Ridge Vineyards was founded in 1959 when three Stanford Research Institute engineers bought an abandoned winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The vineyards had been planted in the late 19th century by a San Francisco physician who produced his first vintage in the original winery, called Monte Bello, in 1892. The first Ridge vintage was in 1962. John Olney is Head Winemaker at Ridge.
The history of Ridge Three Valleys began with the release of the 2001. The wine contains grapes sourced primarily from vineyards in Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley, and Russian River Valley.
Purple in color. 14.4% ABV. 74% Zinfandel, 12% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane and 5% Alicante Bouschet. Prominent nose of black fruits, cocoa and pepper. Medium body with medium acidity. Lighter in style. Blackberry, black cherry, plums and pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Delicious now but this will drink well for years to come. Widely available and attractively priced at $32. Hard to go wrong.
My rating: 92 points.
Review based on a sample provided by the winery.
Ridge has been defined by their Zin program for as long as I can remember and in recent years these wines have soared to new heights.
The entire Ridge lineup is available at the winery and for the most part at retail as well. Exceptional wines that are fairly priced, well crafted and easy to find. Everyone is always looking for the latest and greatest when it comes to wine. Sometimes it pays to stick with the tried and true. There is so much to like here.