1997 York Creek Zinfandel

Twenty-five years ago, Ridge made its first zinfandel from this vineyard high on Spring Mountain. The Race Track block that produced those first wines accounts for sixty percent of the current vintage. Younger vines, planted in the last ten years above the Mill site and on Kite and Burger Hills, provide the rest. The older vines, once cordon pruned, have been rained into the traditional head pruned shape typical of zinfandel planted in the nineteenth—and first half of the twentieth—century. This re-training, plus severe pruning of the younger vines, limited yields in a year when most other vineyards produced very large crops. The 1997 is another excellent York Creek Zinfandel, showing the intensity associated with low yields, and the firm structure characteristic of a mountain vineyard. Its lovely fruit and spice will be most appealing over the next five years. PD (3/99)

Since 1962, Ridge has championed single-vineyard winemaking, searching California for those rare vineyards where climate, soil, and varietal are ideally matched. Using traditional methods, we strive to produce exceptional wines from distinctive fruit. For information on the wines, or visiting our wineries, please contact us. (408) 867-3233

Average Rating: 87.8

No. of Tasting Notes: 13

View this wine on CellarTracker