2021 Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel

Nose of jammy blueberry, red cherry and pepper. Lively acidity and structure give this wine a full mouthfeel with notes of raspberry, mineral and dark chocolate with a lingering finish. SR (11/22)

Given the cool micro-climate of Sonoma Valley, Pagani Ranch often sits under fog into the early afternoon. Harvested between October 7th and 16th, the young zinfandel was ready first, followed by the old-vine zinfandel, petite sirah and alicante bouschet. Typical of the appellation, bright acidity and plentiful fruit are benchmarks of this exuberant wine. This excellent zinfandel will be best over the next eight years. SR (12/22)

A dry winter and spring stressed the vines, limiting yields and concentrating flavors.

Fermentation: Grapes destemmed and crushed. Natural primary and natural secondary (malolactic) fermentations; pumped over a floating cap.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (3% new, 10% one year old, 20% two years old, 50% three years old, and 17% neutral oak).
Aging: Fourteen months in barrel

Pagani Ranch grapes; hand-harvested; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 66.5 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.