Ridge Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
In 1886 the first blocks of the Monte Bello vineyard were planted; however, by the the early 1940s the last of the old vineyard was abandoned but a few blocks were replanted in the late forties. Those Cabernet vines - now over sixty-five years old produced the first vintage of Ridge Monte Bello in 1962 and subsequent vintages until 1974. By then other abandoned blocks had been replanted and their fruit considered for use in the iconic Monte Bello. A number of these new plantings consistently produced a more accessible wine that developed its full complexity earlier, and so with the 2008 vintage the name of this stylistically distinct wine became the Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, stressing the principal varietal and the Monte Bello estate vineyard as its source. The 2019 vintage is a composition of Cabernet Sauvignon (88%), Merlot (11%) and Petit Verdot (1%). At assemblage, eighteen parcels were chosen for their alluring fruit and elegant tannins. After sixteen months of ageing, the oak has integrated and the wine has begun to soften. The high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend is reflected in the purity of the cassis-and-cedar nose. The oak is perfectly judged, framing the fruit and adding some extra structure without dominating the wine. The Ridge Estate Cabernet will continue to evolve and be most enjoyable over the next ten to fifteen years.
