2002 Ridge Vineyards, Zinfandel, Stone Ranch

Very dark garnet. Nose has red cherry and some oak. Forward fruit is red cherry high acid, moderate tannins, and a long finish with overripe flavors. This is another example of the high alcohol (14.8%), overripe style of Zinfandel that seems to be popular in California. I am not a big fan of this style, but I have had many worse examples. Not rated.

This is an ATP wine from Ridge and it is the first vintage from the Stone Ranch Vineyard. Usually I would have waited at least a few more years before trying this, but while sorting through all the bottles in my cellar to pick out wines to drink during the next 6 months or so, I noticed that there were a few drops of wine leaking through the capsule. This wine is young enough (it was bottled in February 2004) that I doubt the small leak in the cork damaged it