Every year, Ridge Winery puts on a barrel-tasting event for their Monte Bello flagship wine. Only those wine club members who buy Monte Bello on futures are invited to attend. Since the event is held in mid-March, the weather can be a little unpredictable, ranging from cold and blustery, to a damp drizzle, to the nearly perfect weather conditions brought on by a severe drought. The sun was shining and the temperatures were idling in the low 70’s – perfect for enjoying both red and white wines. It had been quite some time since my previous visit and much of the renovation work that had been started was now finished, lending a touch of elegance to this otherwise rustic, mountain-top winery. The weather drew such a crowd this year that drivers were directed to a “remote” parking lot the better part of a mile up the mountain from the winery. A shuttle took visitors down a vineyard trail on the backside of the winery, revealing terraced mountain slopes full of vines, with the cover crop just beginning to green up. This unique view made up for the inconvenience of dealing with the shuttle.
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| The completed renovation work at Ridge includes a new garden path. |
Upon registering at the event, you are handed a pour of the 2012 Estate Chardonnay. (Note to half-bottle fans: this is the first year the Estate Chardonnay is available in half-bottles.) From there, you move on to each of the barrel tasting stations where you will first try the four components (Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon) that make up the Monte Bello wine individually, and then the 2013 First Assemblage (a prototype of how the wine will be blended), giving you the first glance at the 2013 vintage and seeing first-hand how each of the components contribute to the final product. Finally, you get to sample the newly released 2011 Monte Bello (and pick up your order to bring home), which seems rather locked-down and restrained compared to the 2013. This 2013 is performing nicely, and I am eager to taste it again at the Final Assemblage event in May.
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| Poppies decorate the sunny hillside at Ridge (taken in April) |
A full review was written already about Ridge Winery during my visit on March 3rd, 2012.
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