Tasting Note                          

88     2001 Ridge Paso Robles           5/11/07 ($22)

100% Zinfandel 14.5% alc
Color: Medium deep garnet with a touch of onion skin. Approaching maturity, but probably not totally there yet. (3.0) Bouquet: Cedar and milk chocolate oak integrated with black-raspberry fruit. Aromatic and rich, but with an acidic edge. (3.0) Body: A middleweight with good fruit and acidity, combined with an oak and alcohol edge. Fruit could be richer and oak could be more in the background. (2.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor, but chalky and slightly bitter acidity and oak become more prevalent here. (2.5)
Overall: This is an enjoyable Zin, but has its flaws. I had higher hopes for this early on, but I shouldn’t be surprised as past experience with this wine from other vintages has shown that it usually drinks best when young. The fruit has become slightly candied with some chalky acidity and bitterness. Its saving grace is that it does have some complexity, but I’d like to see less oak and more concentrated fruit. (14.0)