95+ 2002 Ridge Geyserville (Alexander Valley) 5/16/15 ($30)
84% Zinfandel, 12% Carignane, 4% Petite Sirah 14.6% alc
Color: Deep garnet with slight browning, but no clearing. (3.5) Bouquet: Cocoa-infused Zinberry (boysenberry, blueberry and tart cherry) and gamy meat nuances propelled by fierce acidity. Flamboyant. (3.5) Body: Heavyweight with outstanding acidity, fruit and significant, smooth tannins underneath. Rich, silky mouthfeel. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet with funky spice and briar prominent. Intense! (3.5) Finish: Long with fierce acidity and minerality, which slightly overshadow the fruit and add a touch of bitterness. Still long and terroir driven. (3.0)
Overall: A great Geyserville that was fantastic even as a young wine, and remained very enjoyable throughout its development, despite being muted at times. It's finally peak and should remain this good for several more years. It has the structure and fruit to even improve in the next 5 years. This and the '01 are my two favorite Geyservilles in recent memory and two of the best ever made. Of course, I must admit that I can only make comparisons back to the '84 vintage, which is not nearly all the way back to their first in '66. (17.0)
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