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2019 Ridge Vineyards "East Bench" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

2019 Ridge Vineyards "East Bench" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

95JD
94JS
93WE
90VN
90WS

95

Jeb Dunnuck

Review Date: 03/2021
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Based on 100% Zinfandel, the 2019 Zinfandel East Bench has a great perfume of red plums, wild strawberries, and flowery incense, with just hints of cigar and dried orange peel emerging with time in the glass. While it's not a blockbuster, it brings gorgeous intensity and richness in a medium-bodied, weightless, elegant package that delivers ripe tannins and notable acidity.

Price: $39.99

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Professional Reviews

94

James Suckling

Review Date: 03/2021
Fresh, almost Pinot-like sensibility with the mouth feel. A beautifully spread wine that fills the palate, but maintains freshness and brightness. Real purity of fruit here. Lots of black and red cherry. Citrus undertones.

93

Wine Enthusiast

Review Date: 08/2021
Amazingly deep and seductive fruit aromas like freshly crushed blackberries are followed by concentrated black fruits and moderate tannins in this bold and full-bodied wine. Its ripeness verges on sweetness and is delicious to savor. (JG)

90

Vinous

Review Date: 03/2022
The 2019 Zinfandel East Bench is an absolute delight. Bright, floral and effusive, the 2019 is so expressive today. Crushed red berry fruit, sweet pipe tobacco, cedar and rose petal all grace this tasty, entry-level offering. (AG)
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Staff Reviews

Ryan Woodhouse
K&L Buyer
Review Date: 08/2021
Ridge’s East Bench Zin can often be overshadowed by the grandeur and spectacle of Geyserville and Lytton Springs that typically get higher scores. However, I tasted this wine during Ridge’s online, virtual release party and was quite smitten. After tasting it again at the winery, I’m convinced that this vintage of East Bench is every bit as impressive as the more famous, and expensive, flagship bottlings. Remarkably silky and elegant, rich, ripe fruit still abounds, but the palate is so pure, vibrant and polished. This wine is actually quite unique in Ridge's formidable lineup of world-class Zinfandel, in that it is pure Zin. Most of their other bottlings have numerous other varieties blended in. The block that produces East Bench in Dry Creek Valley was purposefully planted by Ridge using the very best massale selections of heritage Zin from other historic plantings such as Lytton and Geyserville. So whilst these vines aren't particularly old (20 years now) they are the best of the best taken from 100+ year old vines and planted specifically for producing super high quality wine. Basically Ridge took all their decades of knowledge and privileged access to the very best and oldest vines in the state, and custom planted the best Zinfandel vineyard they could! $29.95 looks very appealing when you look at it like that, huh!?
Kaj Stromer
Review Date: 08/2021
You might be surprised to learn that this, along with the Paso Robles Zin, is one of the few 100% pure Zinfandels bottled by Ridge. They've been bottling this wine since 2006. The vineyard sits high atop a the benchland that overlooks the Dry Creek Valley. The fruit is estate-grown from organically farmed grapes. There's plenty of the classic Dry Creek cherry here, along with a dash of raspberry and mint. It's a lovely combination.

Notes

Antonio Galloni's notes on the producer for Vinous: "Ridge manages to pull off the impossible, which is to excel in both larger-volume, commercial bottlings while also offering a number of small production, niche wines that will appeal to the nerdiest of wine lovers. The range continues to expand, which makes it a challenge to keep up, but a very fun challenge." (3/2022)

Product Details

Origin: Sonoma County, California, United States

Type/Varietal: Zinfandel

SKU: #1543055