Wines

This Cali Rosé stole our hearts and palates, it literaly tastes like the label!

80% Grenache from Kopack vineyard. Picked for rosé. Straight to press & fermented with feral yeast in a stainless steel tank.

20% Mourvèdre: 50% whole cluster. Foot tread on day one by Rowdy in his mankini. No other punchdowns or pumpovers. Sat on the skins for 5 days until fermentation began, then he pressed it off and fermented it in a neutral puncheon.

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ST: "Full deep ruby to the rim. Superripe aromas remain just this side of surmaturite: black plum, black cherry, roast coffee, dark chocolate, menthol. (I might have picked this blind as ripe-year St. Julien.) Great lushness and depth on the palate; pliant, seamless and thoroughly ripe, but with strong supporting structure under the seductive flesh. Finishes with noble, broad tannins and great freshness; mint and licorice notes contribute to the impression of grip and snap. The crop level was 2.5 tons per acre, which Draper says was the highest ever at this estate, and the alcohol is 12.9%, on the high side for Monte Bello. Another outstanding vintage for this wine. Ridge Vineyards' Monte Bello bottling has been one of California elite collectibles virtually since Paul Draper came on board as winemaker in 1969. Today, more than ever before, Ridge is strikingly different from the cabernet-based wines of Napa Valley, which routinely carry alcohol levels of 14% or more in decent vintages. In recent years, Monte Bello has become more accessible in its youth, but not through sheer ripeness or power: it remains a subtle, more European-style red, typically featuring a claret-like 12.5% alcohol.x000D x000D x000D x000D x000D The oldest vines on Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains date back to the 1940s; extensive additional planting took place in the mid-'60s. (The first year these "younger" vines went into the Monte Bello was 1982.) The multiple vineyard parcels that can go into the Monte Bello blend lie mostly at an altitude of between 2,000 and 2,600 feet. The crop level is extremely low, typically in the 1.5 tons per acre range and rarely higher than 2. The growing season begins and ends about a month later than in Napa Valley. "We never need to acidify here," notes Draper. "On the contrary, the challenge is to wait until the grapes have burned off their green flavors."x000D x000D x000D x000D x000D In most vintages, Monte Bello includes 70% to 85% cabernet sauvignon, with the rest of the blend accounted for by merlot, petit verdot, and, in recent years, cabernet franc. Dozens of small parcels are harvested and vinified separately, then go into new barrels after the malolactic fermentation. Draper uses mostly new American oak from multiple coopers; since the early '70s he has also used a small percentage of new French oak. A first selection is made in February, and the assemblage is usually completed by April or May; typically, 30% to 50% of the estate's fruit is held out of the final blend.x000D x000D x000D x000D I tasted Monte Bello vintages back to 1984 with Draper in Ridge's mountaintop dining room on a wintry afternoon in early March, during which a cold rain briefly changed to snow. Draper chose '84 as a starting point because this vintage marked the beginning of a shift toward what he describes as "more sensous" wines vinified to show better early fruit and balance. Ridge purchased an Amos crusher/destemmer in 1988; Draper set the motor at half speed and opened the rollers wide, allowing about 40% of the berries to go into the tank uncrushed. Thus he was in a position to do a longer maceration without fear of extracting excessive seed tannins." Learn More

100 Points! The 2023 Chardonnay Estate is a unicorn wine, with the acids naturally occurring with ease in this cool, long, extended growing season that the wine world is rightfully excited about, producing wines of tremendous elegance and balance, sourced entirely from Monte Bello Estate. The minerality is off the charts, exuberantly defining the wine after a barrel fermentation of nine months on the lees in 85% American and 15% French oak, 15% of it new. Gorgeously lengthy and bright, winemaker John Olney recommends that for primary fruit, it's best to drink through the first 7-8 years; for fans of later-aging wines, wait 20 years. I adore this wine. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

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96 Points! The 2018 Geyserville is a blend of 68% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah and 2% Alicante Bouschet. It's incredibly alluring, offering up layers of warm, tricolored fruits and loads of spicy accents on the nose, with a dusty, mineral-tinged undercurrent that adds to its appeal. In the mouth, it's generously fruited and fantastically juicy, its silt-like tannins providing just enough support, and it finishes very long and layered. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com Learn More

98 Points! Aged in 100% new oak, the 2022 Monte Bello blends 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, selected from 18 of 21 lots by blind tasting. After assemblage, the wine spent 21 more months in barrel. The vineyard starts at 1,600 feet and goes up to 2,700 feet at top, and is spread out across 4 different ranches, Klein, Rousten, Torre and Perrone, the wines getting more tightknit and ageable as the vines move up the mountain. By the end of harvest, Monte Bello is split into 55 different blocks, which are then picked and fermented separately. Year after year, this is a “wow” wine, herbal, lightly spiced in oak, with a lovely creamy, velvety texture and a backbone of well-resolved tannin supporting a medium-bodied, balanced spirit of mountain garrigue. These wines typically age 20-25 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The limestone soils, and the short distance to the Pacific Ocean as well as the seriously high elevation, (ranging from 1600-2700ft) means that the Santa Cruz Mountains, produce a very different Cabernet than much of California. The 2022, drought vintage, a third straight year, meant tannic, tiny fruit on the Montebello estate. The wine was fully destemmed and only pumped over half as often as a typical vintage for Montebello. Its a tightly wound iteration in its youth with 100% new American oak for 20 months. Expressive on the nose, with taut black fruits, fresh pine needles and mineral notes of wet clay and roasted herbs. The palate is fresh and medium weight, (13.8%abv) with so much lively freshness in its youthful exuberance. Salty ocean notes open the palate chasing taut early season blackberries and plum skins. The palate opens overtime revealing dried mint, and alpine meadow herbs that buoy the fruit expression and carry this masterfully made wine toward its zenith, but… don’t touch it for another 10 years for the best result. - Decanter Magazine

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94 Points! It is a departure for Ridge, as it's not a single vineyard wine but instead a blend of 10 different sites from throughout Sonoma County. Bright and delightful with savoury herbs, tart early-season blackberries, and muddled mint leaves, all vie for attention in this wine's generous aromatic show. A melange of wild mountain berries, mouthfuls of dried savoury garrigue and lavender, dashes of white pepper and an incredible lift to the finish which lingers for an eternity. Concentrated and refined. - Clive Pursehouse, Decanter Magazine

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93 Points! Made since 2001 from a number of Sonoma County vineyards, the 2023 Three Valleys blends 71% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% each Mataro and Alicante Bouschet from Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley, and Russian River Valley. Floral, it is complex and less rustic than usual, the vintage showing classic charm and elegance. Though it is one of Ridge's largest production wines, it is made in the exact same way as all its others, in open top tanks with real oak and native fermentations. It's meant to represent a vintage more than a location. A popular by-the-glass pour, order it when you see it. It's drinking well now and should continue to for another 5-7 years. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! Generous and robust yet retains a sense of polish, with expressive raspberry and blueberry flavors highlighted by licorice and pepper, plus a whiff of dill as this builds toward fine-grained tannins. Zinfandel, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Mataro and Alicante Bouschet. Drink now through 2034. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! Aromas of confit cherries, licorice, blackberry bush, baking spices and violets. The palate is full-bodied with a rounded mouthfeel and firmly framed tannins that end in a lush and generous finish. Made from a blend of 71% zinfandel, 16% carignane, 9% petite sirah, 2% mataro and 2% alicante bouschet. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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97 Points! Lovely ripe berries and strawberries with some juicy fruit and forest flower aromas that follow through to a full body with layers of fruit and fine tannins that spread across the palate. Oyster shell and granite-like undertones. Warm fruit character yet cool in the mouth. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. - JamesSuckling.com

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93 Points! The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Roberto Corona Vineyard, from a site on the Oakville bench, is the richest of these 2009 Cabernets from Rivers-Marie. It bursts from the glass with jammy, opulent fruit and a big, full-bodied personality. Blue and black fruit, mint, licorice and sweet spices wrap around the finish. The 100% new oak comes through here. I am not sure this wine needs all the oak and makeup. There is plenty of pedigree already. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

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92 Points! The estate’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years. Juicy dark berries, flowers, mint and cloves all come together nicely in the glass. Today, the 2010 is open and expressive, with soft, silky tannins and tons of near-term appeal, all qualities entry-level Cabernets should have. The 2010 is mostly valley floor fruit, with dollops of Panek, Corona and GIII. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

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95 Points! The 2021 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard brings a more concentrated, serious feel and offers ripe mulberry and cherry fruit as well as scorched earth, graphite, and minerality, with nicely integrated oak. It's medium-bodied, concentrated, and focused, with a beautiful mouthfeel. It needs 2-3 years in the cellar (you'd be forgiven for enjoying a bottle today) and will evolve nicely over the following decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

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Ecusseaux is situated on the eastern edge of Auxey-Duresses at the bottom of a hillside in a very gently sloped section bordering the village of Monthelie. The parcel was acquired in the 1950s by Robert Ampeau.

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Les Lavières is situated east of the village of Savigny-lès-Beaune right in the middle of the hillside. The vines, from Michel's mother's side, came to the estate in the 1940s after the marriage of his parents.

Grapes were mostly de-stemmed and fermented in cement tank with native yeast. Following fermentation, the wine was transferred to barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging about 10 months in oak pièces (10-25% new barrels).

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Ampeau's Savigny-les-Beaune is drawn from a single plot in Aux Fourneaux on the vineyard's lower section (with village designation). The vines came from Michel's mother's side in the 1940s after the marriage of his parents.

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Volnay-Santenots is among the appellation's southernmost sites and closest to Meursault. It's situated on the mid-slope section of the hillside. Michel Ampeau's grandfather acquired the first vines in the early-1900s before his father, Robert, acquired more in the 1950s.

Clay-limestone soils that are notably more red in appearance than its neighbors, signifying a greater presence of clay and a higher content of iron which lends more structure.

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