2024 Sandy Lane Carignane

Dark purple in color with aromas of dark chocolate and blueberry. Full bodied, with notes of boysenberry, fresh mint, and cigar box on the palate. Round and well-structured with a rich finish. MB (6/26)

Planted around 1890, this vineyard is own-rooted, head-trained, dry farmed and grown in pure sand. Located in Contra Costa County, east of the San Francisco Bay, this site experiences daily afternoon winds that cool the vines and presere the delicate acidity. This excellent old-vine carignane can be enjoyed now and will continue to develop over the next five years.

Ridge has a long history producing wine from this Spanish grape variety. These 130-plus-year- old vines are grown in deep sandy soil on the bank of the Sacramento River. They are own-rooted, head trained and dry farmed, which is a viticultural anomaly, as most vines throughout the world are grafted onto resistant rootstock. The sandy soil protected these vines from phylloxera, creating an uninhabitable environment for the root louse.

Rainfall: 17 inches (above normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A hot July and August brought harvest two weeks early.

Harvest Date: 21 August
Grapes: Average Brix 23.8˚
TA: 5.36 g/L
pH: 3.53
Fermentation: 100% natural primary and secondary fermentation; 100% submerged cap; pressed at nine days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (20% two years old, 50% four years old, 30% five-plus years old).
Aging: Fourteen months in barrel

Sandy Lane grapes, hand-harvested; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur; (35 ppm at crush, 93 ppm during aging). Pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Vinous Media: 94 Points “Sourced from own-rooted vines planted in super-sandy soils in the late 1800s, the 2024 Carignane Sandy Lane is a resonant, richly textured wine. Expressive, fleshy aromas and flavors of purple berries, pomegranate, cedar and lavender sizzle in the glass. It’s like the saturation knob is turned all the way up. The 2024 vibrates in technicolor, leaving behind a wash of saline-drenched acidity that keeps the mouth watering. Fabulous.” -Billy Norris (January 2026)

JamesSuckling.com: 92 Points “Aromas of raspberries, blackberries, red plums, dried herbs, cracked pepper and crushed rocks. The palate is medium-bodied with a juicy, textural mouthfeel, supple tannins and bright acidity. Plenty of freshness and depth. Drink or hold. ” -Ryan Montgomery (July 2026)

See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.