91+ 2005 Ridge Geyserville 2/11/12 ($18 - half bottle)
77% Zin, 17% Carignane, 6% Petite Sirah 14.6% alc
Color: Deep garnet. (3.0) Bouquet: Raspberry/blackberry pastry, like rugelach with a touch of sulfur that blew off after an hour. (3.0) Body: Light heavyweight with excellent acidity and fruit, smooth tannins underneath. Well balanced with a tangy mouthfeel. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet but more delicious with exotic Indian spice and elegant, multilayered Zinberry with musky old vines briar and a touch of caramel. (3.5) Finish: Very good length, but not quite as giving as the flavor. (3.0)
Overall: Classic Geyserville style with elegance and complexity that go beyond most Zinfandels. It's in an intermediate stage of development, showing less youthful fruit than when first released, but not totally mature yet. Probably needs 2-3 more years to be at its best. (15.5)
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