2005 Ridge Pagani Ranch

The good people at Ridge held up my wine club shipment for a few weeks, waiting for the heat wave on the East coast to break (the last thing anyone wants is to have their juice driving around in triple digit UPS vans). I popped the 2005 Pagani Ranch within days of receiving the shipment and it was more than worth the wait.

This is a refined, elegant wine that is a far cry from the countless zinfandel "fruit bombs" out there. The initial nose is berries (when I opened it, someone with their back turned to me asked if I opened a pinot) that give way to an earthy must and maybe a hint of cloves. On the palate, this wine has quite a bit of depth, unraveling in waves through your mouth. Of course, it is a zin, so eventually the acidity and alcohol close it out, but even here, it is a delicate transition.

In one word, I would describe this wine as "comfortable." Comfortable as in your favorite flannel shirt, or an aged pair of khakis. It drinks very well now, but I could see it holding up to several years in the cellar.