't get enough of the Ridge experience. But if
you stick to the flagship Zins (LS/Geyserville/Pagani), you can get the best of the Ridge experience. And,
I grudgingly admit, their ATP Caarignanes have been getting better. But I sure pine for the days of the
Fiddletown and Occidental Zins.
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8. The new Z-List and the HookerCreek/Bedrock will be coming in in a few weeks to try.
Tom