Wine Enthusiast:  Rated as Excellent, extremely well made and highly recommended. "A rich, lusty & satisfying Zinfandel, showing classic varietal flavors of ripe, wild red berries, tobacco, soy sauce, bacon & white pepper. Alcohol is notable in the slight heat & glyceriny sweetness, but those elements are welcome parts of the wine’s personality. Drink now." Sept 2011 (advance)

Winery:  "Garnet/crimson color. Raspberry and red currant fruits, black pepper, brown sugar, earth, iron. Classic Dry Creek briar, attractive barrel toast and spice, lively acid. Drink young."

Wired For Wine:   This Ridge East Bench Zinfandel should help you forget all about the shake, rattle and roll of yesterday.  Enjoy your first glass with basil-smoked sliders topped with pesto mayonnaise and let the distraction begin.  As for the entree, the rich red berry flavors, pepper, spice, perfect acidity and earthy notes of tobacco, soy sauce and bacon make this East Bench a great partner for barbecue, grilled meats, pizza, baked pastas and a whole lot more.  We can't resist pairing it with brown sugar and bourbon baby backs.  It'll be one happy mess.  Salt-and-pepper pork chops served with charred scallions will bring out the pepper, toast and earthy side of this California Zinfandel.  Another delicious choice for the grill is flank steak rubbed with a puree of dried chilis, pecans, orange juice and garlic.  Serve it with oven-roasted potatoes and just listen to the murmurs of delight.  Be sure you've got another bottle waiting in the wings, and break it out to go with a French Red Lacaune cheese.  Who knows?  You just might feel the "earth, move, under your feet"...  Again.

Size:  750ml, cork
Varietal:  100% Zinfandel
Alcohol:  15.2%
Ageing:   13 months in 100% air-dried American oak barrels (20% new, 25% one and two years old, 55% three, four and five years old.)
Region:  Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California