Ridge Vineyards with Mr. & Mrs. Paul Draper

A fantastic chance to sample the next European releases as well as some earlier vintages of Monte Bello. It is always an honour to receive Paul Draper, not just because of the immense admiration we all feel for his winemaking, but also the privilege of listening to the man himself: his experience, knowledge, and insights from the world of wine. Straight talking, he offered us a number of refreshing personal views on the current trends, supercharged Bordeaux wines, Parkerization, Parker vs. Galloni, etc.

Unfortunately the organisation of the tasting, by a local distributor, left something to be desired which was disappointing. I couldn't help feeling that this was unbecoming, not only letting down the paying attendees but certainly our distinguished guest who had made the effort to cross the Pond and deserved nothing less than perfect circumstances. Embarrassing, really. There was an issue with the temperature of the wines and the tasting room, street noise, and poor organisation of serving. I also felt that the distributor's samples (from their cellar), the older bottles of Monte Bello, suffered from bottle shock. I suspect they were brought up from the cellar just before the tasting and not given enough time to settle. Thankfully the wines brought directly from California by Mr. Draper were in pristine condition.

• 2011 Ridge Chardonnay Estate 90 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Pale gold. At first, green cabbage and a bit of bottle stink. Oak. Settles down to reveal gunflint, wet iodine stone. Good palate, surprisingly structured, yellow fruit, viscous mouthfeel, with a long, toasty, mineral finish. Very nicely balanced. Was served slightly too warm at room temperature but it didn't matter in the end. I really liked the restrained balance in this vintage, good representation of the terroir and not a trace of flabbiness. Long life ahead. 90-92/93

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• 2011 Ridge Lytton Springs 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Violet purple, good concentration. Fruity, open bouquet, with black pepper and blackberry. Youthful palate, primary, beef jerk and crunchy red fruit. Chewy tannins and a surge of acidity. Finishes well with fresh acidity. Needs time. 89-92

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• 2011 Ridge Geyserville 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Slightly paler than the Lytton Springs, violet purple. Open, sweet fruit, more generous than LS, quite perfumed. Bubble gum fruit on the palate, a touch of sloe, and that medicinal Carignan note. Very good finish again, good acidity. More playful than the Lytton Springs but just a notch behind in structure and backbone. In the end it's a matter of taste; I prefer the LS but they are equal in terms of quality. Both need plenty of time. Paul Draper says 3 years but I wouldn't touch it for another six or seven. 89-92

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• 2010 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 89 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Darker, more "fill" than the Zins, blackish garnet to the rim. Green, primary nose, cedar tree, savoury-licquorice Cab. Greenish and lean on the palate, undeveloped, there's cassis and cedar underneath that oily primary feeling. Good tannin and acidity. Clean finish. Noticeably higher acidity than the Zins. Promising but needs plenty of time. 89-93

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• 1999 Ridge Monte Bello 91 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  This is where things started to go wrong during the tasting. Served too cold and although I was the first one served from a full bottle, the pigment and sediment thrown is clearly visible in my glass and confirms my suspicion that this bottle has been brought straight up from the cellar and not given the necessary resting time in an upright position. Poor show from the organiser of the tasting... Garnet colour, paler than the '97 and even the '94. Oaky, hay and manure on the nose. Clearly shocked. Noticeably dirtier than the other two, almost volatile. Cedar and licquorice on the palate, red fruit. Long finish with acidic lift, chewy. The palate oozes quality and doesn't correspond to the nose. Unfair to score it, really, but let's give it a conservative 91. 91-94

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• 1994 Ridge Monte Bello 93 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Slight bricking, still concentrated. Mature nose, with blue cheese, stable door, toast, animal notes, red fruits soaked in blood. Red fruit and sandalwood in the mouth, chewy, good acidic bite. Very long finish. Balanced, fresh, just starting to display the tertiary notes. Outstanding but I am convinced this would have shown even better had it been handled correctly before serving. No rush to drink. 93-95

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• 1997 Ridge Monte Bello 94 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Slightly less complex colour scheme vs. the '94. Kirsch, sweet fruit on the nose, less barnyard and more fruit cocktail. Inviting, generous bouquet. Fruity, suave palate, with that recurring Monte Bello theme of chewy crisp red fruit. Finishes on a peppery note, controlled acids. Long and harmonious. Best in the line-up tonight: everything in order, keeping all its parts together. Maybe less ostentatious than the '94 and the '99, but wins on harmony and ease of drink. Very very good. Drink or keep, no hurry. 94-96/97.

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