1981 York Creek Zinfandel

In the warm fall of 1981 the Zinfandel at York Creek ripened fully. The intense berry fruit is evident, yet the tannin and acidity provide the necessary balance. Our use of malolactic fermentation and small cooperage aging, techniques normally reserve for Cabernet and Pinot noir, is indicative of the quality we seek in our Zinfandels. This fine wine should begin to soften by spring and develop over the next three or four years.

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.