Description
Winemaker Tasting Notes Full garnet color. Fresh raspberry and blueberry fruits, clay mineral, exotic oak spice. Rich entry with bramble fruit, chewy tannins, creamy/sweet oak, and a moderately long finish. EB 2/16Vintage Notes Despite a dry winter, late spring rains carried the vines to harvest. Reduced yields and a warm summer quickly ripened the crop. Long, slow fermentations finished sugar, while extracting significant tannin. Barreling down early gave this vintage more time in wood than any thus far. Appealing now, it will be most enjoyable over the next five years. JO/EB 11/15History The history of the Ridge Three Valleys began with the release of the 2001. The wine contains grapes from a number of Sonoma vineyardsthis year, ten. We take great care in selecting the fruit, which is hand-harvested, then crushed and fermented on its native yeast and naturally occurring malolactic at both Monte Bello and Lytton Springs wineries. Unlike our single-vineyard wines, which reflect the distinctive character of each site, Three Valleys represents the blending of vineyardswinemakingat its finest. Zinfandel determines the wines varietal character; old-vine carignane contributes bright fruit and acidity; petite sirah spice, depth of color, and firm tannins.Growing Season Weather Very dry and cold December and January; most of the rain fell February through April. Cool spring followed by an early, warm summer.WinemakingFermentation No inoculation; natural primary and secondary. Grapes fully crushed; pressed at nine days. Barrels 100% air-dried american oak barrels 6% new, 43% one and two years old, and 51% three to six years old. Aging Fifteen months in barrelHand-harvested grapes, destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts followed by a full malolactic on the natural-occurring bacteria; a total of 0.27 grams/liter tartaric acid; 0.5% water addition; egg whites; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine 35ppm at crush, 179ppm over the course of aging; membrane sterile filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions. – RidgePress Vinous Media July 2016 89 Points. The 2014 Three Valleys, Ridges entry-level Zinfandel-based red, is a delicious, value-priced red to drink young, while the fruit remains vibrant. Sweet floral notes and a burst of spiciness round out the 2014 edition.- Antonio Galloni- Ridge
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