Ridge’s Pagani Ranch Zinfandel was aged in air-dried American oak barrels, mostly used. The grapes were destemmed and crushed, with natural primary and malolactic fermentations, and pumped over a floating cap. The result is a savory, aromatic red offering mixed berry fruit, cedarwood, and sagebrush notes. On the palate, crunchy red fruit and apple-skin tannins mingle with underbrush and zesty blood orange acidity that’s lively, even slightly prickly, leading to a finish marked by building tannins and red-toned fruit nuanced by crushed cocoa nibs. Since 1991, Ridge has produced Zinfandel from the historic Pagani Vineyard on the western side of Sonoma Valley, where the majority of vines are between 90 and 120 years old, with some blocks replanted between 2013 and 2018. Ridge has been a Sonoma institution since 1962, known for its single-vineyard winemaking. COO & Head Winemaker John Olney is accompanied in the cellar by Shauna Rosenblum (formerly of Rock Wall Wine Company and daughter of iconic winemaker Kent Rosenblum), focusing on Lytton Springs.