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: 2019 Ridge Vineyards "East Bench" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

2019 Ridge Vineyards "East Bench" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

SKU #1543055 95 points Jeb Dunnuck

Outer quote mark Based on 100% Zinfandel, the 2019 Zinfandel East Bench has a great perfume of red plums, wild strawberries, and flowery incense, with just hints of cigar and dried orange peel emerging with time in the glass. While it's not a blockbuster, it brings gorgeous intensity and richness in a medium-bodied, weightless, elegant package that delivers ripe tannins and notable acidity. Inner quote mark (3/2021)

94 points James Suckling

Outer quote mark Fresh, almost Pinot-like sensibility with the mouth feel. A beautifully spread wine that fills the palate, but maintains freshness and brightness. Real purity of fruit here. Lots of black and red cherry. Citrus undertones. Inner quote mark (3/2021)

93 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark Amazingly deep and seductive fruit aromas like freshly crushed blackberries are followed by concentrated black fruits and moderate tannins in this bold and full-bodied wine. Its ripeness verges on sweetness and is delicious to savor. (JG) Inner quote mark (8/2021)

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2019 Ridge Vineyards "East Bench" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Price: $29.95

Quantity:

JD: 95

JS: 94

WE: 93

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Product Reviews:

By: Kaj Stromer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/3/2021 | Send Email

You might be surprised to learn that this, along with the Paso Robles Zin, is one of the few 100% pure Zinfandels bottled by Ridge. They've been bottling this wine since 2006. The vineyard sits high atop a the benchland that overlooks the Dry Creek Valley. The fruit is estate-grown from organically farmed grapes. There's plenty of the classic Dry Creek cherry here, along with a dash of raspberry and mint. It's a lovely combination.

By: Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/2/2021 | Send Email

Ridge’s East Bench Zin can often be overshadowed by the grandeur and spectacle of Geyserville and Lytton Springs that typically get higher scores. However, I tasted this wine during Ridge’s online, virtual release party and was quite smitten. After tasting it again at the winery, I’m convinced that this vintage of East Bench is every bit as impressive as the more famous, and expensive, flagship bottlings. Remarkably silky and elegant, rich, ripe fruit still abounds, but the palate is so pure, vibrant and polished. This wine is actually quite unique in Ridge's formidable lineup of world-class Zinfandel, in that it is pure Zin. Most of their other bottlings have numerous other varieties blended in. The block that produces East Bench in Dry Creek Valley was purposefully planted by Ridge using the very best massale selections of heritage Zin from other historic plantings such as Lytton and Geyserville. So whilst these vines aren't particularly old (20 years now) they are the best of the best taken from 100+ year old vines and planted specifically for producing super high quality wine. Basically Ridge took all their decades of knowledge and privileged access to the very best and oldest vines in the state, and custom planted the best Zinfandel vineyard they could! $29.95 looks very appealing when you look at it like that, huh!?

Top Value! Drink from 2021 to 2030

Additional Information:

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).