95 Jeb Dunnuck
Coming all from the Funsten Ranch in the Dry Creek Valley and 100% Zinfandel, the 2021 Zinfandel East Bench has a rich, more subtle style in its aromatics, with ripe plum, cigar, spice, and earthy nuances, and it certainly plays in the darker, red and black-fruited end of the spectrum. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied, has a deep, expansive, concentrated mouthfeel, velvety tannins, terrific mid-palate density, and a gorgeous finish. This richly textured, incredibly impressive Zinfandel needs 2-3 years to gain additional complexity but will be long-lived, with another 15+ years of prime drinking ahead of it. (Oct 24, 2023)
93 Wine & Spirits
Consider East Bench living proof that zinfandel exceptionalism is not limited to ancient vines. When Paul Draper and his team set out to replant this 19th-century vineyard site on the eastern benchlands of Dry Creek Valley, they propagated vines from four pre-phylloxera vineyards and trained the young plants as bush vines. Now two decades old, those vines produced a floral, red-fruited beauty. That fruit may not have the depth of character of great zin from centenary vines, but it has its own elegant shape, funneling cherry jam and cherry-leaf scents into a tight focus, dry and austere in its youth. Like other classics from Ridge, this will benefit from years in the cellar.
92 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Ridge East Bench Zinfandel is aromatic and pleasing. TASTING NOTES: This wine—made from 100% Zinfandel—is tightly built with aromas and flavors of ripe berries and just a shading of oak. Serve it with grilled baby back ribs. (Tasted: April 19, 2023, San Francisco, CA)
95 Wine Enthusiast
Supreme concentration and great depth characterize this powerful, structured and ageworthy wine. It boasts luscious dried plums and dried blueberries, plus plenty of black pepper and light wood-smoke accents, all backed by firm tannins. Best from 2025-2035. (Nov 1, 2023)
92 Wine Spectator
This takes a few minutes to open up, then reveals raspberry and red plum flavors highlighted by anise and white pepper. Concludes with a refined, tightly focused accent. Drink now through 2031. (Oct 15, 2023)
