There are outstanding wines in this set of releases, headed up by a spectacular Monte Bello. I also received a sample of the Ponzo Zinfandel, but it was corked, so I cannot review it here.
2016 Zinfandel Sonoma Valley Pagani Ranch
This is one of the best Pagani Zinfandels I can remember in recent years. The vines now are roughly a century old, and accordingly gives a creamy texture to this wine. The fruits are dark, there’s some minerality, and no heat showing from the 14.8% stated alcohol. 88% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah, 3% Alicante-Bouschet. I’d drink this wine over the next 8-10 years. 90/A-
2016 Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Sonoma Valley
Like the Pigani Ranch Zinfandel, this is one of the finest Lytton Springs releases I can recall in recent years. The wine is balanced with spicy dark fruits and medium weight. The tannins are round, and the wine shows the balance to permit drinking now and over the next 10-15 years. 69% Zinfandel, 23% Petite Sirah, 6% Carignane, 2% Matarò (Mourvèdre). 14.4% stated alcohol. 92/A
2016 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate Dry Creek Valley
In general, I am a huge fan of Ridge Petite Sirahs. And this one has some very positive aspects to it, notably the mineral dark fruits in the mouth. But I find the wine flat on the palate, and therefore lacking energy and more precise definition. The wine maker’s note says that it will develop over the next ten years. 100% Petite Sirah. 13.8% stated alcohol. 86/C
2015 Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello Vineyard
This is Monte Bello in all its classic glory: hot bricks aromas and flavors, cassis and dark plums, minerality, medium-weight, round tannins, and a smooth texture. This wine has decades of life ahead of it, but the fruit is so strong and the wine so well-balanced that you will not waste a bottle if you open it already. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc. 13.5% stated alcohol. 97/A+