2004 Oltranti Zinfandel

In 1987, Niccolo and Flora Oltranti purchased the old Mazzoni Home Ranch. Above the surviving nineteenthcentury vines were several abandoned hillside vineyards, which Niccolo and son Paul restored, replanting to zinfandel. These young vines have now matured, and make up eighty-five percent of the 2004. The rest comes from part of the original vineyard—an old mixed planting of zinfandel, carig-nane, and petite sirah; each of the several parcels was fermented separately. When the natural primary and secondary fermentations were complete, we blind-tasted and assembled the lots, then racked to air-dried american oak barrels for aging. Oltranti is an exceptional site. Despite the vines’ relative youth, they have produced a wine redolent of exotic spice and rich, dark fruit. Enjoyable now, this excellent, full-bodied zinfandel will develop fully over the next five to seven years.

Since 1962, Ridge has championed single-vineyard winemaking, exploring California in search of those rate sites where climate, soil, and varietal are ideally matched. Our aim is to guide the natural process; using traditional methods, we strive to produce exceptional wines from distinctive fruit.

Average Rating: 89.7

No. of Tasting Notes: 44

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