94 2000 Ridge Pagani Ranch Zin 8/7/04 ($28)
Color: Deep garnet, could be deeper but fine for the vintage. Looks more or less ready.(3.0) Bouquet: Very ripe, concentrated old vines Zinberry and plum fruit. Very briary, but elegant with excellent acidity.(3.5) Body: Nice balance of fruit-to-acid with just enough supporting tannin. Very solid middleweight.(3.0) Flavor: Rich and racy fig, plum and Zinberry fruit, with impressive old vines complexity of briar and nuts. Delicious and classy.(4.0) Finish: Parallels flavor, but not quite as rich and has a touch of chalky acidity. Still long and tasty.(3.0)
Overall: What delicious old vines complexity and silkiness combined with concentrated fruit. The Zin spice has taken on an extra dimension with the class imparted by 100+ year old vines from a great vineyard. Very ripe (which I like), but does not show any of the heat or austerity typically found in high-octane Zins. An amazing effort for the vintage! Drink now and in the next year.(16.5)