We've got a little slice of the Judgement of Paris happening today!

Well, as close as we're going to get for the moment, because we've got some reds from Ridge Vineyards over in California on our hands!

The Stanford engineers who founded Ridge.

Ridge has been a cult wine since as far back as the 1970's, and has been a bastion of what California can produce - and it's got an incredibly exciting story to back that up. We're talking four Stanford engineers purchasing an incredibly rare parcel of vineyards some 2,300 feet above the Pacific coast (of whom all have accomplished incredible feats in the early foundations of AI - and we're talking 1960's!); hiring a wildcard of a Master Winemaker, Paul Draper, who would change the face of the Zinfandel game; going minimal intervention, single-vineyard for every wine produced; and being represented in a highly publicised wine blind taste test that pitted California's emerging producers against French legendaries - it has been a ride!

So much has happened in the span of Ridge's history that if you're talking US wines, you have got to know about Ridge. For the sake of brevity we'll just give a brief intro.

Ridge's Monte Bello vineyard, overlooking Cupertino.

Ridge Vineyard finds itself in Santa Clara County, overlooking Cupertino. Amongst California's terroir, it uniquely is predominantly composed of limestone as opposed to volcanic soil, and in 1959, was purchased by four Stanford engineers, who at first started with Cabernet Sauvignon, but eventually had a heavy focus on Zinfandel. They were later joined by Paul Draper, their star hire, who was a self-taught winemaker and Philosophy graduate from Stanford as well, and although he had no academic experience with wines, he would go to the ends of the earth to learn the ropes - he would spearhead Ridge's ascension, in particular with Zinfandel's, which were at the time considered a subpar variety.

One of the key principles about Ridge, is a focus on terroir - hence minimal intervention means showcasing with purity the fruit from a particular vineyard - thus all Ridge wines are so named for their vineyard, their variety and the vintage. While Ridge had started out with the Monte Bello vineyard in Santa Clara county, it later opened a second vineyard in Lytton Springs, Sonoma County, as well as regularly purchasing fruit from other growers (which are still named after that vineyard, and never commingled with other vineyards) - the most consistent of whom is the Geyserville vineyard also in Sonoma County (which is run by the family that sold the Stanford engineers their Monte Bello vineyard!).

The widely publicised Judgement of Paris in 1976.

Their first brush with prominence came in an event called the Judgement of Paris, which was a highly publicised 1976 wine blind taste test organised by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier in Paris. The goal was to put California's wines to the test against the best of France - at the time, there were some murmurs of the impressive quality of California's wines, and yet the public consensus (as was Spurrier's own) was that French wines were still unbeatable. 12 Californian wines and 8 French wines, which included the likes of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild and Chateau Haut-Brion, were blind taste tested in both red and white categories. Much to everyone's surprise, it was a Californian wine that won in not one, but both categories - imagine the shock!

And while Ridge came in 5th for the reds (it was the second best placing Californian wine nevertheless), a 30th anniversary rematch in 2006 saw Ridge place first - this was arguably the shot heard 'round the world, demonstrating Ridge's ageing potential and stellar quality (the 1971 vintage Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon was tasted in both 1976 and 2006).

And so today we've got with us three wines from Ridge, which should prove pretty representative of what this cult Californian winery has to offer! We've got a Ridge Monte Bello 2017, Ridge Lytton Springs 2016 and a Geyserville 2020. This covers both of Ridge's own vineyards and also the grower they most consistently showcase (Geyserville has been produced annually by Ridge for 55 years); we also happen to have them across a pretty good spread of vintages too, as well as grape varieties ranging from Cabernet Sauvignon to Zinfandel - the two primary blends from Ridge.

This was had over two sessions - the first session included the Monte Bello 2017 and Geyserville 2020, whilst the second session included only the Lytton Springs 2016. But for what it's worth, the two sessions were just a week apart!

Let's go!

Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello 2017 - Review

First up, we've got to try what Ridge first got its hits from - the Monte Bello 2017, from the Santa Cruz mountains. This is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc - all of which comes from the same vineyard of course, that's also organically grown.

"Heavy winter rains saturated Monte Bello’s fractured limestone sub-soil, replenishing the vines’ water resources. Warm summer days, with unusually cold nights, slowly ripened the crop for an October harvest. By early winter, as malolactics finished, the wines were blind-tasted for assemblage. The final blend was made in May. Showing beautiful fruit and serious complexity in its youth, it will develop greater secondary flavors over the next thirty years." as per Ridge.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Ruby

Aroma: Lots of intensity here - big, rich and dense darker berries, tightly bound and concentrated, with blackcurrant, blackberries, black cherries, plums, in the form of a paste. Some chewiness of black liquorice candy, also cough drops, Pei Pa Koa syrup, tobacco, anise, eucalyptus, dried oregano and some pine. There’s a bright and flinty hit of pencil lead graphite and chalk. The oak is present but subtle - almost of wet wood staves.

Taste: Big richness coming through, it’s plush and velvety, full-bodied but leans to a dry style in spite of the fruits, lightly spicy with some Sichuan peppercorn. Juicy cassis, blackberries, stewed plums, black cherries. There’s a herbaceous side to this - dill and oregano stands out, it’s well integrated and mixed into the fruit along with some more anise, cacao and worn leather. Tannins here are more firm and gives it more structure even with the big juicy fruits. It’s not grippy but does add moderate acidity. Rich and dark notes but a fairly buoyant body that does not feel heavy.

Finish: Carries on into the finish, with a very seamless receding tide of residual blackberry jammy sweetness. This reveals more oak tannins with the backbone becoming more prominent. Little hits of acidity on the finish too.

My Thoughts  

Big and bold as promised - heaps of darker berries along with some earthiness that accentuates the dryness and tannins without going completely bone dry. It's an interesting contrast where the berry flavours are rich and concentrated but at the same time without much sweetness, and yet not entirely tannic either. Texturally we've got another brain teaser where the flavours feel full and rich but it keeps to a rather buoyant body that is velvety and plush but not heavy. In that sense, this Monte Bello delivers all the power and complexity that befits its reputation. The fruit here whilst juicy and rich isn't smattered all over, with the wood tannins providing some subtle but firm and also noticeable structure. The acidity here comes through towards the back but isn't sharp, rather it comes at the tail end of that rush of juicy berries.

Altogether very impressive, this feels about the right time to have it. It's giving complexity and character that's what Ridge's Monte Bello is known for! Very well-balanced, full of delightful contrasts, very multi-dimensional and at the same time always big, bold and powerful with an elegance of its flavours.

Ridge Vineyards, Lytton Springs 2016 - Review

Next up, we've got a Zinfandel from Lytton Springs, Ridge's second owned-and-operated vineyard that's located in Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley, where it's alittle warmer than Monte Bello. This is 69% Zinfandel, 23% Petite Sirah, 6% Carignane and 2% Mataro (folks often simply call it 3/4 Zin 1/4 Petite Sirah). 

"Welcome winter rains brought relief from the drought. Fine weather in May was ideal for flowering and fruit set; crop levels rebounded to near normal levels. Natural yeast fermen-tations were slow but steady. Plentiful color and tannin balanced the sumptuous dark fruit typical of Lytton Springs. Aging for fourteen months in tempered american oak adds a touch of spice. Appealing as a young wine, this exceptional vintage will mature over the next ten years." says Ridge.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Ruby

Aroma: Rich notes of raspberry and blackberry jam, along with some oak woodiness backing it up. Drops of vanilla sauce.

Taste: Really full-bodied, plush, with lots of richness. Heavy on the blackberry jam, cherries too, some stewed plums, it’s fresh and juicy with not alot of tannins, although there is a sense of some woodiness. Some cigar and cacao notes as well giving it an earthiness to its depth. Light hits of cracked black pepper, light acidity.

Finish: Stays on with a light dryness. A chewy bit of black liquorice candy.

My Thoughts

Really big and bold Zinfandel here - one where the fruit almost completely overpowers the structure even though there's a sense of it all the way at the back. On the nose, it takes some time to open up, but when it does it's lots of rich red berry led jam, backed by some darker bramble. The oak is probably most prominent on the nose. On the palate, it's plush, fresh and juicy. It's got a lovely fuller body, with moderately heavy fruit. Into the finish some more earthy notes show up to give it more depth but without much in the way of any tannins. It does get a little more dry on the finish with the sugars receding, giving it a slight chewiness of black licorice as well.

Altogether, really big and bold, fruit forward, with good freshness and juiciness, as well as some complexity, albeit nothing that'll catch you by surprise. I think given more time, the tannins will likely give it more structure and as the sweet fruit subsides, more should show up. I did not unfortunately have much time to sit with this and had to get a moving, but it did feel like I'd eked out the most of it.

Ridge Vineyards, Geyserville 2020 - Review

Of all the growers Ridge sources its fruit from - which is quite a number, and sometimes only once ever as it depends on whether the fruit meets Ridge's desired profile, and so they've got no impetus to take it in any sort of obligation - the most consistent of which has been Geyserville. The Geyserville vineyard sits in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, and belongs to the family that sold Ridge's founders the Monte Bello vineyards, and thus they've obviously got a great relationship with Ridge. As of the 2020 vintage, there have been 55 years of Geyserville bottlings coming out of Ridge, more than any other vineyard not belonging to Ridge.

This one's 69% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Mataro.

"A warm spring followed by late rains disrupted fruit set. This resulted in lower yields and an early harvest that began the third week of August. The twenty-eight lots fermented separately on naturally present yeast. Of these, twenty were selected by taste for their exquisite fruit and balanced acidity. This is a classic Geyserville, enjoyable young and over the next ten or more years. JO (11/21)" says Ridge.

Tasting Notes 

Colour: Purple

Aroma: Big juicy and ripe notes of plums, backed by crushed blackberries and blueberries. The earthiness of soil is quite prominent here, with something of baked soil and dried oak. More on tobacco leaves and cacao, little bit of beef jerky. It’s rich and aromatic, not particularly dense, feeling alittle lighter here, more medium-bodied.

Taste: More of those juicy ripened plums, blackcurrants, blackberries and black cherries - more concentrated here. Some light dusting of cocoa powder, a hit of pepper, as well as some tobacco leaves and cloves here. There’s some acidity here, medium-bodied, it’s alittle more dry here.

Finish: The drying tannins continue to grow into the finish, it goes long, but doesn’t really intensify. As the already little residual sugars fades, the acidity becomes more apparent as well - more tart blackcurrants here.

My Thoughts 

The Geyserville keeps the big juicy fruits but interestingly here it's not as dense or as rich on the palate, which on the flipside also makes it alot more accessible and approachable - it's just alot easier to drink and you don't need as much time for it to open up. It almost feels ready the moment it's out of the bottle - to which end the big bouquet of fruits will almost always illicit a "woah!" because of just how rich the aromas are. By comparison (to the Lytton Spring), I also find the Geyserville more dry, as well as having the acidity come through more, as does the tannins come off firmer - this does make it more balanced, albeit less decadent. The Geyserville definitely has more structure and is more precise - and as mentioned, more drinkable and approachable, which I suppose is why it's got quite the following!

While I personally enjoy the heavier and richer Lytton Spring more - it's more fruit forward and sweeter, with a chewier texture almost - I will concede that the Geyserville strikes me as a more technically well-executed expression that feels very distinct and well-defined. If you're with wine geeks, go with the Geyserville, but if you're just having wine over dinner, go for the Lytton Springs.