Ridge Vineyards is a New Classic

Wine Spectator

On 1 March 2016, Wine Spectator magazine published an article by writer Matt Kramer about wineries who could be counted as a New Classic. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“What can be useful, or at least potentially enlightening, is the idea of “new classics.” The old classics are well-enough known, excessively, even. And nothing about modernity seeks (or respects) the class-conscious business of rankings. That’s a non-starter, as the Brits would say, and good riddance.

In posing the idea of “new classics,” I’m not suggesting yet another classification (grand cru, premier cru, first-growth, second-growth, whatever) but rather, a spotlighting of current or potential greatness in our time. It may be a matter of place, such as an individual vineyard or a larger-scale district, à la Burgundy, or a reflection of a sustained, near-universal acclamation for an extraordinary achievement.

Allow me to give you an example of a “new classic” that combines features of both site and producer: Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello, the red (Cabernet Sauvignon) as well as the white (Chardonnay). If these two wines—and the producer—don’t represent new classics, then I don’t know what does.”

Read the full article at WineSpectator.com (may require subscription)