TN: 96 Ridge Pagani Ranch

Here are some brief notes I've got on Pagani Ranch wines from Ridge:

'95--Excellent. Strong body with good fruit. Smooth finish. High alcohol sensations. (Zinfandel) '96--Dark, garnet color. Rich in blackberry and black cherry with high alcohol content. Smooth and velvety improving markedly as it breathes. (Alicante Bouchet) '96--Mataro Pagani Ranch--bought a whole case of this and had probably eight out of twelve bottles badly afflicted with Brett. (Mouvedre) '97--Another good Ridge Zin. Doesn't seem quite as refined as the Geyserville '97, but quite good. (Zinfandel) '97--Very deep red. Almost grapey tasting. Smooth but a bit too sweet for the spaghetti and meatballs. (Alicante Bouchet) '97--Very nice with loads of fruit and a great mouthfeel. (Mouvedre) '98--Powerhouse of fruit with a distinct blueberry tone. Almost the sweetness of a late-picked zin. Too much for red meat. (Zinfandel) '00--Best Ridge zin I've ever tasted. Loads of blackberry aroma then a blackberry explosion in the mouth. Hint of leather in both aroma and taste. Smooth, already settled and nicely integrated. Ridge claims improvement likely for three to five years. (Zinfandel) '01--Heavy, fruit plant. Easily as good as the 2000 which I called the best Ridge zin I have ever tasted. (Zinfandel) '02--Viscous, long legged wine. Big nose of dark berry, spice and butterscotch. Not as sweet as expected for a late picked Zin, but very tightly wound tannins indicate that this is a wine that could develop over the next several years. ("Late Picked" Zinfandel)

The '98s were tasted in October of 2000. I would suspect that the fruit has mellowed and the wine would be a bit more refined today.

Am I drinking too much Ridge???

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