2021 Evangelho

Ruby red in color with aromatics of Bing cherry, dusty strawberries, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and brown spices. A medium-light body leads to flavors of red plum, rhubarb, and cranberries. Herbal and earthy undertones and rustic tannins coat the entire palate, creating a long and satisfying finish. TG (1/23)

This one-hundred-thirty-year-old vineyard is planted to zinfandel, carignane, and mataro. Each was fermented separately, assembled by taste, and then barreled down for fifteen months. A dry chilly winter, sandy soils, and the windy conditions typical of the Evangelho Vineyard contribute to the dense fruit and vibrant acidity of this elegant wine. Enjoyable now, it will continue to develop over the next eight years. TG (1/23)

Ridge produced its first wine from the Evangelho vineyard in 1990 and went on to produce small bottlings of mataro and zinfandel from this distinctive 1890s-era vineyard for the next three years. The vineyard is located 50 miles east of San Francisco in Contra Costa County and is planted on an ancient alluvial sand bar at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. The cooling influence of the nearby San Francisco Bay along with the vineyard’s deep, sandy soils produce elegant wines with excellent natural acidity.

Rainfall: 5 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: A dry winter and spring stressed the vines, limiting yields and concentrating flavors.

Harvest Dates: 10 & 23 August
Grapes: Average Brix 24.7˚
TA: 7.00 g/L
pH: 3.43
Fermentation: 100% natural primary and secondary fermentation; 100% floating cap.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (20% one year old, 18% two years old, and 62% three years old).
Aging: Eighteen months in barrel

Evangelho Vineyard grapes, hand-harvested; de-stemmed 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, 141 ppm during aging). Pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

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