1977 York Creek Petite Sirah

Since the short crop of 1975, these old vines have produced less than three-quarters of their usual quantity. Like many of our 77’s, this wine is more accessible and more elegant than its predecessors. We added five percent Zinfandel for greater complexity and aged the wine for twenty-two months in small oak cooperage to soften the tannin. It should begin to open up early next year, but will develop with four or five years of bottle age.

Ridge wine is made with an emphasis on quality and naturalness that is rarely attempted. Our grapes are grown in select vineyards (usually identified on the label), where they are left to ripen to peak maturity, often at some loss of quantity. We let the wine settle and age in small barrels, with only rare cellar treatment other than racking. Varieties are not blended unless indicated on the label. Near Black Mountain on Monte Bello Ridge, our main vineyard is 10 miles south of Palo Alto, 15 miles inland from the ocean, and over 2000 feet in elevation.