Ridge Vineyards
Ridge Vineyards started in 1962 on the Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Winemaker Paul Draper was appointed in 1969, he now draws on over 40 vintages of experience. They shot to fame in 1976 by coming first at the famous Judgement of Paris Tasting. Using traditional methods and minimal intervention they make great Bordeaux blends and Chardonnay from excellent terroir in Monte Bello and Zinfandel in their Sonoma County vineyards.
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California | 1 | 94 (VN) | $154.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)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. |
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California | 1 | 94+ (JD) | $1,205.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (94+)The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes from the estate Monte Bello Vineyard on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains and is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. Hitting 13.8% alcohol, its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a brilliant perfume of blue fruits, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and lead pencil. Beautifully balanced and medium to full-bodied, with building tannins, it's a seamless Cabernet Sauvignon that has some up-front appeal given its balance and elegance yet will benefit from 2-5 years of bottle age and, I suspect, have 20+ years of overall longevity. |
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California | 1 | - | $1,130.00 | |||||
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California | 1 | 92 (VN) | $179.00 | |||||
Vinous (92)Ridge's 2014 Merlot Estate possesses notable purity of fruit, brilliant aromatic presence and fabulous balance. Pliant, open-knit and super-expressive, Ridge's Merlot is a terrific choice for readers who are just starting to get to know the Ridge wines, as it can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring. What a joy it is to taste the 2014 today. Sadly, there will be no 2015, as yields were punishingly low. |
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California | 1 | 95 (JD) | $113.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (95)From a single vineyard in the Alexander Valley, the 2016 Geyserville is a rock star of a wine that readers should snatch up! Fabulous notes of blueberries, black cherries, currants, toasted spices, and graphite all flow to a medium to full-bodied wine that has a seamless texture, terrific elegance, and a great, great finish. The quality of this cuvée has soared over the coming 4-6 years, and this might just be the best yet. It promises two decades or more of prime drinking. |
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California | 2 | 91 (VN) | $605.00 | |||||
Vinous (91)The 2020 Geyserville is quite soft in this vintage. Bright red-fleshed fruit, crushed flowers, cedar, spice and sweet pipe tobacco all grace this mid-weight edition of Geyserville. All things considered, the 2020 is nicely done. |
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California | 1 | - | $651.00 | |||||
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California | 10 | 96 (Owen Bargreen) | $559.00 | |||||
Owen Bargreen (96)The 2023 ‘Geyserville’ is a marvelous, silky blend of mainly Zinfandel (70%) with 18% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah and a touch of Alicante Boushet. Very dark in the glass, this delivers beautiful violet rose petals alongside mocha, tar, Cuban cigar and notes of garrigue with loganberry compote. The palate is fresh and refined, with an elegant mid-palate mouthfeel and light dusting of salinity. Well-structured and weighted, offering plenty of depth and flavor density, this is a marvelous effort that has yet to fully hit its stride —- but the incredible potential is there. The combination of weight and tension suggests this will be very long-lived. Give this another year in the cellar before uncorking. |
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California | 1 | - | $567.00 | |||||
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California | 1 | 94+ (VN) | $134.00 | |||||
Vinous (94+)The 2015 Lytton Springs is very, very closed. Readers should not think about opening a bottle anytime soon. Intensely aromatic, but also tightly wound, the 2015 only hints at its true potential. Deceptively medium in body, the 2015 packs a real punch. |
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California | 2 | 95 (VN) | $748.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)The 2016 Lytton Springs is a powerful, dense wine. Black cherry, plum, lavender, new leather, cloves, licorice and menthol flesh out. Deep, plush and richly textured, the 2016 Lytton Springs packs a real punch. The 23% Petite Sirah is felt in the wine's darkness and overall gravitas. There is more than enough richness and structure to support many years of fine drinking. What a gorgeous wine this is. |
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California | 1 | 96 (VN) | $732.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)The 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! |
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California | 1 | 95 (VN) | $700.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)The 2019 Lytton Springs is another embryonic wine in this range. Readers will have to be patient. Time in the glass brings out an exotic mélange of rose petal, blood orange, pomegranate and star anise, all wrapped together by plush, silky tannins. There is a lot of wine here. Healthy dollops of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Mataro round out the blend, but the Zinfandel is pretty expressive in the leading role. |
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California | 1 | 93 (VN) | $601.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)The 2020 Lytton Springs is a very pretty wine. Bright floral and spice accents open first. Silky and medium in body, with plenty of persistence and fine balance, the 2020 is pretty impressive, especially for the year. Zinfandel character really drives the feel in 2020. A burst of red/purplish fruit, rose petal, cinnamon and dried herbs lingers on the open-knit, intensely perfumed finish. |
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