Ridge, Ponzo Zinfandel, Russian River Valley

This was good but surprisingly alcoholic for Ridge and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The blurb on the bottle explained it somewhat, but this felt more like a Turley than a Ridge, which was somewhat disappointing. Again, very good wine, nicely complex, and reasonably mature, but had that bitterness that comes with excessive alcohol.

2009 vintage

Currants and sweet fruit on the nose. Mature with ripe fruit, but seems less complex than the last bottle. Drink up.

2002 vintage

I like it, still drinking well, adds some spice that many zins don't have.

2009 vintage

This was delicious. I didn't expect it to do this well but it was rich and balanced. Lovely - spot on!

2002 vintage

The Paso Robles is, as always, 100% Zin, right? Apparently not! This is 95% Zin and 5% Petite Sirah. We pulled this after finishing a ‘10 East Bench. The difference was amazing! This cuvee was much brighter with a big berry flavor. While a year older, the wine had a distinct freshness over the East Bench with telltale rhubarb and cherry, but also cloves, cinnamon and maybe some blackberry. The tannins appear to be fully integrated. 14.8% alc. Some sediment. …

2009 vintage

Is simply beautiful wine drinking perfectly today

2009 vintage

Still drinking well, with rich fruit still present after more than a decade in bottle. Recommend drinking soon!

2009 vintage

Outstanding. Hold your newer Jimsomare!

2009 vintage

ready to drink now, jammy, smooth, a bit of acid

2009 vintage

No real notes, but we enjoyed this quite a lot. Garnet at its core. Notes of cinnamon, cinnamon bark, rhubarb, tarragon on the nose. Big and bright on the nose and palate, and perhaps some RS. The fruit is a bit sweet, but the sweetness is more than just ripe fruit. The nose is ripe with boysenberry, brown sugar and candied apple. While the tannins are integrated, the brightness of wine at first lifts and them becomes a bit heavy. …

2009 vintage

Full bodied Zin, very well structured even at 11 years old. Could easily go another 4-6 maybe even 7 years with proper cellaring. Loaded with dark rich ripe black fruit. Quite a big Zin.

2009 vintage

Over-the-Hill. Should have drank it sooner. Flat as a pancake, tasted like a two day old Coca-Cola.

2009 vintage

It went amazingly with Chipotle Citrus rub on a Flank Steak. Smooth, vibrant and rich. Great QPR

2009 vintage

Fantastic

2009 vintage

Popped and poured, no decant. Incredible color and depth in the glass. This wine is loaded and not giving up much character or concentration despite being eleven years old. Another big hitter and winner from Ridge. The fruit is big, still full of life and extremely alive and deep and rich. These wines tend to age so well and this Ponzo is no different. Considering the reasonable price, people should be stocking up on these beauties, because there is no …

2009 vintage

Well balanced, jammy, on the way down and would drink NOW

2009 vintage

Delicious and surprisingly still had legs. Got better after an hour with air. Deep cherry and cassis. Not overly complex but some integrated acidity and lingers on the palate for a bit.

2002 vintage

Popped and poured. Lived up to its expectations. The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry. It tastes like blackberry and black currant (cassis). The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.

2009 vintage

This was excellent. Oak, tannins, and fruit all very well balanced.

2009 vintage

Really good. Wish we had more

2009 vintage

Dark red color, limited transparency, small amount of tartrate sediment. Ripe (but not jammy) red fruit nose with raspberry and strawberry dominating. Palate is exceptionally well integrated at this point. Everything seems to be in its place and the alcohol is fully hidden. This was delicious with grilled burgers. A great Jimsomare experience. Drink or hold.

2009 vintage

Very much like it was 2 years ago. No real notes, but it was a Zin that impressed. With pizza.

2009 vintage

15.9% abv. Dark ruby, moderately expressive aromas. Ripe plum, new leather, orange peel and a touch of mint on the palate. A very complex wine with excellent depth and length. The wine is probably in a long slow plateau. Drink now or hold for a few more years.

2009 vintage

This is my first bottle of this vintage and I’m hoping the rest are not like this one. While big and bright on the nose and palate, the stuff is sweet as in some amount of RS. The fruit is big and sweet, but the sweetness is more than just ripe fruit. The wine itself is sweet. The color is plum from the core to the rim. The nose is ripe with boysenberry, brown sugar and candied apple. This is …

2009 vintage

This is perfect right now beautiful balance of dark fruit and leather with a hint of acidity. Excellent

2009 vintage

With some air this was great. I think this still hasn’t quite peaked yet. Oak seemed mostly integrated but still getting a big initial dose of that coconut. Maybe best in 2020-2025? Otherwise, typical higher quality mountain zin. Very tasty.

2009 vintage

A knockout Zin. Which to me means, this does not express the typical Zin notes like jammy fruit and bramble. This Zin stands on its own as deep herbaceous fruit (think Oakville Cab) that makes it complex, and incredibly thoughtful.

2009 vintage

A very nice and mature Zinfandel. It is not meant for longer term cellaring. Enjoy now.

2009 vintage

The energy level of a puppy can be amusing and stimulating, but there are time when you appreciate the calm and quiet of a mature dog. Two years ago this wine was big a bit brusing. Its now matured into an elegant Zin with Draper perfume, a bit of rhubarb, and black pepper on the nose. Those elements are joined on the palate with warm dark fruits, particularly plum. Something a bit unidentifiable, yet mineral zips across the mid-palate. The …

2009 vintage

The wine is drinking nicely, but I would not wait to pull any remaining corks.

2009 vintage

Mature cool climate zin. Fruit and acid in balance with a little mid-palate bitterness. Not a 'wow' wine, but a nice companion to a steak dinner.

2009 vintage

Black fruit and prune. Good fruit. Stemmy bitterness that made some unhappy.

2009 vintage

Smooth perfumed nose with elegant vanilla nuances. Tart blackberry jam, currants Did not need aeration in my opinion. 14.8% alcohol, so some heat. If you like a jammy yummy bramble berry "bomb" with the mellowness of age yes you will like this!

2009 vintage

Palate coating wild blackberries dominate from the perfumed nose through the finish. I can imagine some additional red fruits and berries - loganberries, marionberries and lime zest. This is a strong wine at 14.8 % alcohol. I am drinking it on a beautiful fall evening for the sheer joy of its delicious blackberries.

2009 vintage

The deep magenta rim and light purple core is pretty in the glass. The nose lifts with Zin funk, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Interestingly, no rhubarb appears on either the nose or palate. Flavors more or less track the nose with the added fruit of cherry. Mocha takes the finish. The mouthfeel is rather light ... and disappointing. Nothing here reflects the richness usually found in Ridge Zins. A pleasant enough wine but definitely not a QPR. 100% Zin from …

2009 vintage

Opened, poured, and presented with thick, chewy, ripe, sweet prunes. Frankly, I don't like it - not sure what to do with it. Neither a typical Ridge nor Zin.

2009 vintage

A lovely Zin for current drinking with blackberries, bramble, dried dark fruits, forest floor, and a little vanilla. Very delicious.

2009 vintage

Consumed over three nights. The first night showed a little bit of heat, but that was gone by the second night. Smooth fruits, integrated oak, some acidity (but not too much). Somewhat restrained, but good.

2009 vintage

My last of 5 bottles, this was a fine showing for one of my all-time favorite zins. It didn't show the strong acetone fumes that marred the prior bottle. That said, it is definitely high octane on the nose, and a bit porty. Smooth and rich with dark mountain fruit, it still has some tannins left to be resolved over the next year or two. This is just entering its peak phase, and I'm envious of anyone who still has …

2009 vintage

Couldn't agree more with the previous note. Much less big bold fruit than some other zins, just perfectly integrated fruit, earth and spice. Could maybe even improve over another few years?

2006 vintage

Still lots of great fruit. Classic jammy and fruit. Strawberry on noise and grip.

2009 vintage

Double decanted for one hour; no sediment. Bright medium ruby color. Briary nose with a hint of vanilla. Medium-bodied tart cherries on the palate with a good level of acids, and with well-integrated tannins on the medium-length finish. A pleasant wine with a good QPR at $25. Should drink-up my remainder within this year.

2009 vintage

Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Jimsomare Ranch Santa Cruz Mtns. 2009 The wine is big in color, big on the nose and lumbers around the palate like a bull; a very big bull. But even bulls can exude a brawny elegance and rough hewn grace. This is such a wine. Rhybarb, Zin funk Draper perfume on the nose and the palate, where black pepper - black pepper by the handful - is thrown in. But there is something odd and powerful on …

2009 vintage

surprisingly jammy, in a good sort of way. Yes, Paso zin producers tend towards the jammy side of things, but it't not something I'd expect from Ridge, especially a 6 year old Ridge. Unexpected, but we liked it.

2009 vintage

As DESLER notes below, this has evolved into a mature, smooth zin. For whatever reason, some VA was really rearing up this time, making the wine quite fumey. It did subside a bit over the course of the evening. Hopefully it's a case of bottle variation and my last remaining bottle will be more true to form.

2009 vintage

Fairly typical in my opinion of Ridge Zins except a little more jammy and less acid than the other 09's I have had. Had with pork barbecue. Red fruit, some raspberry, but more ripe cherry, ripe plum and golden raisin.

2009 vintage

great mature zin..well balanced and smooth tannin

2009 vintage

Light purple. Cigar tobacco, licorice, strawberry and mineral on the nose . Drank over two hours. Black raspberry, sage, grilled meat, nicely done acidity, elegant but flavorable. Drinking well now, but should continue to do well for years to come. Drank with pasta and a red sauce. Held up to the food as well as Italian wines. Ridge consistently makes good Zins.

2009 vintage

This is drinking beautifully. Still has some Zinfandel juiciness with a lot of cherry in the middle palate, but giving way to earth and mulch. Not as big and intricate as a Geyserville or LS but beautifully balanced.

2009 vintage

Drinking very well right now. Delicious red fruit. Baking cherry pie and caramel.

2009 vintage

Are you sure?

Ridge, Ponzo Zinfandel, Russian River Valley

Vintages

No vintages

Community Reviews