Essential references
Ridge Vineyards
Santa Cruz Mountains · Dry Creek Valley
- « Monte Bello » gains with age: Fifth among the reds at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, « Monte Bello » 1971 came first when the same wines were retasted thirty years later in London and California. Three decades in the cellar revealed the longevity of this Santa Cruz Mountains wine.
- The old zinfandel vines of Lytton Springs: At Lytton Springs in Dry Creek Valley, century-old zinfandel vines grow alongside petite sirah and carignan. Ridge maintains this heritage of mixed plantings: « Lytton Springs » remains a zinfandel-led blend, distinct from the cabernet wine of « Monte Bello ».
- Two faces of Californian red: « Monte Bello » 2022: blackcurrant, blackberry and tobacco leaf, a generous palate, polished tannins and firm acidity. « Lytton Springs » 2023: raspberry, pepper and liquorice, then black cherry and plum; supple tannins and a long finish of black tea.