2016 Ridge Zinfandel Paso Robles

The 2016 Zinfandel Paso Robles comes all from the Benito Dusi Ranch Vineyard and has textbook notes of red and black currants, cedarwood, dried flowers, and herbes de Provence. It's medium-bodied, charming, and elegant on the palate, and opens up nicely with time in the glass. It offers plenty of pleasure and should drink nicely for 4-6 years.

The 2016 Zinfandel Benito Dusi Ranch is gorgeous in the way it melds together the richness of Paso Robles with the freshness and energy that are such Ridge signatures. Ripe dark cherry, plum, leather, licorice and spice notes infuse this succulent, inviting Zinfandel. The 2016 was done with submerged cap maceration, which gives the wine a super-classic feel.

The 2016 Zinfandel Paso Robles is lovely, wafting from the glass with aromas of ripe blackberries, plum preserves and rich spices. On the palate, it's full-bodied, lavish and velvety, with an ample core of ripe, sun-kissed fruit, lovely purity and a sweet, lingering finish. As ever, this is one of the very finest Zinfandels produced in the region, and its naked, effortless style should be a beacon for other producers to follow. It derives from the Benito Dusi Ranch, which is visible from Route 101 as you drive through Paso Robles. Ridge produced their first vintage from this site in 1967.