1996 Dry Creek Merlot

When Ridge purchased Lytton Springs West, we not only gained permanent access to the zinfandel and petite sirah we have harvested there for a decade, but to several small parcels of merlot, cabernet, syrah, and sangiovese. This soft, full wine, bottled for the Advance Tasting Program, is an excellent example of merlot from a warm, typically Californian site. (It is interesting to compare it to our Santa Cruz Mountains Merlot.) Appealing now, the Dry Creek Merlot will be at its best over the next five to eight years. PD (4/98)

Since 1962, Ridge has championed single-vineyard winemaking, exploring California in search of great vineyards where climate, soil, and varietal are ideally matched. Fine wine, when made traditionally, is the result of a natural process. Using traditional methods and minimal handling, we strive to produce the highest quality wines from superior and distinctive fruit. We are proud that our three decades are an integral part of California’s winemaking history.