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Ridge Vineyards

Ridge Vineyards was founded in the 1950s by four electrical engineers from the Stanford Research Institute, when they purchased a plot of unloved vines on Monte Bello Ridge in California. At first the business was a weekend affair, with no great aspirations for the crafting of fine wine, the first harvests being sold in bulk to local wineries. During the 1960s, however, this all changed. Doubtlessly one of the most significant events was the arrival of Paul Draper on the scene, following a chance encounter between Draper and two of the owners, thanks to a mutual friend. Draper was another Stanford graduate who, after some time at the Monterey Language School, had spent some considerable time gaining experience in France, Italy and even Chile, where he had established and run his own winery. From 1971, Draper took full responsibility for making the wines at Ridge.

The Ridge Vineyards are unusual in having a well defined 'field blend', each vineyard having a well documented mix of different vines. The Geyserville vineyard, for instance, which is predominantly Zinfandel, includes a plot of mixed black varieties, as well plots of Petite Sirah and Carignan. The Lytton Springs vineyard has Zinfandel on the hilltops, with either Petite Sirah or Grenache planted around these central plots. The Monte Bello vineyard is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, but there are also some Petit Verdot and Merlot vines, as well as some Chardonnay. The Monte Bello wine, once a pure Cabernet, since 1975 includes a small proportion of other varieties such as the Petit Verdot, Merlot or Cabernet Franc. There are numerous other labels worthy of mention in the Ridge portfolio, not least the Santa Cruz wines - I have enjoyed a number of vintages of the Cabernet Sauvignon, although my admittedly limited exposure to the Chardonnay suggests that this is made in a style not to my taste at all - including, York Creek, Paso Robles, the Ponzo vineyards and Home Ranch. The Home Ranch wines are made from younger vines in the Monte Bello vineyard, whereas the first three reflect contracts with local growers, namely Fritz Maytag at York Creek, Benito Dusi at Paso Robles and the Ponzo brothers who tend their eponymously named vineyard. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, are the ATP wines. The Advanced Tasting Program includes small and sometimes esoteric lots of wine which are keenly sought after by fans of Ridge.

I will be the first to admit that I am no Californian expert. My palate favours the wines of Germany, Bordeaux, the Loire and a few other regions. I have minimal experience with the wines of the Sunshine State, despite it being a major player on the world wine stage, even without taking into account wine production elsewhere in the USA. But when trying to develop a deep knowledge of wine, there are so many regions of the world, so many wineries, so many wines, that it is not possible to give every region the same depth of coverage, nor to accrue the depth of knowledge that other critics, more focussed on the region and its wines, will attain. But in California, despite the lack of tasting context, I have no doubts about the absolute quality of the wines of Ridge Vineyards. They are fun to taste, and have staying power. Only rarely have I been disappointed here. (16/10/02, updated 28/3/07)

Contact details:
Address: 17100 Monte Bello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014
Telephone: +1 408 867 3233
Fax: +1 408 868 1350
Internet: www.ridgewine.com

Ridge Vineyards - Tasting Notes

Tasted in December 2007. Click to locate stockists:

Ridge Vineyards Geyserville 1997: A moderately deep colour. Firstly a lot of furry and feral aspects to the fruit on the nose, then it becomes more clearly a melange of pure, ripe berry fruit. The palate is really admirably styled, showing an appealing creamy texture but also a very well defined backbone of acidity and a little grip in their too. There is an enticing, savoury, meaty depth to the flavours, with a slowly fading finish. An excellent wine, a real success for Ridge, and with lots of promise for the cellar yet. I'm glad I have another bottle somewhere! From a tasting of the 1997 Vintage at ten years of age. 18+/20

Tasted in November 2007.

Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet 1994: This wine still has a remarkable colour, something I noted when tasting this in 2002. It has a dense, pure, dark garnet hue, with a raspberry-pink rim, which is somewhat dusky but otherwise the wine shows no sign of age at all! The nose is slightly high-toned, with lots of fruit still, and the complexities of perfumed violets, black olives and a wet, pebbly character. There is also a very faint, mushroomy nuance. Overall, this is simply beautiful. On the palate it is fresh, showing good substance, but immediately cut through by a tingling, decisive acidity. It has a lovely, slightly detached character, despite its fleshy weight, and flavours of black olive with an appealingly bitter edge, and fine black fruits. It is dry, less opulent and lush than my last tasting (a good thing I think) and has an attractively balanced structure. Gently ripe tannins rear up at the finish, showing this has plenty of cellar time ahead of it. Really great quality here in this very impressive wine from Ridge. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 18.5/20

Tasted in November 2006.

Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay 2004: There is massive oak quite evident here, and this is obviously a big, buttery, in-your-face style. I suppose it may integrate with time but I don't know for sure. It has a big, soft, rounded palate. No precision here. I'm afraid I don't really like this at all. 12/20

Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs Zinfandel 2004: Includes 30% of other varieties, predominantly Petite Sirah and Carignan. Lots of big, sweet, red fruit here. Nice style on the palate, which has a rounded, complete, integrated but softly structured style. There is a little spice alongside the deep fruit, a little note of complexity. Very nice wine, with good potential. 17+/20

Ridge Vineyards Geyserville Zinfandel 2003: A complex, deeply fruited nose, with a confit style. Nevertheless the palate has appeal. It is balanced, not overly opulent, with a good tannic backbone. There is a fine presence of fruit and complex interest. Nice finish and length. Really good style here. 17+/20

Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon 2003: Sweet, ripe, cassis nose, showing obviously deep and concentrated fruit. The palate is in a similar vein, with some very sweet and primary fruit draped over a tannic structure. A good style, sweetly composed, although rather low acidity. A deeply flavoured, meaty finish. Great length. 17.5+/20

Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon 1995: This has a very good nose, very deep and meaty, complex, with some red fruit character alongside notes of pickling spices. The palate is quite complete and textured, and deeply structured. There is still a core of firm tannins, with a meaty style. This is very good indeed. 17.5+/20

Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon 1999: Wow! This has a very expressive nose, with piles of pure, deep, blue and black fruits on the nose. The palate is rather svelte, structured and yet balanced, rather more elegant than obvious. Rich, impressive wine, deep and spicy, with a core of ripe tannins which rally on the finish. Excellent, with great potential still. 18.5+/20

Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon 2000: An earthy, meaty nose, but not really as expressive as the 1999 vintage, or the other wines here. A nice palate, more noticeable structure, still quite rounded though, with a good grip and firm acidity. Not the charm of the preceding vintages, but a good wine nonetheless. 16.5+/20

Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon 2005: A barrel sample. A massive presence of pure, concentrated, roasted cherry fruit, with lots of fruit complexity. The same character is found on the palate, which is brimming with youthful fruit. There is a good tannic structure. This is only a baby, but it has great potential. 18-19?/20

Tasted in October 2002:

Ridge Vineyards Bridgehead Mataro 1994: A good colour, although a touch paler than the following wines. Less open on the nose than some, but with dense, rich, tarry fruit with cloves. Relatively high acidity on the palate, which is full and rich with fruit. Has more elegance than some wines here tonight. The main detractor is a sharp finish as the acidity shows through. Good.

Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs 1995: A deep red hue with little sign of age. A big, fruity, tarry nose, which is followed by a similarly big, rich, fruit-filled palate. A full-on, powerful wine with a sweet, rounded texture. The tannins show through on the finish. Despite all this richness it has correct acidity and a good sense of balance. Excellent.

Ridge Vineyards Geyserville 1991: This is a very dark, deeply coloured wine - more so than any of the other Geyservilles here. This is remarkable considering it is the oldest vintage tasted. It has a dense, tarry nose, with attractive floral and perfume nuances, together with residual hints of coconut oak. To the blind taster the latter characteristic suggests, like the colour, that this wine is much younger than it really is. Full bodied and sweetly flavoured on the palate, with rich texture, tannins and balancing acidity. This is wonderful stuff, and seems far more impressive tonight than when I last tasted it almost a year ago, when I rated it merely as 'good'. I think this may in part, at least, be related to tasting context. Excellent.

Ridge Vineyards Geyserville 1993: From half bottles. Another deep, rich red-mahogany hue. Great power is evident on the nose here, with an amazing depth of fruit aromas. The palate is massive - sweet, roundly textured, rich and mouthfilling. Slightly lower acidity compared to the other wines tonight but still has good tannins. Smoke and cigar box nuances to the fruit. Very good.

Ridge Vineyards Geyserville 1994: From half bottles. This wine also has a tinge of maturity to the colour, which is a mahogany-red. The nose is full of raspberry, tobacco and vanilla, and later some gingerbread aromas. Quite a big, impressive palate, although the acidity is a touch incongruous. A little lighter and less well balanced than the other Geyservilles tonight. Strange, as 1994 was a good vintage - perhaps storage of this wine has been less than adequate? Good.

Ridge Vineyards Geyserville 1995: A deep red hue tinged with mahogany rim. A harder, more muted nose than the other wines, although it opens out to reveal some good fruit. On the palate this wine has an elegance and structure reminiscent of the 1991 just tasted. Medium bodied, full and sweetly flavoured. Good texture, and balanced acidity. Supple tannins. Lovely. Excellent.

Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon 1992: This has an intense, rich colour. The nose has a healthy quantity of fruit despite the telltale aromas of TCA that also come from the wine. Nevertheless this wine has great structure on the palate, and, despite the corkiness, lots of black, tarry fruits. Clearly a lovely wine marred by the cork bark. Faulty.

Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon 1994: Another deeply coloured wine. Sweet, lush Cabernet fruit on the nose. Full bodied on the palate, packed with sweetly flavoured fruit, and plenty of tannic and acidic structure. Very good.

Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1993: A similarly intensely coloured hue. Very backward on the nose, which still shows awkward aromas of toffee-edge oak. The palate is simply massive, with a dense structure of tannin and acidity, and yet is silkily textured. There is a ton of fruit. This impressive wine needs a good five or ten years further bottle maturation before I would touch another. Very good, excellent potential.

Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1994: Another dense and backward wine, although with time this one opens a little more than the last, revealing blackcurrant and blackberry aromas. Obviously a youthful wine on the palate, which carries it's powerful Cabernet fruit, tannin and acidity in an awkward fashion. Lush and beautifully textured. The structure is all there, but like the 1993 this wine needs five years at least. Very good, excellent potential.

Tasted in December 2001:

Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs 1991: This is denser and more purple than the previous three wines. Sweet coconut and toffee on the nose, with a wealth of black fruit. More sweet and round fruit on the palate, with a fine, almost elegant stance, despite the jammy edge to the fruit which quickly develops through the midpalate. It builds to a spicy and powerful finish, where the tannins are a little more apparent. From a 1991 Vintage ten year on blind tasting. 16/20

Ridge Vineyards Geyserville 1991: This wine has a similar dark and dense purple colour. Similar character on the nose also, with the aromas of sweet oak and a rich vein of black fruit. Likewise, the palate is a combination of spicy, vanillin oak and lots of sweet, lovely fruit. From a 1991 Vintage ten year on blind tasting. 16/20

Tasted in August 2000:

Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs 1990: A deep and youthful purple-red. Rich black fruits on the nose. The palate has rich, jammy, fruitcake spice. Smooth, integrated tannins. Good alcohol and a big finish. Another wine with a good number of years ahead of it. From a 1990 Vintage ten year on blind tasting. 17+/20