Ridge Monte Bello with Leon
Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz, CA
Tasted Friday, November 11, 2022 by RajivAyyangar with 109 views
Introduction
A lovely tasting just before Leon's flight back to London.
Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz, CA
Tasted Friday, November 11, 2022 by RajivAyyangar with 109 views
A lovely tasting just before Leon's flight back to London.
2019 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello 88 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Med minus gold.
Slightly reductive. Hint of creamy oak, lemon curd. Fresh and a bit lean on the nose.
Richer on the palate. 14.1% alcohol. Plush. New world. Oak is very clear on the palate. Ripe fruit. A bit bitter. Hint of pineapple. Good example of new world chard.
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2020 Ridge Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Med minus garnet color.
Ripe black cherry. Grape. Hint of mushroom. Expressive but not overly confected. Hint of tea / stems / herbaceousness. Damp leaves.
14.7% alcohol. Holds it well. Elevated acid. Light on the palate. raspberry and ripe strawberry. Med minus body, elevated acid, med minus tannins (plush).
Red currants
No impression of oak.
Reminds me of New Zealand Pinot. Ripe fruit but it’s not confected.
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2020 Ridge Lytton Springs 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
Medium ruby.
Field blend.
14.6%
Deep ripe fruit. Kinda like petit sirah. Slight damp dark earth. Grapey. More dark fruit than the ponzo zin.
Medium plus body, medium plus tannins (plush). Feels like a little oak impression - slight toast/gingerbread on the finish. American oak. Mostly used.
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2019 Ridge Zinfandel Zayante Vineyard 88 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Deep ruby. 25% petit sirah. Super deep ripe, almost confected PS fruit. Black raspberry.
15.5%
Full bodied. Some black pepper. Elevated acid. Elevated tannins (plush). “Cowboy hat Zin.”
Pepper and raspberry.
Fair bit of oak but well integrated. Heavy but good example of the style. PS more than Zin.
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2019 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 91 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Deep ruby color. Ripe bell pepper Pyrazines and blackcurrant. Savory and delicious. Well integrated oak.
13.8%
This wine is great. Green driven new world BDX blend.
Some gingerbread/eucalyptus impression (amber oak? My imagination?).
Med plus body, med plus acid, med plus plush tannins.
Fruit character doesn’t have a ton of shades of black fruit, but I’m digging the combo of super ripe bell pepper and deep blackcurrant. Very cab.
Context from Leon: this is median or even on the less herbaceous side for Ridge estate.
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2019 Ridge Monte Bello Flawed
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Lovely herbaceous and blackcurrant nose but on the palate. Corked. Similar to the Estate but has more depth of savoriness. Can’t speak as to the fruit.
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