1996 Alegria Vineyard Zinfandel

In an unusually warm summer, these low-lying vineyards along the Russian River ripened fully by mid- September. The ninety-year-old parcels of zinfandel, interplanted with petite sirah and alicante bouschet, provided most of the grapes; younger zinfandel vines made up the rest. In assembling the wine, we chose the parcels heaviest in petite sirah for their complementary fruit, and their spice. Red, ripe fruit dominates the nose and palate of this rich, almost thick zinfandel. To differentiate the style from that of table wine, we designate dry wines made from grapes this ripe as “late picked.” Rustic and full-bodied, the 1996 Alegria will be most appealing over the next four or five years. PD (12/97)

Since 1962, Ridge has championed single-vineyard winemaking, searching California for those rare vineyards where climate, soil, and varietal produce distinctive character. With minimal intervention, we guide that process—always attempting to produce exceptional wines.