Range: 1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Mountain-top winery with panoramic views of Silicon Valley. Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
www.ridgewine.com
High atop the mountains above Cupertino sits Ridge Winery’s Monte Bello tasting room. Although an arduous drive up Monte Bello Road (behind Stevens Creek Reservoir), the vistas from atop the mountain make the drive all worthwhile. For those of us who appreciate the twists and turns of a mountain road, the drive is half the fun. For your passengers, the valley views that lurk beyond each turn are breathtaking. Allow about 20 minutes to drive up the mountain carefully.
This particular trip is one I look forward to all year long, as it is the Ridge Wine Club member’s first opportunity to preview the results of the last harvest (2011 in this case). It is also an opportunity to learn more about the wine. They ferment each of the four grape varietals in separate barrels and preview each from barrel. I have the unique opportunity to taste each of these grapes independently (Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon). After tasting the individual components, I get to taste the prototype first assemblage, where the wine maker pulls together his best idea of the 2011 Ridge Monte Bello based upon how the grapes taste now. This will evolve over the subsequent months until the final blend is formulated. Finally, I get the opportunity to taste the released product, the 2009 Ridge Monte Bello (which I will pick up as well).
The tasting event is held in the old winery barn. This barn sets the stage for an old-world winery experience (in stark contrast to the contemporary design of their Lytton Springs tasting room). Although no longer used for wine production, the barn serves as the home for many of the winery’s special events. The walls are still lined in old fence board. The floor is a thick plank wood. There is a large window at the far end of the room exposing the spectacular view of the southern rim of the Santa Clara Valley below. Outside are gardens, picnic tables, and a short trail out to a point with a panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay. On a clear day, it is possible to make out the outline of San Francisco’s Financial District to the north. Sweeping to the south are Mountain View, Sunnyvale, downtown San Jose, and the entrance to Coyote Valley. I was fortunate that the day before had been windy and swept the air clean. The main tasting room lies directly across from the picnic tables. The room is done in neutral tones so as not to detract from the sweeping views from the tasting room. (It shares the same view as the barn.)
The tasting flight began with the 2010 Estate Chardonnay, which is more of a Burgundian style (more mineral, less exotic fruit flavors). This was followed by the four component wines, then the prototype blend. Of these, the Cabernet Sauvignon was probably the most drinkable, the Merlot the most tannic, and the Petite Verdot was by far the most interesting (especially its nose). All of the wine is unusually low in alcohol content, which seems to be a characteristic of the vintage (from what I have read). Next came the 2009 Ridge Monte Bello, which has started to shut down, but still suggests its richness. (This tasted great out of the barrel two years ago.) Down in the main tasting room they were previewing the new 2009 Estate Merlot, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, and Estate Cabernet Franc (I skipped this one). Finally, I wrapped up my tasting with the 2006 Monte Bello, which is delivering a wonderful richness today. Ridge allowed more of the vintage to express itself in this wine, so expect spiced red fruits along with steely, dark notes.
Tasting all of this wine required a two-hour visit to the winery to allow my system to process it before heading back down the mountain. This is an important step because while the road down is certainly safe to navigate, it is also quite unforgiving of the slightest mistake.
Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 7 and the wines offered as an 8. This has been consistent as long as I have been visiting Ridge’s Monte Bello tasting room.
No comments:
Post a Comment