Today we once again present one of the outstanding wineries in all of North America. Ridge Vineyards began back in the 1960s with Paul Draper’s vision of crafting wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains. He saw great potential at this high-elevation site is set at 2300 feet. This is a must-visit for any lover of great California wine. Ridge Vineyard's 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon achieved international fame for its fifth-place finish in the 1976 “Judgement of Paris” wine tasting.
Check out the outstanding new 2024 Ridge ‘Lytton Estate’ Rose (OB, 92) which is tension-filled and bright with beaming acidity. I love the 2023 Ridge ‘Benito Dusi’ Zinfandel (OB, 96) which is downright seamless throughout the drinking experience. Learn more about this historic winery at ridgewine.com Here are the amazing new release wines from Ridge Vineyards.
2024 Ridge Grenache Blanc- Mostly sourced from the Fossil Creek and Adelaida Vineyards, this 2024 Grenache Blanc has 12% Picpoul, and 3% Roussanne blended in. Stored in stainless steel, this offers kiwi and cashew nut with green papaya notes on the palate, alongside salty soil accents. It is rich and viscous with serious verve, as this beauty is best enjoyed now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2030- 93
2024 Ridge ‘Lytton Estate’ Rose- Weighing in at a mere 13.2% alcohol, the 2024 ‘Lytton estate’ is a gorgeous, vibrant new bottling by winemaker Shauna Rosenblum. A blend of mainly Grenache and Zinfaldel, with a smaller amount of Cinsault blended in, this offers cantaloupe and white peach notes on the nose alongside shades of salted green apple and light strawberry notes. The palate is silky and beautifully-textured with a fabulous combination of weight, finesse and salinity. Enjoy this beauty now and over the next five plus years to come. Drink 2025-2030- 92
2023 Ridge ‘Green & Red’ Zinfandel- The 2023 ‘Green & Red’ Zinfandel has a touch of Petite Sirah blended in. Coming from the Napa Valley, this opens with red plum and allspice dusted red currants with chocolate and green herb notes. The palate is big, round and generous with serious texture and good underlying verve, alongside salty nuances. Great now, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2025-2035- 95
2022 Ridge ‘San Lorenzo’ Zinfandel- The 2022 ‘San Lorenzo’ comes from this location that was planted in 1892 just north of Healdsburg. The palate is nicely concentrated with black fruits that mingle well with graphite, chocolate and suggestions of fresh sage. Enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2025-2035- 94
2022 Ridge ‘Boatman’ Zinfandel- 100% varietal, this Alexander Valley bottling comes from this rocky hillside vineyard. The wine is filled with juicy pomegranate and cranberry fruits that mingle well with rocky and salty soils alongside rich red currants. Fresh and vibrant with a soft mouthfeel, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2033- 94
2023 Ridge ‘Blasi’ Zinfandel- The 2023 ‘Blasi’ Zinfandel unlike the ’22 edition does not have any Petite Sirah blended in. Coming from the Chalk Hill AVA, fresh sage and dark fruits mark the nose alongside white pepper and orange zest on the nose. The palate has amazing concentration and finesse with good salty nuances. Cardamom and exotic spices fill the palate alongside a glorious melange of red and dark fruits on the palate. This is nothing short of a stunning edition of this wine that wonderfully smooth throughout the drinking experience. Enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2025-2038- 96
2023 Ridge ‘Benito Dusi’ Zinfandel- Bottled in December 2024, the 2023 ‘Benito Dusi’ Zinfandel comes from these ancient vines which are over 100 years of age. On the nose this takes on smoky accents that meld well with red currants and wild blackberry. This is marvelously concentrated on the palate with gorgeous black fruits, Satsuma orange zest, tilled earth and chocolate tones that mingle well with salty and stony soils, with hints of diatomaceous earth. Drink 2025-2040- 96
2022 Ridge ‘Pagani Ranch Norma’s Block’ Zinfandel- A stunning wine and a truly novel blend, the 2022 Ridge ‘Pagani Ranch Norma’s Block’ Zinfandel has 10% Petite Sirah and 14% Alicante Bouschet blended in. It is lively, with serious verve once on the mouth, with a refined mouthfeel. Gorgeous red and dark fruits parade with dark chocolate shavings, graphite and soft tannins that frame this beauty. A total stunner, this is the finest edition of this wine that I have yet savored. Drink 2025-2040- 96
2023 Ridge ‘Evangelho’ Red Wine- A dense and delightful new bottling coming from the Costa County, the 2023 ‘Evangelho’ is mostly Carignane with a good portion of Zinfandel and Mataro blended in. Green herbs combine with wet stone, Cuban cigar and shades of wild blackberry on the nose. The palate is powerful and concentrated with a great acid backbone and loads of exotic spice nuance. Great now, watch this develop over the next ten plus years. Drink 2025-2040- 96
2023 Ridge ‘Sandy Lane’ Carignane- 100% varietal, the 2023 Ridge ‘Sandy Lane’ Carignane shows off pipe tobacco and loamy soil character on the nose alongside wet gravel and shades of black licorice. The palate is fresh and highly approachable with a seamless texture and beautiful amalgamation of red and dark fruits with tobacco and milk chocolate accents. Drink 2025-2038- 95
2023 Ridge ‘Ponzo’ Zinfandel- The 2023 ‘Ponzo’ is nearly all Zinfandel from the Russian River Valley. It is dense and chewy stuff, as refined tannins meld well with a glorious core of dark fruits and chocolate tones, with coffee grounds, freshly tilled loamy soils and shades of cardamom all combine on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, with great freshness, enjoy now and over the next ten to fifteen years to come. Drink 2025-2038- 95
2023 Ridge ‘St. Peter’s Church’ Zinfandel- The 2023 ‘St. Peter’s Church’ Zinfandel has 5% Petite Sirah blended in. Sourced from this location in Sonoma set on clay and loamy soils, this has terrific tension and brightness once on the mouth. A hedonistic melange of red and dark fruits combine with salty soils, tobacco leaf, kumquat zest and shades of bramble on the palate. Really good now, enjoy over the next ten plus years. Drink 2025-2038- 95
2022 Ridge Syrah/Grenache/Mataro Red Wine- Mainly Syrah (64%) this has 26% Grenache and small parts Matarao and Viognier blend in. Coming from the Lytton Estate Vineyard, the wine opens with a great bouquet of red rose petals with dark currants, tobacco and damp soils. The palate is rich and layered with great verve. Enjoy now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2025-2033- 94
2022 Ridge ‘Frediani Ranch’ Red Wine- An unusual blend of Valdigie (40%), Petite Sirah (37%) and Charbono (23%), this is forward and juicy with dense dark fruits with chocolate and violet tones that mingle well with rocky soils on the palate. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2032- 93