Today it is my pleasure to right about another great historic California winery. I have enjoyed so many of these wines 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. Ridge 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 I tasted were all from their Santa Cruz Mountains estate. I was floored by the new 2022 Ridge ‘Estate’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) which comes from the Monte Bello Vineyard and is just world-class and sinfully good right now. Even better is the 2021 Ridge ‘Monte Bello’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 99) which flirts with perfection and really needs a few more years of bottle age. Learn more about this historic winery at ridgewine.com Here are the amazing new release wines from Ridge Vineyards.
2022 Ridge ‘Estate’ Chardonnay- The ‘Estate’ Chardonnay mainly comes from the Monte Bello Vineyard, as they did not make a Monte Bello Chardonnay this vintage. This was whole cluster pressed to tank and saw considerable pumpers and oxygen infusion, as well as regular less stirring. Coming from vines set on limestone soils, this was stored in a combination of American oak, French oak and Amphorae. This offers a silky texture with beautiful body. Creme brûlée and buttered French bread notes combine with baked apple and suggestions of salted walnut on the palate. Drink 2024-2034- 95
2021 Ridge ‘Estate’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Monte Bello Vineyard and combines 84% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot. Stored in mainly American oak with coconut and black currants that combine with mocha, tar and beautiful dark florals. The palate is soft and refined with beautiful elegance. Deep and rich, with wonderful structure and a generous core of saline drenched dark fruits, pipe tobacco and escrows grounds, this is a glorious effort that will drink well for another fifteen plus years. Drink 2024-2040- 95
2021 Ridge ‘Monte Bello’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A world-class wine from this vintage, the 2021 ‘Monte Bello’ combines 64% Cabernet Sauvignon with 31%Merlot and the remainder Petit Verdot. Beautiful dark rose petals combine with green bell pepper, cuban cigar, and wild blackberry. The palate is soft and seamless as this effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience. A total head-turner, with tremendous mouthfeel, refined tannins and a light dusting of salinity, this beauty will cellar well for at least another twenty years to come. Try to resist this beauty for at least another year. Drink 2025-2050- 99