I have long admired the wines of Ridge Vineyards. These are age worthy wines that I have enjoyed for many years in my personal cellar. This winery was founded by Paul Draper in the 1960s and their gorgeous estate is in a dramatic setting, set at 2300 feet in the Santa Cruz Mountains. If you have never visited this scenic site you are in for a treat. TheRidge Vineyard's 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon achieved international fame for its fifth-place finish in the 1976 “Judgement of Paris” wine tasting.
The new wines were truly outstanding. These will all be released in Fall 2022. Do not miss out on the stunning 2019 Ridge ‘Monte Bello’ Chardonnay (OB, 96) which evolves into a stunning, seamless wine after an hour of air. This beauty will easily go for another decade. I loved the new 2020 Ridge ‘Evangelho’ Red Wine (OB, 94) which is incredibly novel and showcases Carignane. This wine is quite unlike anything you will see in California. Learn more about this historic winery at ridgewine.com Here are the amazing new release wines from Ridge Vineyards.
2021 Ridge Vineyards Grenache Blanc- The 2021 Ridge Vineyards Grenache Blanc has a small portion of Roussanne and Picpoul blended in. The nose shows beautiful star jasmine tones alongside Japanese pear and salted brioche notes. The palate is incredibly fresh and vibrant with a seamless texture. Very juicy and bright, this is drinking beautifully now and will continue to evolve nutty and earthy tones over the next six plus years. Drink 2022-2028- 93
2019 Ridge Vineyards ‘Monte Bello’ Chardonnay- The 2019 ‘Monte Bello’ Chardonnay was stored for fifteen months in primarily American oak barrels before bottling. This is a seamless and elegant wine that shows great depth, weight and poise. Sweet corn, pineapple, creme brûlée and toasty oak notes combine seamlessly on the palate. This comes off as very weightless and just wait for the near minute long finish. Give this an hour of air and this will get better and better. Drink 2022-2032- 96
2020 Ridge Vineyards ‘Lytton Springs’ Red Wine- The outstanding 2020 Ridge Vineyards ‘Lytton Springs’ Red Wine is a blend of 79% Zinfandel with 11% Petite Sirah and 10% Carignane. The beautiful red florals on the nose with potpourri, white pepper and ripe red fruits that mingle with shades of smoked brisket. The palate is plush and soft with a seamless mouthfeel and very lengthy finish. This has both the stuffing and finesse to cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2022-2035- 93
2020 Ridge Vineyards ‘Pagani Ranch’ Zinfandel- Nearly all Zinfandel (90%), this has 4% Alicante blended in. Very juicy and bright, this shows ripe strawberry and bing cherry with prosciutto and green olive notes on the palate. Complex and delicious, this has a long way to go in the cellar. Vibrant, with a terrific mineral backbone, this weights in at only 13.8% alcohol. Drink 2022-2035- 94
2020 Ridge Vineyards ‘Benito Dust’ Zinfandel- This 100% varietal, single vineyard bottling, offers very fragrant red fruits and red florals on the nose, with dried herbs and green bell pepper notes. The palate is very vibrant and fresh, with a pretty core of red fruits, with green peppercorns, cigar box and bright acidity holding everything in place. Enjoy this beauty over the next decade. Drink 2022-2032- 94
2017 Ridge Vineyards ‘Buchignani Ranch’ Zinfandel- A knockout wine to consume now, the 2017 Ridge Vineyards ‘Buchignani Ranch’ Zinfandel has 25% Carignane blended in. The palate is silky and elegant with a seamless mouthfeel. A light dusting of black pepper falls upon layers of allspice dusted charcuterie, cigar ash, and very pretty red fruits. Everything is just marvelously in balance here. Drink 2022-2032- 95
2020 Ridge Vineyards ‘Ponzo Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The 2020 ‘Ponzo Vineyard’ Zinfandel comes from this Sonoma County site. Red cherry cordial and tobacco leaf combine with strawberry Starburst candy on the nose. The palate is soft and refined with bright acidity and citrus zest accents. Very sexy and refined, drink this elegant Zinfandel over the next decade. Drink 2022-2032- 93
2020 Ridge Vineyards ‘Evangelho’ Red Wine- The 2020 ‘Evangelho’ is a unique blend of 54% Carignane with 26% Zinfandel and the remainder Mataro which was sourced from the Contra Costa County. The nose is just sensational with violets, white pepper dusted bacon and brandy soaked dark cherry. The palate is soft and refined, making this exceedingly easy to drink even now. Bright acidity holds in place a ripe core of red fruits that combine with rose water, kumquat zest and creosote notes. Highly novel and complex, this is gorgeous wine that will cellar well for another decade or more. Drink 2022-2035- 94
2019 Ridge Vineyards ‘Lytton Estate’ Petite Sirah- The 2019 ‘Lytton Estate’ Petite Sirah is a gorgeous effort that is 100% varietal. Once on the nose this takes on layers of toasty oak with ripe blueberries and dark cherry cordial. This is loaded with minerality, which holds in place a massive core of black and blue fruits with espresso grounds and dark chocolate shavings. Delicious now, enjoy this beauty over the next fifteen years. Drink 2022-2035- 94