2006 Ridge Vineyards Carmichael Zinfandel ATP ***

From "Carmichael's eastern edge, where the soil is clay loam atop decomposed granite," this 96% zinfandel with 4% co-fermented petite sirah spent fifteen months in barrel and was bottled in March 2008. It is the best Advanced Tasting Program zinfandel released by Ridge in 2008. (The 2006 Lytton Springs *** is close on its heels.) Lucious, with bold boysenberry and vanilla notes, this wine displayed dark cocoa and roughly crushed roasted coffee beans after 24 hours of decanting. Try a bottle now, but it will age nicely for the next eight years.