2005 York Creek Zinfandel

Color: Medium crimson/garnet Nose: Candied plum, mountain bramble, crushed black pepper, chaparral, black tea, and creamy/toasty marshmallow sweet oak. Palate: Blackberry fruit entry, lively acidity, cola and black licorice, mineral earth, full structure, fine grained tannins, sweet oak, complex and lengthy finish. Displays a fine mountain vineyard character.

York Creek Vineyard lies high on Spring Mountain, overlooking Napa Valley. The 2005 growing season began late; foul April weather disrupted bloom and set, substantially reducing the crop, but consistent summer weather enabled us to harvest, as usual, in late September. Grapes from the individual parcels were destemmed, then crushed to seven small tanks – three with grids submerging the cap of skins, four with cap floating. Natural fermentation began within three days, we pressed on the eighth; only a small amount of press wine was included. Following a brief uninoculated malolactic, the separate lots were racked to fifty-three-gallon air-dried american oak barrels to begin aging. By May, we had assembled the most distinctive of these, returning them to barrel for further aging as a blend. Every three months, the wine was carefully drawn off its settled lees to achieve clarity. A mix of new, two-, and four-year-old oak allows vineyard and varietal character to dominate. This appealing zinfandel is redolent of York Creek’s well-defined mountain fruit. Enjoyable now, it will continue to develop over the next five to six years. EB (3/07)

York Creek Vineyard, situated high on Spring Mountain, overlooks St. Helena and the Napa Valley from the west. Ridge came here in 1971 for the old-vine petite sirah. We first harvested York Creek zinfandel in 1975, and have made both wines in every vintage since.

Rainfall: Sixty inches (above normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: Cool, wet winter and spring. Warm, dry summer with no intense heat at harvest.

Harvest Dates: 25 September – 1 October
Grapes: Average brix 26.0
Fermentation: No inoculation; natural primary and secondary. (32% floating cap.) Pressed at eight days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried american oak barrels (13% new, 47% two year, and 40% four years old).
Aging: Sixteen months

Connoisseurs’ Guide (January 2008): “Solidly fruity right from the start with touches of caramel and new leather overlying its essential theme of ripe berries and plum, Ridge’s York Creek bottling proves that full ripeness in Zin does not necessarily come with bothersome heat or jammy simplicity. It is moderately rich but never flamboyant, and, if trimmed with noticeable edge of Petite Sirah tannin, it is very much a table wine in direction and will develop nicely if set aside for a few years.” Rated: 90 (*)

Average Rating: 89.0

No. of Tasting Notes: 52

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