I have long admired the wines of Ridge Vineyards, fondly revisiting some wines in my personal collection back to the 1970s. One of the great historic wineries in California, Ridge Vineyard is perched atop the Santa Cruz Mountains in a stunning spot with views that sweep across Silicon Valley. While I love tasting at their Sonoma Valley location, their Monte Bello Estate is even more gorgeous. Founded by three Stanford Research Institute engineers, winemaker Paul Draper joined in 1969. They have received considerable prestige for their wines in historical terms, as Ridge Vineyard's 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon achieved international fame for its fifth-place finish in the 1976 “Judgement of Paris” wine tasting.
Ridge has crafted a fantastic new lineup of new wines. Look for their 2020 Ridge Grenache Blanc (OB, 92) which has a soft texture and really good flavor range. Even better is the show-stopping 2018 Ridge Vineyards ‘Monte Bello’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 96), is a densely packed, tightly wound beast that will need some years in the cellar to tame. This one can go for twenty to thirty years! Learn more about this historic winery at ridgewine.com Here are the amazing new release wines from Ridge Vineyards.
2020 Ridge Vineyards Grenache Blanc- Fresh, vibrant and beautifully textured, the 2020 Grenache Blanc by Ridge exudes class with its gooseberry, green papaya, white peach and stony mineral flavors. Medium to full-bodied, with plenty of finesse, and salted Macadamia nut undercurrents this beautiful wine has another seven plus years to go. Drink 2021-2028- 92
2016 Ridge Vineyards ‘Lytton Estate’ Syrah- The 2016 ‘Lytton Estate’ Syrah is blended with 7% Viognier. The beautiful floral tones from the Viognier really work wonders, as rich black tea and blackberry tones fill the nose. The palate is generous and bright with a silky texture. With beautiful length, this has some really nice aging potential. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2018 Ridge Vineyards Syrah/Grenache/Mataro- A truly unique blend, this beautiful wine shows off really nice smoky tones with white pepper and a touch of dark cherry with tobacco leaf undertones aromatically. The palate shows a silky texture with gobs of mouth-watering acidity and plenty of finesse, as this effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience. Gorgeous in its youth, enjoy this beauty over the next decade. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2019 Ridge Vineyards ‘Lytton Springs’ Red WIne- Mostly Zinfandel (73%) this forward wine shows red plum, red cherry and dill flavors with good richness. Enjoy this good value over the next seven years. Drink 2021-2028- 91
2018 Ridge Vineyards ‘Mazzoni Home Ranch’ Red Wine- A highly unique and impeccably blend of 56% Zinfandel, 42% Carignane and a touch of Petite Sirah, this shows beautiful balance with ripe red raspberry and red cherry flavors alongside dill and pipe tobacco undertones. Medium to full-bodied with gobs of mouth-watering acidity, this is a sensational bottling that has another fifteen years of life ahead of it. Drink 2021-2035- 95
2018 Ridge Vineyards ‘Hooker Creek’ Zinfandel- The 2018 ‘Hooker Creek’ blends in a touch off Petite Sirah (4%) and Alicante Bouchet (2%). The palate is exceedingly silky with light tannins that frame a generous core of red and dark fruits with tobacco and bay leaf and orange rind undertones with red floral accents. This is exceedingly good even to consume at the three year mark. Drink 2021-2033- 94
2019 Ridge Vineyards ‘Guadagni’ Zinfandel- A blend of76% Zinfandel with the remainder Petite Sirah, the ‘Guadagni’ is exceedingly polished with firm tannins that mingle with red cherry candy, leather, black tea and exotic spices. Full-bodied with plenty of structure and bright acidity, this is a sumptuous bottling that has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2021-2033- 95
2019 Ridge Vineyards ‘Rockpile’ Red Wine- The 2019 ‘Rockpile’ blends 71% Zinfandel with the remainder Petite Sirah. Despite the high percentage of Petite Sirah, this wine screams balance rather than weight or intensity. Silky tannins frame the beautiful core of wild blackberry compote, menthol, Mandarin orange zest and ripe Yakima cherry on the palate. This is exceedingly delicious to consume now, as this has another fifteen years to go. Drink 2021-2035- 95
2019 Ridge Vineyards ‘Pagnani Ranch’ Zinfandel- A blend of 90% Zinfandel with small parts Petite Sirah, and Alicante Bouchet, this beautiful wine shows off a core of ripe red plum, soy sauce, white pepper and a touch of blueberry compote on the palate. Full-bodided, with bright lip-smacking acidity, this outstanding new Zinfandel will be drinking well over the next fifteen years. Drink 2021-2035- 95
2019 Ridge Vineyards ‘Evangelho’ Red Wine- The 2019 ‘Evangelho’ combines 47% Carignane, 29% Zinfandel and the remainder Mataro. Inky and intense once in the glass, the brilliant core of huckleberry, smoke and creme de violette all come together beautifully on the palate. With a generous texture and good length, this outstanding, one of a kind blend, will cellar well for another fifteen years. Drink 2021-2038- 96
2019 Ridge Vineyards ‘Buchignani Ranch’ Carignane- The 2019 ‘Buchignani Ranch’ Carignane is sourced from very old vines. The heady aromatics impress with Earl Grey tea, black currant jelly and smoky undertones that all take shape in the glass. The palate is intense and well-balanced with heady dark and red fruits that collide with minerals and scorched earthy tones. This wine is truly in its own category. Drink 2021-2035- 95
2019 Ridge Vineyards ‘Benito Dusi’ Zinfandel- This 100% Zinfandel wine weighs in a touch higher than the other Zins (15.1%) yet the freshness is wonderfully intact here. Rich red fruits parade with stony minerals, smoke and shades of Hoisin sauce on the palate. Completely delicious to consume now, enjoy this beautiful wine over the next ten years. Drink 2021-2031- 94
2018 Ridge Vineyards ‘Monte Bello’ Red Wine- This vintage has a lower percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (68%) with smaller parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The nose exudes class with toasty oak that wraps around the core of blackberry compote, dark currants, cigar box and garrigue undertones. The palate is deeply concentrated with a brilliant veil of tension and a light dusting of salinity that falls over the core of dark fruits. Full-bodied and voluptuous to consume in its youth, I have little doubt this will be a 20-30 year old wine. Drink 2021-2041- 96