Winemaker Tasting Notes Aromas of black olive, tobacco leaf, and cocoa. On the palate, well-coated tannins, blackberry fruit, and balanced acidity, with notes of licorice and cedar in the long, lingering finish. JO (6/25)
Blend: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot
Vineyards: Bates Ranch, Fellom Ranch, Monte Bello, Vidovich Vineyards all from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
ABV: 13.2%
Winemaking
Fermentation: Grapes destemmed and sorted; 100% whole berries, fermented on the native yeasts.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (30% new, 10% one year old, 20% two years old, and 40% four and five years old).
Aging: Seventeen months in barrel
History: In 1978, Ridge made its first Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet from vineyard blocks at Monte Bello that consistently produced a more accessible wine that developed its complexity earlier. In 2008, we changed the name of this wine to Estate Cabernet to highlight the fact that all the fruit comes from the Monte Bello vineyard and is farmed by Ridge. In 2023 we had the opportunity to purchase grapes from outside growers throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation. We therefore chose to return to the Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet label to indicate that rather than coming from the Monte Bello vineyard, this wine comes from various vineyards within the appellation.