Geyserville '09?

S

Saina Nieminen

Saina Nieminen
IIRC I have only tasted one Ridge wine, the '78 Cab Sauv "York Creek", which I thought was amazingly good for a grape I generally dislike (or at least prefer blended with the better stuff). Finland will see a small shipment of the Geyserville '09 next month. Should someone of disorderly tastes buy a bottle or two? Will this be like the York Creek that it needs a long time in bottle or can it be enjoyed young? Answers like buy one to try are not appreciated because the amount we'll get is so small it will sell out in an hour or two.
 
I'm probably going to get a bottle sometime soon, 'course, 'zinfandel' is not a dirty word in my vocabulary.
 
Truthfully, Geyserville is not a Zin in the true sense of the term. The combination of fruits (okay, I started to say varietals but bit my tongue [er, fingertips] given the sentiments here) is well beyond Zin.

The Geyservilles over the years have been a delight, including some of them after a fairly lengthy cellaring.

If you like the Geyserville genre (as I do), it is worthy of purchase almost every year...especially given its appealing price point.

. . . . . . Pete
 
Just to add what others have said, you should get a couple of bottles (unless you're victimized by Alko's usual pricing -- it retails for ~$35 stateside), open one soonish and put another away for 15 years. The late '90s Geyservilles are drinking great right now and, at that age, pick up certain animale characteristics that I think you'd really appreciate, Otto.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
Nice cool vintage, too.
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As long as you picked before the Oct rains. Thin skinned Zin easily rots. I haven't had the '09 Geezer, but a certain critic loved it.
 
originally posted by MLipton:
it retails for ~$35 stateside), open one soonish and put another away for 15 years.
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I just received the news that I was allocated two bottles. So I'll drink one now and forget the other. If it is that expensive in the US, this is one of rare cases where we're not being ripped off too badly. Usually a $35 would cost a minimum of 50 EUROs here; but this Ridge is only 38 EUROs!
 
I finally opened one of these today. I am pleasantly impressed. I don't know if any of this will sound familiar to zin drinkers, because I simply don't drink much of it so I haven't developed the vocabulary nor the experience to talk about them. To me it seems spicy like a CdP rather than oak-spice, though there is a bit of oak showing, too. It smells plummy and sweet and has lots of berry flavors - but it also has a savory streak running through all of this so it doesn't seem porty. I sense more oak on the palate, but it is structured instead of just fruity. The 14,5% is well hidden. This is nice! Though I think I will enjoy it more with age.
 
Otto, You did as well, if not better, than anybody else has describing a complex wine that strikes different palates in different ways, often depending on what it is paired with.

Geyserville is becoming an American classic...if such a thing can be said to exist.

Glad you liked it!

. . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by SFJoe: You, Pete, are also an American classic.
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Joe, Now, that is a cause for total consternation, especially from someone who is known to be quite objective and respected like you!

As an unapologetic francophile (when it comes to wines, especially the value tradeoffs of southern France wines, Burgundies, and Rhone varietals...oops, did I dare say "varietals"!), I have to be totally befuddled by your rejoinder here.

Please be assured! I am NOT offended. Only befuddled!

Really and truly! Please explain what it is that I probably will be proud of with respect to your come back. (Public or private response would be appreciated as my curiosity level overflows.)

[EDITED TO ADD] It occurs to me that I perhaps should have posted this to you as a private message. Too late now!

. . . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Cliff:
originally posted by SFJoe:
Pete,

... our young country.

Cheers,

Joe
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Wait a minute, we're older than Italy and Germany! And they're both older than Austria...
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Well, if you're going to date that way, we're older than France, too, since the 5th Republic dates only to the 1950s and the first to only to the 1790s and really the monarchy isn't current France.

Back to topic: I think of Zinfandel as the John Wayne of wine. In pure acting terms, he did nothing right. He overacted. He only had a very small repertoire of expressions, reactions and techniques. But in the hands of John Ford, he could bring tears to your eyes. And in the hands of Howard Hawks, he earned the aestheticist accolades of French cahier types. And to boot, he had a physical grace that was always just below the overacting surface even into old age.

You all can make the connections as you will, but maybe one can interpret calling Pete an American classic in that manner.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
originally posted by Cliff:
originally posted by SFJoe:
Pete,

... our young country.

Cheers,

Joe
Click to expand...

Wait a minute, we're older than Italy and Germany! And they're both older than Austria...
Click to expand...

Well, if you're going to date that way, we're older than France, too...
Click to expand...

Well we are. Nothing controversial there.

Of course this 'technicality' reflects and distorts truth. Sure, our American culture does not have the same time-length of roots as France's or Germany's. But, our political system is clearly older, and that age is also the cause of much concern among people who think we're stuck with outdated 18th century political infrastructure.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
originally posted by Cliff:
originally posted by SFJoe:
Pete,

... our young country.

Cheers,

Joe
Click to expand...

Wait a minute, we're older than Italy and Germany! And they're both older than Austria...
Click to expand...

Well, if you're going to date that way, we're older than France, too...
Click to expand...

Well we are. Nothing controversial there.

Of course this 'technicality' reflects and distorts truth. Sure, our American culture does not have the same time-length of roots as France's or Germany's. But, our political system is clearly older, and that age is also the cause of much concern among people who think we're stuck with outdated 18th century political infrastructure.
Click to expand...

If the 18th century infrastructure is representative democracy, then surely all these infant European countries have the same problem. If it is our separation of executive and legislative, allowing and encouraging stasis, we would need to move backwards toward parliamentary democracy, not forwards out of the 18th century.
 
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