Ridge Vineyards Geyserville, Alexander Valley

Ridge is one of California's most respected wineries, and Geyserville is the bottling that built its name. It has been made every year since 1966 from a single Alexander Valley site, where some of the vines are over 130 years old - among the oldest still farmed anywhere in California. It is a field blend: Zinfandel leads, with Carignane, Petite Sirah and a little Mataro grown side by side and picked together, the old-fashioned way. Ridge keeps the winemaking deliberately simple, using natural yeasts and ageing the wine for sixteen months in American oak. The aim is to let the vineyard speak rather than the cellar. The result is rich but not heavy - dark plum, black cherry and a lift of pepper and spice, with a freshness that stops it feeling jammy. It drinks beautifully now but has the structure to keep for years. Serve at cool room temperature.