1991 Santa Cruz Mountains Merlot

Ridge planted merlot on Monte Bello in the late sixties. A small bottling was made in 1974, and a second in 1976. In the eighties we replanted the south slope to merlot, and budded over a block of the Santa Cruz Mountains vineyard on the Jimsomare Ranch. This small release from the latter vines was harvested fully ripe in the first two weeks of October, and aged for seventeen months in air-dried american oak. Based on comparative tastings, we included cabernet sauvignon for depth and further complexity. The balance of this elegant wine gives it immediate appeal, and it will develop further with eight to ten years in bottle. PD (5/93)

30 years ago, Ridge made its first Monte Bello from this distinctive site in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We use the minimal handling typical of traditional winemaking, enabling the unique quality of the vineyard to define the wine. As pioneers of single-vineyard wines, we are proud that our three decades are an integral part of California’s winemaking history.

Average Rating: 89.5

No. of Tasting Notes: 6

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