Ridge Vineyards 2023 Geyerserville Zinfandel 3000 ml (3L)

Geyserville is one of Ridge's true flagship wines, with a history stretching back to the very first vintage in 1966 — nearly six decades of continuous production from an old-vine field blend planted just a mile from the winery's own Lytton Springs property, in an overall warmer pocket of Sonoma's Alexander Valley. But even in that typically warmer site, 2023 proved genuinely unusual: a cool, slow-starting season pushed picking all the way to November 1st, marking the latest Geyserville harvest on record since that inaugural 1966 vintage. The classic field blend runs 70% Zinfandel, anchored as always by Carignane, Petite Sirah, and a touch of Alicante Bouschet, matured 16 months in barrels comprising 15% new, air-dried American oak.

Ridge's own team calls the result "outstanding" — "a very young wine yet, but one that will continue to blossom for the next 20 years." The critical reception has been extraordinary across every major reviewer. Wine.com's Wilfred Wong awarded 96 Points, writing with genuine personal history: "I first fell in love with the 1972 Ridge Geyserville when I tasted it in the mid-1970s. The 2023 is better than it has ever been," describing "aromas and flavors of dried rocks, earth, oak, and blackberries," recommending it alongside Moroccan spiced lamb. Zinfandel Chronicles' Tom Lee matched that with 96 Points, calling it a "blockbuster Geyserville," finding "beautiful nose of red fruits, baking spices, anise and pepper," with "medium body, mouthwatering acidity and impeccable balance," packed with "raspberry, cherry, tobacco leaves and pepper" and "tremendous length on the finish."

OwenBargreen.com also awarded 96 Points, describing "a marvelous, silky blend" delivering "beautiful violet rose petals alongside mocha, tar, Cuban cigar and notes of garrigue with loganberry compote," fresh and refined on the palate "with an elegant mid-palate mouthfeel and light dusting of salinity" — noting the wine "has yet to fully hit its stride, but the incredible potential is there," recommending a drinking window from 2026 through 2045. Decanter awarded 95 Points, specifically highlighting the unusual, late 2023 growing season. Vinous Media scored it 95+ Points, calling it "dark and brooding... virile and intense, a monster wine that's only at the very beginning of its evolution," marching from the glass "with dark shadings of tobacco, inky black fruit, cracked pepper, sage, turned earth and pine," concluding: "it's a sleeping giant today." This is one of Ridge's most historically significant and most decorated single vintages — now available in this substantial 3-liter format, built for genuinely long-term cellaring.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Geyserville is one of Ridge Vineyards' longest-running and most celebrated wines, with an unbroken history dating to the estate's first vintage in 1966. The vineyard sits in Sonoma's Alexander Valley, just a mile from Ridge's own Lytton Springs winery, in what is generally an overall warmer pocket of the region — though 2023 proved a genuine exception, delivering an unusually cool, slow-starting growing season even in this typically warmer site. Picking continued all the way to November 1st, making 2023 the latest Geyserville harvest on record since the vineyard's inaugural 1966 vintage.

The wine is a classic old-vine field blend, always anchored by Zinfandel, with Carignane, Petite Sirah, and other supporting varieties playing complementary roles. The 2023 vintage runs 70% Zinfandel, 18% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, and 3% Alicante Bouschet, matured for 16 months in barrels comprising 15% new, air-dried American oak. Bottled at 14.6% ABV.

Critics Reviews

Wilfred Wong — 96 Points (March 2025):
"I first fell in love with the 1972 Ridge Geyserville when I tasted it in the mid-1970s. The 2023 is better than it has ever been. This wine reveals aromas and flavors of dried rocks, earth, oak, and blackberries. Enjoy it with Moroccan spiced lamb. The dish's cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and paprika will provide the perfect pairing." (Best Served: 2025-2038)

Tom Lee, Zinfandel Chronicles — 96 Points (March 2025):
"Bright crimson in color. Beautiful nose of red fruits, baking spices, anise and pepper. Medium body with mouthwatering acidity and impeccable balance. Packed with juicy, intense fruits. Raspberry, cherry, tobacco leaves and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. This wine has the stuffing to drink well for the next decade. Blockbuster Geyserville."

OwenBargreen.com — 96 Points:
"The 2023 'Geyserville' is a marvelous, silky blend of mainly Zinfandel (70%) with 18% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah and a touch of Alicante Boushet. Very dark in the glass, this delivers beautiful violet rose petals alongside mocha, tar, Cuban cigar and notes of garrigue with loganberry compote. The palate is fresh and refined, with an elegant mid-palate mouthfeel and light dusting of salinity. Well-structured and weighted, offering plenty of depth and flavor density, this is a marvelous effort that has yet to fully hit its stride — but the incredible potential is there. The combination of weight and tension suggests this will be very long-lived. Give this another year in the cellar before uncorking." Drink 2026-2045.

Decanter.com — 95 Points:
"Just a mile from the winery in Lytton Springs, the Geyserville vineyard sits in an overall warmer pocket of Sonoma, but even here, 2023 was unusually cool and slow to start. The winemaking team states that this was the latest Geyserville harvest on record, since the first vintage in 1966."

Vinous Media — 95+ Points:
"A blend of 70% Zinfandel, 18% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah and 3% Alicante Bouschet, the 2023 Geyserville is dark and brooding. Virile and intense, this is a monster wine that's only at the very beginning of its evolution. So impressively articulated, the 2023 somberly marches from the glass with dark shadings of tobacco, inky black fruit, cracked pepper, sage, turned earth and pine, building powerful minerality with aeration. The 2023 will need several years to come around. It's a sleeping giant today."

Ridge Vineyards (official tasting note):
"Faint, almost fluffy tannins coat the mouth but don't exert much pressure on the palate. A very young wine yet, but one that will continue to blossom for the next 20 years. Outstanding."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Bright crimson in the glass, very dark and youthfully dense. Beautiful violet rose petals lead, alongside mocha, tar, and Cuban cigar. Blackcurrant, dried rocks, earth, and blackberries add further depth, with red fruit, baking spices, anise, and pepper.

Palate
Fresh and refined, with elegant mid-palate mouthfeel and a light dusting of salinity. Full-bodied and powerfully styled, with highly concentrated, mineral-driven flavors — raspberry, cherry, tobacco leaf, dark shadings of inky black fruit, cracked pepper, sage, and turned earth.

Finish
Long, with faint, fluffy tannins that coat the mouth without exerting much pressure. Firm yet integrated, closing with tremendous length — a wine genuinely built for the next two decades of cellaring.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Moroccan spiced lamb
• Grilled or roasted red meat
• Aged hard cheeses
• Rich, savory braises