2022 Ridge Geyserville (Zinfandel)

A blend of 67% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah and 3% Mourvèdre, the 2022 Geyserville is packed to the gills with purple fruit and a ridiculous amount of spice—exotic spice, brown spice, baking spice, you name it. Blueberry, black plum, new leather, menthol and tobacco explode from the glass, all wrapped up in forceful, imposing tannins. A kick of mocha/espresso-scented toasty oak rounds out the finish. This is a take-no-prisoners rendition of Geyserville that will definitely benefit from some sideways time in the cellar.

A blend of 67% Zinfandel, 20% Carignan, 10% Petite Sirah and 3% Mataro. Smells of blueberry and blackberry fruits. Wonderfully bright acidity makes flavours of blueberry, blackberry and boysenberry bright and bouncy, followed by a kumquat-citric bitterness that puckers the cheeks even as darker, dustier notes evolve on the palate. The finish has the telltale whisper of coconutty American oak kissed with a little vanilla. Lightly powdery tannins. Tasty. GV (AY)

A normal Zinfandel-dominated blend of 67% Zinfandel, 20% Carignan, 10% Petite Sirah, and the rest Mataro, the 2022 Geyserville sports a healthy ruby/plum hue (it's semi-opaque) as well as a rocking nose of ripe plums, blackberries, roasted herbs, pepper, and violets. It's beautifully textured on the palate and has medium to full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, and perfectly ripe tannins. It's a beauty, as well as one of the standouts in the lineup in 2022. Don't miss it.