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. Shauna Rosenblum is the Winemaker at Ridge Lytton Springs.
The winery recently sent me samples of some of their new releases.
2021 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Boatman – Crimson in color. 15% ABV. 90% Zinfandel and 10% Petite Sirah from Boatman Ranch in Geyserville. Brilliant nose of red and black fruits, apricots and licorice. Medium body with mouth watering acidity. Exceptionally smooth and balanced. Black cherry, raspberry, earth and white pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Approachable now but this will certainly age well. Best over the next 5-7 years. $42 at the winery and retail. My rating: 95 points.
2022 Ridge Vineyards Three Valleys Sonoma County – Dark crimson in color. 14.2% ABV. 65% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 14% Petite Sirah and 5% Mataro. Awesome nose of red fruits, anise and pepper. Medium to full body body with ample acidity. Warm and supple. Cherry, strawberry, baking spices and pepper. The finish is long and spicy. Widely available and as always a great value. Best over the next 3-4 years. $36 at the winery and retail. My rating: 93 points.
2019 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Buchignani Ranch – Crimson in color. 13.9% ABV. 75% Zinfandel and 25% Carignane from an Alexander Valley vineyard. Sublime nose of red and black fruits, sage and pepper. Light to medium body with exquisite acidity. Bursting with crunchy fruits. Blackberry, cranberrry, earth and white pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. With a few extra years of bottle age this wine is already singing and will drink well for another 3-4 years. $42 at the winery and retail. My rating: 94 points.
2021 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Jimsomare – Bright red in color. 13.9% ABV. 100% Zinfandel from the Monte Bello Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Pretty nose of red fruits, roasted herbs and flowers. Medium body with perfect acidity. Light, Claret style Zinfandel with rustic fruits. Black cherry, wild strawberries, tobacco and earth on the palate. Nice length on the finish. Beautiful Zinfandel from a cool climate vineyard. Best over the next 3-5 years. $42 at the winery and retail. My rating: 94 points.
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.
That Boatman Zinfandel was fantastic. Definitely young and needs a couple years or a good decant to be perfect.
Totally agree. Thanks for reading!
My favorite is the Jimsomare. Cool climate, lower alcohol, right in my zone
It definitely stands apart from the others and I get the appeal.