Tonight with a dinner of mesquite-smoked chicken and "smothered" kale,
Jean opened a bottle of:

2002 Ridge Ponzo Vyd Zinfandel
nose: berries, oak, a hint of pencil lead and cedar
palate: soft entry, rich fruit, just enough acidity

Jean served this wine to me blind and I guessed a Zin with 5-6 years of
age on it, eventually settling on '01. I told her that it first
reminded me of a Ridge Geyserville, but didn't have the structure. It
was a lushly fruity wine and seems to be about as good as it's going to
get. Paul Draper's notes indicate peak maturity from 2008-2010, and
that seems to be about right. Very nice if not profound.

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

On Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:34:39 -0400, Mark Lipton >
wrote:

>Tonight with a dinner of mesquite-smoked chicken and "smothered" kale,
>Jean opened a bottle of:
>
>2002 Ridge Ponzo Vyd Zinfandel
>nose: berries, oak, a hint of pencil lead and cedar
>palate: soft entry, rich fruit, just enough acidity
>
>Jean served this wine to me blind and I guessed a Zin with 5-6 years of
>age on it, eventually settling on '01. I told her that it first
>reminded me of a Ridge Geyserville, but didn't have the structure. It
>was a lushly fruity wine and seems to be about as good as it's going to
>get. Paul Draper's notes indicate peak maturity from 2008-2010, and
>that seems to be about right. Very nice if not profound.
>
>Mark Lipton

I drank that in March of '04 (vinicide?) and noted this:

Nice nose of berries and vanilla. Smooth palate with raspberry,
leather, vanilla and a slightly tannin pucker on the finish. Should
improve over time.

I commented on another bottle noting "vanilla" and "butterscotch"
notes. A third bottle about 8 months later in a comparison with the
'02 Paso Robles found the Ponzo a bit pale in comparison but with a
spice note that made it worth drinking (and buying).


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

Ed Rasimus wrote:

> I drank that in March of '04 (vinicide?) and noted this:
>
> Nice nose of berries and vanilla. Smooth palate with raspberry,
> leather, vanilla and a slightly tannin pucker on the finish. Should
> improve over time.
>
> I commented on another bottle noting "vanilla" and "butterscotch"
> notes. A third bottle about 8 months later in a comparison with the
> '02 Paso Robles found the Ponzo a bit pale in comparison but with a
> spice note that made it worth drinking (and buying).

Yup, I think that we drank the same wine, Ed ;-) By now, that vanilla
and butterscotch from the new American oak had integrated pretty well
into the wine, but was still noticeable though not obtrusive. In
certain ways, it's like a traditional Rioja Reserva: the oak is
abundant, but eventually the wine soaks it up.

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

Does any of you have some background on the source or history of this wine?

It is not one that I know from following various Ridge Zins over the years.


-- Max

Max Hauser wrote:
> Does any of you have some background on the source or history of this wine?
>
> It is not one that I know from following various Ridge Zins over the years.

From the back label: the vineyard, in the RRV, was originally part of
the Sonoma blend, but Paul Draper found the character of the fruit so
unique and interesting that he decided to bottle it as a separate
offering. FYI, the wine is largely (96%) Zin with the remainder
Carignan(e).

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

Max Hauser wrote:
> Does any of you have some background on the source or history of this wine?

Max,

From the Ridge website...

[quote] Ponzo Vineyards

Cousins Phil and Bob Ponzo farm these grapes for us in the Russian River
Valley. In 1991, when we purchased Lytton Springs Winery, we began using
fruit from Phil's vineyard; since then, those grapes have been the
backbone of our multi-vineyard Sonoma Zinfandels. Bob's vineyard, on
similar soils a quartermile away, was first included four years ago. The
Russian River Valley's cooler microclimate ripens Ponzo shortly after
Lytton Springs and Geyserville. Small amounts of carignane and petite
sirah are interplanted with zinfandel in the oldest blocks. [END QUOTE]


--
.. . . . . . . Pete