Expect ripe blackberry, raspberry jam, black pepper, sweet baking spice, and a brambly note with full body, moderate tannins, and a touch of warmth from alcohol. Ridge's signature use of air-dried American oak adds a savory, dill-tinged frame rather than overt sweetness.
- Varietal
- Zinfandel (100%)
- Region
- USA / California / Paso Robles
- Body
- Full
- Style
- dry red, bold, fruit-forward, old-vine, American oak-aged
The producer
Ridge Vineyards, headquartered in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is one of California's most respected producers and a long-time advocate of single-vineyard, minimal-intervention winemaking. The Dusi Ranch in Paso Robles is a historic old-vine Zinfandel site (vines dating to the 1920s) that Ridge has bottled as a single-vineyard wine for decades.
What critics say
Ridge's single-vineyard Zinfandels are consistently among the most critically respected in California, with Dusi typically scoring in the low- to mid-90s.
Pairing
Lamb burger, pulled pork, grilled lamb sausages