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Ridge
Ridge 2019 Three Valleys Zinfandel, Sonoma
$ 29.99
Another fantastic Three Valleys from Ridge and one of the best Zinfandel values anywhere!Â
"Three Valleys" is the proprietary name for the only Ridge wine blended from multiple vineyard sites. They select softer, more accessible lots from their single vineyards and, taking the role of winemaker literally, create a character they find most appealing. Younger vines from Lytton Estate provided most of the fruit; older vines on five small Alexander Valley vineyards and one Russian River vineyard make up the rest. This sixth vintage of Three Valleys contains the highest percentage of zinfandel to date. Sensuous structure and rich fruit give the wine immediate appeal; it will bemost enjoyable over the next five years.
93 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The Ridge Three Valleys is another terrific 2018 from this team. A blend of 70% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 12% Carignan, and the rest Mataro, it plays in the medium-bodied, elegant end of the spectrum and has wonderful purity in its blue fruits, peppery herbs, violets, and sandalwood aromas and flavors. Nicely textured, elegant, and seamless on the palate, with good acidity, this ethereal, balanced beauty can be drunk today or cellared for 10-15 years."
92 Points Wine Spectator: Â "Svelte and briary, with vibrant raspberry and black cherry flavors, accented by licorice, tarragon and white pepper notes. Finishes with snappy tannins. Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Mataro. Drink now through 2028. "
Ridge 2018 Lytton Estate Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley
$ 34.99
96 points                                                                Â
Rare new Petite Sirah release from Ridge!
96 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2018 Lytton Estate Petite Sirah is totally stunning. Bright, focused and powerful, the 2018 presents a breathtaking interplay of rich Petite fruit allied to a classic, old-school sense of structure. Dark blue/purplish fruit, leather, licorice, lavender, menthol and gravel are some of the many notes that infuse the 2018 with all those layers of flavor. The 2018 is a real stunner."
The first Ridge Petite Sirah was in 1971. It is a natural cross of syrah and a little-known French variety, peloursin, and is frequently found interplanted in California's old zinfandel vineyards. The varietal offers deep color, firm tannins, and peppery spice complement the rich berry fruit and softer structure of zinfandel. Â The oldest petite sirah vines on our Lytton Estate were planted in 1901 and the youngest in 1998. We made our first wine from the property in 1972 and until 2002 when we bottled portions of the petite sirah as a separate wine for a limited release, it had always been included in the Lytton Springs Zinfandel.Â
Ridge 2018 Lytton Springs Red, Dry Creek Valley
$ 39.99
96 Points - new release                                      Â
The new Ridge Lytton Springs Red now available! Limited.
96 Robert Parker: "The Ridge 2018 Lytton Springs is a blend of 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane and 2% Mataro. The nose is lush and open, with aromas of aniseed, red and blue berries, blood orange and earth plus touches of tobacco leaf and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate combines intense, powerful flavors with a more ethereal, silty structure, and it finishes with loads of juicy layers. It's stunning straight from bottle but will have more to give with time in the cellar...
96 Points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The Ridge 2018 Lytton Springs is magnificent. Elegant, layered and so complete, the 2018 has a lot to offer, but it needs time to fully come together. Sweet red cherry, red plum, blood orange, spice, mint and rose petal open up in the glass. Bright acids and beams of tannin give the wine its vibrant energy. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2018 for at least a few years. Wow!"
92 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "Checking in as 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan, and the rest Mourvèdre, the Ridge 2018 Lytton Springs has a more nuanced, complex style that builds nicely with time in the glass. Red plums, mulberries, flowery incense, cedar, and a kiss of chocolate all define the bouquet, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture (which is the hallmark of this vintage), and ample chalky minerality on the finish. It's going to benefit from a year or three of bottle age and shine for over a decade. I've had this cuvée with 20+ years of bottle age and it ages surprisingly well."
Ridge 2018 Geyserville Red, Sonoma County
$ 44.99
 96 points                                                               Â
The most age worthy of all Ridge zinfandels, the Ridge Geyserville can be magnificent when young. From legendary 130 year old vines!
96 Points Robert Parker: "The Ridge 2018 Geyserville is a blend of 68% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah and 2% Alicante Bouschet. It's incredibly alluring, offering up layers of warm, tricolored fruits and loads of spicy accents on the nose, with a dusty, mineral-tinged undercurrent that adds to its appeal. In the mouth, it's generously fruited and fantastically juicy, its silt-like tannins providing just enough support, and it finishes very long and layered....
...In January 2021, Ridge's long-time winemaker Eric Baugher announced his departure from the company in order to pursue a new winemaking venture in Napa. John Olney, who has been with Ridge for 25 years, is the new COO and head winemaker. He will oversee production at both the Monte Bello and Lytton Springs facilities.
Located on the western edge of Sonoma's Alexander Valley, Geyserville was Ridge's first source of red wine grapes, other than Monte Bello Ridge. The combination of Geyserville's climate, gravelly soils, and varietal mix (zinfandel, carignane, petite sirah, alicante, mataro, etc.) imparts elegance and definition not usually associated with zinfandel. It's hard to describe a "typical" Geyserville. Each vintage is unique, distinct, extraordinary. Yet they do have elements in common, including the blackest of blackberry fruit, peppery spice, tar, cedar. The term "layered" was invented for Geyserville. And the wines change, re-inventing themselves in bottle, developing more nuance and complexity as years pass. The '73 still shines.
Ridge 2017 Estate Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
$ 54.99
Ridge's Estate Chardonnay is one of the best buys in California. A gem from the Santa Cruz Mountains, it's got complex fruit aromas and flavors, firm acidity, leesy texture and a mineral streak that make this a Chardonnay that can be enjoyed on its own or paired with your next meal. Get the new vintage before the scores come out!
94 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2017 Chardonnay Estate has a Burgundian reductive quality as well as first-rate notes of caramelized orchard fruits, crushed rock, and subtle toasty, nutty notes. Rich, medium to full-bodied, with bright acidity, it has beautiful mid-palate depth, and well as the class and structure to keep for 15+ years. This is beautifully done."
previous vintage 95 points Robert Parker: "The Chardonnay Estate is an impeccable, classy wine layered with bright citrus, flowers and just a touch of sweetness from the oak. Crushed rocks and lime peel add complexity on the textured, long finish. None of the blocks were designated for the Monte Bello bottling, all of the fruit went into the Estate. This is a stunningly pure wine from Ridge. I came back to the 2009 Estate after having tasted all of the reds and the wine showed beautifully. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2019."
Ridge 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mts
$ 59.99
Ridge's Estate Cabernet Sauvigon is what we call "baby Monte Bello" and an amazing buy in Cabernet.
94 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "Ridge’s 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a fabulous choice for readers who want a Monte Bello fix now, without having to wait. Supple, radiant and silky, with tremendous balance, the 2017 is just flat-out delicious and utterly irresistible. Dark red cherry/plum fruit, mocha, licorice, sweet tobacco and a kick of American oak build as this sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon shows its allure. The 2017 is an outrageously beautiful wine. Don’t miss it."
previous vintage 94 points Vinous: "Once again an overachiever, Ridge's Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is regal. Aromatically intense and deep on the palate, the 2016 proves to be utterly captivating from the very first taste. Dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, dried flowers, leather and menthol infuse the 2016 with remarkable complexity. In 2016, the last year of the drought cycle Ridge made one of the very best editions of this wine. Just as remarkably, the 2016 is incredibly harmonious for such a young wine."
The Monte Bello vineyard was first planted when the winery was built, in 1886. In the early 1940s, the last of the old vineyard was abandoned; in the late forties a few blocks were replanted. Those cabernet vines - now sixty years old - produced the first Ridge Monte Bello in 1962, and subsequent vintages until the mid-seventies. By then, blocks replanted during the sixties were maturing, and their fruit considered for use in the Monte Bello. A number of those consistently produced a softer, more accessible wine and were combined as the stylistically distinct Santa Cruz Mountains Estate.
Ridge 2016 'Monte Bello' Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mts MAGNUM (1.5L)
$ 425.00
* This is a rare MAGNUM (1.5L) bottle*
One of California's original Classic Cabernets!
98 Points Antionio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2016 Monte Bello is stunningly beautiful. Medium in body, gracious and understated, the 2016 is a Monte Bello that is built on total finesse. Red cherry jam, raspberry jam, menthol and rose petal all grace this exquisite, vivid Monte Bello. All the elements are simply in the right place. The 2016 is not an obvious Monte Bello, but it is supremely gorgeous. At times, the sensation of tannins is non-existent. The persistent, crystalline finish is one thing of beauty."
Judgment of Paris Winner:Â On May 24, 2006, a 30 year re-enactment of the Judgment of Paris was organized, this time with simultaneous tastings in London and in Napa at Copia. Paralleling the 1976 event, nine expert tasters at each location judged the original red wines, now over thirty years old. The winning wine in both the US and UK was the Ridge Monte Bello 1971.
Ridge 2017 'Monte Bello' Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mts MAGNUM (1.5L)
$ 463.00
Perfect 100 points                                                   Â
* This is a rare MAGNUM (1.5L) bottle*
One of California's original Classic Cabernets!
100 Points Robert Parker: "Destined to rank as one of the all-time greats from Ridge, the 2017 Monte Bello opens in the glass with youthfully complex notes of ripe plums, cassis, espresso roast and black truffles, with little apparent trace of its time in 100% new oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied and incredibly concentrated, with a rich, layered mid-palate and immense substance that marks it out as the most richly tannic Monte Bello since 2013. As ever, the acids are vibrant, with a classic pH of around 3.5—notably lower than most Cabernet Sauvignons from contemporary Bordeaux or Napa Valley, thanks to this site's limestone soils and high altitude. At the time of writing, the blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, though that may change by the time it's bottled. Eric Baugher observes that fermentations were slow in 2017, which protracted the period of extraction, partially accounting for this vintage's power. It's still a baby, but this is a strong contender for a perfect score when it's bottled in over a year's time—and it should see out its 50th birthday in style.
100 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "Pure perfection, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a sensational effort from this estate that should be snatched up by drinkers and collectors. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was brought up mostly in new American oak, this saturated purple-hued beauty is legendary Monte Bello in the making and has a stunning yet primordial bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and one of the most concentrated versions of this cuvée ever made (I've had most of them), it needs a solid decade of bottle age and will have 50-60 years of overall longevity. Despite the long drinking window, it offers plenty of pleasure even today. I followed this bottle for two days and it showed best right out of the gate, closing down and becoming more brooding and backward with air. It's an incredible wine that I promise you won't regret having in your cellar."
Judgment of Paris Winner:Â On May 24, 2006, a 30 year re-enactment of the Judgment of Paris was organized, this time with simultaneous tastings in London and in Napa at Copia. Paralleling the 1976 event, nine expert tasters at each location judged the original red wines, now over thirty years old. The winning wine in both the US and UK was the Ridge Monte Bello 1971.
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