95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Coming all from the Funsten Ranch in the Dry Creek Valley and 100% Zinfandel, the 2021 Zinfandel East Bench has a rich, more subtle style in its aromatics, with ripe plum, cigar, spice, and earthy nuances, and it certainly plays in the darker, red and black-fruited end of the spectrum. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied, has a deep, expansive, concentrated mouthfeel, velvety tannins, terrific mid-palate density, and a gorgeous finish. This richly textured, incredibly impressive Zinfandel needs 2-3 years to gain additional complexity but will be long-lived, with another 15+ years of prime drinking ahead of it. Drink: 2025-2041. (10/24/23)"
95 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "[$45 list] Supreme concentration and great depth characterize this powerful, structured and ageworthy wine. It boasts luscious dried plums and dried blueberries, plus plenty of black pepper and light wood-smoke accents, all backed by firm tannins. Best from 2025-2035. Alcohol 14.9%. (Nov 2023)"
93 points Wine & Spirits: "[$45 list] Consider East Bench living proof that zinfandel exceptionalism is not limited to ancient vines. When Paul Draper and his team set out to replant this 19th-century vineyard site on the eastern benchlands of Dry Creek Valley, they propagated vines from four pre-phylloxera vineyards and trained the young plants as bush vines. Now two decades old, those vines produced a floral, red-fruited beauty. That fruit may not have the depth of character of great zin from centenary vines, but it has its own elegant shape, funneling cherry jam and cherry-leaf scents into a tight focus, dry and austere in its youth. Like other classics from Ridge, this will benefit from years in the cellar. (Apr 2023)"
92 points Wine Spectator: "[$45 list] This takes a few minutes to open up, then reveals raspberry and red plum flavors highlighted by anise and white pepper. Concludes with a refined, tightly focused accent. Drink now through 2031. (10/15/23)"
95 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "[$45 list] Supreme concentration and great depth characterize this powerful, structured and ageworthy wine. It boasts luscious dried plums and dried blueberries, plus plenty of black pepper and light wood-smoke accents, all backed by firm tannins. Best from 2025-2035. Alcohol 14.9%. (Nov 2023)"
93 points Wine & Spirits: "[$45 list] Consider East Bench living proof that zinfandel exceptionalism is not limited to ancient vines. When Paul Draper and his team set out to replant this 19th-century vineyard site on the eastern benchlands of Dry Creek Valley, they propagated vines from four pre-phylloxera vineyards and trained the young plants as bush vines. Now two decades old, those vines produced a floral, red-fruited beauty. That fruit may not have the depth of character of great zin from centenary vines, but it has its own elegant shape, funneling cherry jam and cherry-leaf scents into a tight focus, dry and austere in its youth. Like other classics from Ridge, this will benefit from years in the cellar. (Apr 2023)"
92 points Wine Spectator: "[$45 list] This takes a few minutes to open up, then reveals raspberry and red plum flavors highlighted by anise and white pepper. Concludes with a refined, tightly focused accent. Drink now through 2031. (10/15/23)"
| Product SKU | 351189 |
| Producer | Ridge |
| Country | United States |
| Region | California |
| SubRegion | Sonoma County |
| Appellation | Dry Creek Valley |
| Varietal | Zinfandel |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Color | Red |
| ABV | 14.9% |
| Ships To |
