1993 Ravenswood Zinfandel Old Hill Limited Edition
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Tasting notes
The 1993 Zinfandel Old Hill offers up a dusty, earthy, spicy nose, followed by rustic, full-bodied, broad-shouldered flavors, a massive, heady, slightly tannic finish, and an uncivilized personality. This rich wine possesses an intriguing texture, but the earthy components, combined with more tannin than the other offerings, make it less flattering to drink. Give it 8-12 months of cellaring and drink it over the following 12+ years. With Ravenswood's production soaring to nearly 100,000 cases (60% of which is Vintner's Blend Zinfandel and Merlot), it is amazing that proprietor/winemaker, Joel Peterson, can continue to turn out such intense wines, particularly in view of the cramped cellars in which he must work. The small quantities (only 500-600 cases) of single vineyard Zinfandel he produces, continue to be among the most enticing, flavorful, and distinctive California Zinfandels. The 1993s are all excellent to outstanding wines, save for the Dickerson Vineyard, which for the second consecutive year is not as rich as prior efforts. Tel. (707) 938-1960
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Medium-dark red. Cassis, redcurrant, smoky oak and an herbal note on the nose. Dense and silky, with lovely restrained sweetness and reasonably good delineation of flavor. Very long on the palate; comes across as somewhat more tannic than the '94, and a bit less suave and sweet. Peterson says he used a higher percentage of new oak in '93 to get more sweetness. 14.5% alcohol.