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: 2012 Ridge Vineyards "East Bench" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

2012 Ridge Vineyards "East Bench" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

SKU #1156870 91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark From Dry Creek Valley, the 100% Zinfandel 2012 Zinfandel East Bench boasts lots of spice box, briery mountain berry fruit, a lush, full-bodied mouthfeel, and lovely texture and length. With 14.9% natural alcohol, this big Zinfandel should be consumed over the next 3-4 years. Inner quote mark (10/2014)

91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Outer quote mark Deep ruby. Aromas of blackberry, cherry compote, vanilla and woodsmoke, with a spicy overtone adding urgency. Fleshy, spicy and smooth in texture, with very good clarity to its bitter cherry and dark berry flavors. A licorice quality builds on a sharply focused finish shaped by youthfully firm tannins. Inner quote mark (5/2014)

91 points Vinous

Outer quote mark Deep, plush and inviting, the 2012 Zinfandel East Bench wraps around the palate with dark red and black fruit along with typical Dry Creek spice and underbrush notes. The tannins are a bit firm, again a Dry Creek characteristic, but there is more than enough juiciness in the fruit to round things out. Sweet floral and cinnamon notes add complexity on the resonant finish. This is a fabulous wine for the money. Inner quote mark (7/2014)

91 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark Deliciously ripe and generous, this full-bodied Zin has plenty to like: ripe blackberry, black cherry and baking spice aromas. Deep flavors echo the fruit and layer it with hints of vanilla and nutmeg. While full-bodied and nicely thick in texture, it’s not over the top and remains balanced by firm acidity and welcome tannins. Inner quote mark (2/2015)

90 points Connoisseurs Guide

Outer quote mark Made entirely from Zinfandel and smelling every bit like it, the Ridge East Bench bottling juxtaposes ample, optimally ripened, blackberry fruit with intriguing touches of dusty, dry earth and sympathetic accents of sweet oak. If nominally tannic and ever so slightly astringent, it nonetheless shows a sense of professional polish and is a wine that speaks to potential. It deserves at least a few years of rest, and we feel safe in betting that it will grow for a half-dozen or more. Inner quote mark (9/2014)

K&L Notes

Ridge has been producing the "East Bench" Zinfandel since 2006, made from fruit sourced from estate vineyard situated on the eastern bench of the ridge overlooking Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley. Hand-harvested and fermented naturally using native yeasts, this bottling is one of only two wines in the Ridge lineup that is 100% Zinfandel. It was aged for 12 months in air-dried American oak barrels (20% new) before bottling. From the winery: "A nose of rich raspberry and pepper accompanied by floral and mineral notes. The palate is layered with dark cherry and black currant fruit, mineral, and cocoa. Balanced acidity with fine tannins on the finish."

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2012 Ridge Vineyards "East Bench" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

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Varietal:

Zinfandel

- The bid to name Zinfandel California's "State Varietal" may have failed, but this red wine grape, grown extensively in California since the mid-1800s, is grown in few other places in the world. Sadly, much of what's cultivated today is planted where it's too hot and flat. But when planted to well-drained, hillside vineyards that are warm but not too hot, like those in Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley and Amador County in the Sierra Foothills, Zinfandel can produce wines with plenty of character. High in natural alcohol and tannin, grown carefully it can be rich and complex, with dark fruit berry fruit and peppery spice. The most known example of Zinfandel outside of California is Italy's Primitivo, which can be similar in style, but is often a bit lighter and less alcoholic than West Coast examples.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Sonoma County

- Second in fame only to Napa, this "other" valley offers just about every climate and topography imaginable. From its cool and fog-enshrouded coastal regions on the far west, to the sprawling Alexander Valley on the boarder of Napa and the many little dips and peaks in between, Sonoma has been a vital wine-grape-growing region since the mid 1800s. Important sub-AVAs include Chalk Hill (known for chardonnay and sauvignon blanc), Dry Creek Valley (where zin is king) Knights Valley (largely cabernet land), Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast (both celebrated pinot and chardonnay zones).

Alcohol Content (%):

14.9