January 10, 1996
With each one, the pattern's the same. For five or six years they're wonderful, showing promise of even better things to come, and then BAM! They go racing off the edge like Thelma and Louise. I submit as evidence the 1986 and 1987 Ridge Lytton Springs, the 1986 Ravenswood Dickerson, the 1987 Lytton Springs Winery Reserve and the 1985 Ridge Park-Muscatine zinfandels.
Sure, there are a few exceptions that could foul up our case. I can't say why the 1986 and 1984 Ravenswood Old Hill zinfandels were wonderful while the 1985 was dead as a post. Nor can
anything short of an act of God explain the sheer brilliance of the 1977 Montevina Special Selection Zinfandel or 1977 Mirassou Harvest Selection Unfiltered Zinfandel.
But aside from a few freaks, I'm sure we can make our case that zinfandel, even from the greatest vineyard sites in California, can't be trusted to age longer than five years. After that it's all a crap shoot.
So boss, I say we move in on the Zinfandel Gang now and stick a corkscrew in them. It would be a shame to let any more of them get away from us.
' Respectfully submitted,
Michael Dresser, Gumshoe du Vin
