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SANTA CRUZ MTNS

Photo Gallery	Our Mountain Estate In 1962, Ridge was established high atop the Santa Cruz Mountains at a place settlers had long called Monte Bello. This place rests on decomposing limestone and Franciscan rock and is just 15 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Our Santa Cruz Mountains Estate is uniquely positioned to produce wines that express the significance and complexity of their origins. In order to protect and retain the unmatched characteristics of our land, we take care in sustaining it through minimal intervention and eco-friendly farming practices. To that end, we are pursuing organic certification for our Santa Cruz Mountains vineyards, which should be complete at the close of 2010.
	Perfectly Sited Vineyards Currently, we have 108 acres of vineyards planted to five varieties: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, cabernet franc, and chardonnay. Our Santa Cruz Mountains Estate is composed of three distinct vineyard areas â€“ lower, middle, and upper â€“ ranging in elevation from 1300' to 2700' above sea level. All of our vineyard areas are planted on limestone subsoil. This, along with our proximity to the ocean and its cooling breezes and our high elevation allows us to create true cool climate wines of distinction.
	Critically Acclaimed Chardonnay We cultivate only one white grape at Ridge â€“ chardonnay. Our Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Chardonnay, first produced in 1985, is a sleek, elegant wine that shows abundant fruit, fresh acidity, and a firm streak of minerality. We use only wild yeast fermentation, and we allow the wine to undergo natural primary and secondary (malolactic) fermentation. Depending on the vintage, the chardonnay may age between 10 and 16 months in air-dried American oak barrels. Rather than filtering, we rack the wine and allow it to settle to achieve natural clarity before bottling.
	Approachable Bordeaux Blend Since 1979 we have produced an approachable red Bordeaux-style blend under the Santa Cruz Mountains Estate designation. For this wine, we select the softer, more accessible lots of cabernet sauvignon and merlot to create a red wine that we often refer to as the "baby brother" to Monte Bello. In some vintages, small amounts of petite verdot or cabernet franc may be included as well. This fine wine typically shows ripe mountain fruit, integrated barrel spice, and elegant structure, and although it may be enjoyed in its youth, Santa Cruz Mountains Estate cabernet blends typically age with grace for up to a decade.
	One Estate, Two Wines In terms of place, our Santa Cruz Mountains Estate is Monte Bello, and vice versa. From this very special place, we are fortunate to be able to create two distinct wines, one which is labeled as Santa Cruz Mountains and one which is labeled as Monte Bello. We do this by listening to the vineyard at each harvest and making selections based, not on quality, but on style, to craft two wines that are equally captivating but serve different purposes. While Monte Bello is intended for the cellar, Santa Cruz Mountains Estate expresses the beauty and complexity of our exceptional mountain home in the first glorious flush of its youth.