Wow, just when you think you’ve seen it all from ZAP, along comes another one you just didn’t see coming! To borrow a line from the very great Ralph Kramden …
POW! Right in the kisser ...
Or, to borrow a great colloquialism I picked up whilst living in rural Ireland, I was GOBSMACKED to find out that I’d been auctioned off at ZAP! And for no small amount either!
Actually, it’s not me per se, it was our Wine Blogger’s Tastings, which I host.
Anyhow, being the arch supporters of ZAP that we are, we wanted to offer something special to the auction; here’s how the lot read:
Live/Super-Silent Auction Lot(s): Ridge Wine Blogger For A Day Invitation for one person plus one guest to attend one of Ridge’s exclusive wine blogger tastings to be held in 2011. These private tastings are held in an intimate setting at either Ridge’s Lytton Springs or Monte Bello facilities and regularly include leading internet wine bloggers. The tasting is conducted by Christopher Watkins, Ridge Tasting Room Manager and host of “4488: A Ridge Blog.” You will receive a unique “behind the scenes” experience that you can chronicle in your own blog, or as a guest writer for the Ridge blog. You will also receive two Paul Draper signed magnums of 2008 Lytton Springs Zinfandel, two signed magnums of 2008 Geyserville Zinfandel, plus a case of assorted Ridge Zinfandels.
And as noted above, I’m happy to report that not only did the lot sell, but it went for well above the listed “fair market value!”
But really, none of that matters compared to the best lil’ piece of gossip I picked up (I say gossip because I wasn’t actually there, but got the story from an “insider” …); as you may know, the now very famous and very successful Nadia G (host of Bitchin’ Kitchin’) was the headliner/host of this year’s ZAP festival, and as part of her hosting duties, she was asked to introduce one of the lots at the auction. She apparently requested a list of all the items to be auctioned, as she wanted to make the selection herself. And what item do you think she chose??? Can you guess? Huh? Huh?
So much still to come from this weekend’s ZAP festival, but suffice it to say (as I begin with the ending!) that leaving ZAP was a bit of an uphill journey!
Ok, so here is the list of the wines that Eric and I tasted:
2009 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville (barrel sample)
2009 Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch (barrel sample)
2008 Ridge Vineyards Carmichael Ranch (in bottle, winery-only offering, pre-release)
2008 Ridge Vineyards Buchignani Ranch (in bottle, winery-only offering, pre-release)
2006 Mazzoni Home Ranch (current release, winery-only)
2009 Ridge Vineyards Paso Robles (in bottle, pre-release)
2007 Ridge Vineyards Old School (in bottle, winery-only offering, pre-release)
And here are some tasting notes! Hopefully, you’ll get to taste these at ZAP, and we can compare! I’ll be at the Ridge table Saturday afternoon, so don’t hesitate to say hello!
2009 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville (barrel sample)
Quite high-toned color, with a light, fresh, buoyant nose expressing lovely perfume and florality; very pretty! … Seamlessly structured, not a bump in the road; no bite, no aggress, no discordance, no nothing, just perfectly structured … fascinating hints of sweet baked apple pie, with the requisite sampling of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other such spices … the high tone aspects continue into the palate as well; lot of bright cherry notes coming through … the late assemblage MO that Eric employed has paid off handsomely as regards the complexities, there is an awful lot going on in this wine, and it’s all beautiful …
2009 Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch (barrel sample)
Utterly beautiful color! And classically Pagani-esque aromatics; rich, compressed, laden with a potpourri of pressed flower leaves, grilled orange pepper, and all-spice, with a great briny layer as well … Very light on the palate, very clean minerality, hinting at cornflower and talc … brighter, leaner acidity that the past couple of vintages, reminiscent of the 2006, one of my personal favorite Paganis … even delivers an almost Grenache-like dose of blood orange at the end! A great Pagani in my estimation, though again, a leaner, brighter one …
2008 Ridge Vineyards Carmichael Ranch (in bottle, pre-release)
This is just an ARCHETYPAL Ridge Zinfandel, perfectly expressing everything we love to do with zin production; it’s got pepper, it’s got exotic spices, it’s fleshy without being flabby, its opulent without being ostentatious, it’s fruit-forward without being over-ripe, it’s both professorially dignified yet sensuously giving … in short, delicious! … While Eric and I were tasting this wine, I started talking to it; I said, “Oh yeah, I’m drinking you tonight, I’m drinking all of you! I’m drinking most of you at dinner, and then I’m taking you to bed, and we’re going to take advantage of one another!” … That’s what I said. To this wine. When I was talking to it.
2008 Ridge Vineyards Buchignani Ranch (in bottle, pre-release)
If the above was quintessential Ridge, this is quintessential Buchignani. Funky, rich, concentrated and earthy, with loads of lower-tone boysenberry and blackberry notes, layers of dried herbs counterbalanced by a potent pepperiness, and a very firm tannin layer that definitely takes front seat while acidity rides in the back … This is one to watch, but still a little too muscular for current consumption …
2006 Ridge Vineyards Mazzoni Home Ranch (current release)
A consistently fantastic old-vine designation, and this a fantastic vintage. Rich, ripe, but tempered, in supreme balance … this has all the qualities of zin that, when excessive, can be negatives, but when integrated, are just pure delight … lean mouthfeel, great acidity courtesy of the high percentage of carignane, lovely old-vine concentration and significant yet supple minerality … an extraordinary food wine that had Eric and I rhapsodizing about tapas for a good ten minutes … the subtle hint of kirsch adds a nicely sweet underlayer beneath the exotic spice and the vibrant acidity … waiter, another dish of patatas bravas!
2009 Ridge Vineyards Paso Robles
Sweet, ripe, woody, great notes of cherry tobacco on the rose; pretty classic Paso fruit … Given the distinctly different micro-climate within which this fruit is grown, I’d say this is a very honest central coast zin offering, and very in keeping with previous vintages; particularly the 2007; with 2006 being notably leaner, and 2008 being somewhat uniquely more multi-dimensioned then Paso fruit can sometimes be … this is probably not the most complex zin in the Ridge portfolio, but its fewer dimensions are still good ones, and for those who like a riper style without the alcohol levels that tend to come with that style, this should be a great offering …
2007 Ridge Vineyards Old School
Wonderful red-wood character to the aromomatics, with a succulent savoriness reminiscent of a good cigar soaked in cherry juice or brandy … the sweet tobacco character permeates through to the palate as well, as do the cherry notes, making for a richly flavored, sweet and savory offering … there are also hints of caramel apple afoot, the tangy citricity from which lends itself well to the structure, and opulence of the fruit …
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And just in case you missed it from a previous post, the greatest tasting note movie ever shot!
As noted in an earlier post this week (found here: ZAP, Bob Dylan, and The Greatest Tasting Note Movie Ever Shot), us card-carrying members of The Zee Party are gearing up for the oenophilic equivalent of a party convention; in this case, our PARTY Convention! Meaning, we’re getting ready for ZAP!
ZAP refresher required? Sure! ZAP! (Which is kind of like Shazam! Except with wine …)
Anyhow, in advance of festiviticus commencementitus, I sat down with winemaker Eric Baugher to taste through some of the wines we’ll be showcasing at this year’s event: some barrel samples, some bottled-but-not-yet-released offerings, a current vintage flagship, and a limited-production winery-only release.
Stay tuned for tomorrow, when I’ll be posting tasting notes, but in the meantime, here’s the pictorial record of how it all went down!
Preparing the line-up …
Decantathalon …
The Evidence …
09 Geyserville & 09 Pagani Ranch Barrel Samples
Eric Baugher: The Nose Knows …
Notes …
Eric B. & MB Vineyard Manager Caleb M. do the Winespeak Dance …
Ok, that heading may be just a tad misleading, possibly hyperbolic, but the truth is, ZAP is coming this weekend, the video for Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” remains one of the great pieces of celluloid history ever shot, and my footage of winemaker Eric Baugher tasting the 2009 Geyserville barrel sample (which we’ll be sneak-previewing at ZAP this weekend) has got Oscar written all over it …
What??? Not familiar with ZAP? Ok, for the uninitiated amongst you, ZAP is as follows:
Anyone read Lettie Teague’s article in the Wall Street Journal on the Jets loss this weekend? Turned out to be a rather delightfully unexpected point-of-entry into discussion about our Monte Bello; look out Rex Ryan, here comes Paul Draper!
Are you on our e-mail list? If so, check your inbox! There is RidgeNews afoot!
EXTRA! EXTRA!
And if you’re not on said list, well, I’ll cheat in your favor THIS time, but you might want to consider signing up for the future; we don’t send a lot of e-mail, but the ones we do send are Chock Full Of Ridgerly Goodness!
Say what? You want to sign up? Diggity Dig Dig Diggee Dig! Click here, put your e-mail address in the SUBSCRIBE field, and you’re In Like Flynn With A Fin For Gin! Or should I say, Fine Like Cline With A Line For Wine!
Now, on to the good stuff:
First off, the new 2006 Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache is now officially available for sale to the general public at large! To see some recent tasting notes on this blog, please click here.
And to dig a crazy food & wine pairing from Sondra Bernstein, proprietor of the award-winning restaurants Girl & the Fig and Estate in Sonoma, read onwards, hungry mendicants!
Braised Lamb Shanks over Mashed Potatoes Click here to recreate this pairing at home.
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Secondly, it’s SAVE THE DATE time! Here is a list of some upcoming calendrical Ridgentstances you sure-as-shoeboxes don’t want to miss:
Saturday 4/23 – Assemblage Monte Bello – 2010 vintage preview and barrel tasting
Saturday 4/30 & Sunday 5/1 – Passport to Dry Creek at Lytton Springs
These are all general public events; nothing is required of you ‘cept to come!
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Finally, for those of you who are members of a Ridge Wine Club, there is some serious exclusivivaciousness blowing in the viticultural winds right now; if the words DYNAMITE HILL mean anything to you, you best better bet bring your mouse to move your cursor to just exactly right about here.
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That’s all for now folks, but stay tuned for some VERY UP TO THE MINUTE BREAKING MEMBER EVENT NEWS in the next day or two, as well as a SERMON IN PRAISE OF ZAP!
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And yes, my spell-check did indeed red-flad Ridgenstances and Exclusivivaciousness, thank you very much!
I do my best to generate “original content” on this blog with as much frequency as I can muster, but every once in a while, I come across something out there in the world beyond my mountain that I just really want to share; in the past week or so, three such articles have appeared, and I would very much love to share them with you:
The first is a fantastic article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ.com) by Jay McInerney on Zinfandel; my favorite part? It’s where Mr. McInerney spills the beans (spills the grapes?) that he served Ridge Geyserville at his wedding! You can find the article here. Check it out, it’s a great read, and it’s great history.
The second is an article with an absolute genius title: “The “Somewhere-ness” of California’s Santa Cruz Mountains.” Love it! This is also a great bit of history, and an excellent opportunity to learn a bit more about our beautiful and special region. You can find the article here.
The third is from a great blog called “Matching Food and Wine”; certainly a deliciously vital topic, and the blog’s author, Fiona Beckett, does a great job with the subject at hand. The title of the article in question is: “What to match with the world’s best Bordeaux-style reds.” Ridge is of course happy to be included under such a banner, and the particular reference is an enticing one:
Some specific great recent matches include Ridge Monte Bello 1999 with a superb Cote de Boeuf cooked by Racine, Chef Patron, Henry Harris and Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1982 with roast Pauillac Lamb (Blanche du Massif Central) at a private dinner party in Bordeaux.
