2023 Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon

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)

From 1978 to 2007, Ridge produced a cabernet-based Santa Cruz Mountains bottling. In 2008, the name changed to Estate Cabernet to highlight the fact that all the grapes for that wine are grown by Ridge and come from the Monte Bello vineyard. In 2023, we purchased grapes from several high-quality growers in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We decided to revive this label to indicate that the grapes for this wine, rather than being farmed by Ridge, come from outside growers. JO (4/25)

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.

Rainfall: 84 inches (above average)
Bloom: Late June
Weather: Late and prolonged harvest due to consistently cool weather throughout the growing season.

Harvest Dates: 6 October – 10 November
Grapes: Average Brix 23.1˚
TA: 7.2 g/L
pH: 3.48
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

Hand-harvested grapes; destemmed and sorted; fermented on indigenous yeast; calcium carbonate; full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; minimum effective sulfur (35 ppm at crush, 90 ppm during aging). In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.