KNOW THE RIDGE Part : 1 - Ridge Monte Bello Vineyard Sonoma

RIDGE SOMMSYMPOSIUM 2019

It was June 2019, I had been invited down to visit Ridge Winery in California. This trip would be my first ever trip to California wine country. Sonoma to be exact, visiting the 3 major Ridge Family Estates of Monte Bello, Lytton Springs and Geyserville. The entire Ridge Family of wine makers and sales team host an annual Symposium with invited Sommelier from across America, I think I might have been the first Canadian invited and I had the pleasure of meeting China’s only Master Sommelier, Yang Lu among the esteemed guests. Over the 3 days starting in Los Gatos, with a meet and greet at ‘The Bywater’ for a champagne dinner, we would on the following days taste and tour the Monte Bello Vineyards near Cupertino and then finally travel up to the Estates at Lytton Springs and Geyserville Vineyards close to the quiet town of Healdsburg.

Ridge, and their Chief Wine Maker Paul Draper are world renowned for their legendary high altitude Monte Bello Ridge Vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. In fact Ridge Monte Bello 1971 was one of the wines presented by Stephen Spurrier at the famed ‘Judgment of Paris’ Wine tasting of 1976. An historic blind tasting hosted by Spurrier whereby he invited French Wine Judges to rate and rank wines of quality that included Chardonnay, both French and American in one flight. In the second flight, Cabernet Sauvignon/Bordeaux Blends of French and American origin . France had up until this point reigned supreme in global recognition for quality and heritage. Ridge Monte Bello ranked in the top 5 overall and the Ridge reputation was sealed. I would also add that the reputation of quality has certainly been maintained!

Ridge is also known for being a key player in pioneering the way for the ‘elevation and promotion’ of the grape Zinfandel in the region. See ZAP. Both Lytton and Geyserville Vineyards are dedicated to old vine and Heritage Zinfandel. These vineyards are special because of the unique DNA of the Field Blend. Field Blended Vineyards, historically, are a combination of different vines planted to ensure a ‘balanced’ crop and a wine of equally balanced flavour. Ridge has focused on Old Vine Zinfandel sprinkled with a blend of Southern France grapes such as Carignan, Grenache, Mataro (Mourvedre), Viognier to name a few. These Field Blended Vineyards had been acquired with an already pre-existing map of planting. That is to say the vineyards had been intentionally planted this way and have been since studied and maintained to give the Ridge Zinfandel blends their unique identity, style, let alone freshness! A freshness that is not always experienced while drinking the ‘other’ often high octane Zinfandels of California.

Day 1: We began our wine journey at the sleepy town of Los Gatos, the day opening up with a dry summer heat, very reminiscent of being somewhere in the Mediterranean. Departing for our first vineyard stop on an ascension (enter John Coltrane) up into the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA above Cupertino to see the Monte Bello Vineyards. These vineyards sit somewhere at 400 - 800 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l) and sit on one of the only places in the region that are of limestone soil. It is this limestone outcrop, sitting on top of the San Andreas Fault, which gives that special profile to Monte Bello Red (re: Cabernet Sauvignon + blend) at altitude. As I would soon learn, it is also here that they make their fantastic Monte Bello Chardonnay.

The Monte Bello Vineyards in its entirety is comprised of 4 different sub-vineyard. The lowest altitude vineyard, and where we had our introductions to the full Ridge team, is ‘Klein’ which sits at 500 m.a.s.l,. we then rise to ‘Rousten’, ‘Torre’ and ‘Perrone’ - home to the the historic Old Stone limestone cellar sitting at 800 m.a.s.l.

Klein Vineyard

View of Perrone from Rousten Ranch Vineyard

Paul Draper and his story at Ridge

The Vision : to make world class chard and cab from the same sight!

Eric Baugher, COO and wine maker at the Ridge Monte Bello Vineyards took us through a proper master class of Monte Bello Chardonnay and Cabernet. I can think of few better things to be occupied with at 10am in the morning. The tasting was hosted in the upper level of the original ‘Old Stone Winery’ that had been owned originally by the Perrone Family back in the late 1800’s. Dr. Perrone established Monte Bello Ridge by creating terraced limestone vineyards and a cellar carved into the limestone earth. Monte Bello Ridge became ‘Ridge’ Monte Bello in the 1940’s when the original founding members purchased the then abandoned cellar and thereafter started to plant Cabernet on the Perrone and the then acquired Torre Vineyards. The first commercial wine sales of Ridge Monte Bello was in 1962. It was in 1969 that Paul Draper became the winemaker at Ridge and it was his hand that crafted Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet 1971 for the famous Judgment of Paris : Stephen Spurrier tasting of 1976!

Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay Vertical

All wines were tasted June 2019.

2014 Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay : This Ridge Chardonnay was made in a reductive style, with tones of lightly buttered popcorn, to apple and orchard fruit. Lashed with lemon, citrus peel and sweet honey comb. The palate is quite flinty, saline and mineral driven. ( I did add a note that this wine is less saline than the following vintages we would taste). The fruit on the palate is gentle of sun-sweetened golden apple as a defining character. I felt the wine be best described as clean and clear. Clarity. There is a very pleasing overall presence on the palate with quite a long finish.

2015 Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay : 2015 showed less reduction than the 2014, with fleshy lemon and golden apple driving the wine. Orchard fruit of bruised apple and pear exhibiting sighs of evolution from bottle age and that honeycomb, lemon is softly layered with something like oat and cereal. The saline mineral note is much more apparent on the nose. The palate gives way to some texture, with fresh but less intense fruit of apple, lemon and touches of banana and spice. The wine feels warmer due to the vintage. Medium length on the finish.

2016 Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay : 2016 carries a nice balance of reduction to fruit, with distinct golden apple, lemon and honey with an added layer of savoury herb. The mineral tone on the nose is more defined as Loire Sancerre like - silex/flinty. Bright! Palate is fresh and mineral balanced nicely with the sweet-ish apple, lemon, add lemon zest, and spice notes. I did not mention the notion of phenolic bitterness in the previous wines but it is here present, more intense yet gentle. Think light notes of popped corn and roast almond. This was by far the most complex and expressive of the Chardonnay wines.

2017 Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay : Bottled Sample of 2017 mimics the 2016 with its veil of reduction. The fruit element here is sweet golden apple, lemon clean and clear with a feeling of the Mediterranean coast with herbs and floral aroma. The palate was less complex but direct with weight and intent.

NOTE: Please enjoy these next few photographs. I might encourage you to grab yourself a glass of Chardonnay or Cabernet, or whatever and jam to this dj. Osunlade mix…skip to the 1hour4min mark and turn full blast!, on whatever sound system you. [ a new window will open so stay with me ]

The Ridge Monte Bello is a rather classic Bordeaux Blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon with the additional spice and zest of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Upon tasting the wines one can not but remark at how fresh and mineral in drive these wines present in comparison to other California wines of the same pedigree and history. Paul Draper is strongly opposed to the UC Davis Wine Education as an approach to wine, with the argument that this UC Davis approach ‘messes with flavours’ and masks the potential of the true identity and character of California terroir and wines. All that remains is a mask of ‘oak’. It might be like Coca-Cola/Pepsi versus Chinotto or ‘real’ Root Beer.

The winemaking at Monte Bello embraces sustainability and organics. The wines are made with natural yeast, that undergo a natural malolactic fermentation from each of the 45 sub-parcels. Each varietal is made into wine separately. Then blended. How is Monte Bello made from so many parcels? In the early days all of the parcels would go into blending to make Monte Bello. The fear was to not ‘waste’ any of this wine. They soon realized that this was ‘forcing’ the wines into being Monte Bello, whereas now they watch and meticulously taste each barrel for better balance before blending. Tannin is managed at another level of detail with the use press fractions to complete the Monte Bello wine in any particular vintage.

Ridge Monte Bello Vertical

2012 Ridge Monte Bello : the 2012 greets you immediately with bright, and evenly ripe black and blue berry fruit notes followed by floral, and savoury herbal tones of the Mediterranean, with a sage like aroma dominant. From a balanced use of oak, one can sense spice, vanilla, and a subtle cumin, warm spiced feel. Overall the wine felt medium to full bodied, with firm tannin and bright acid holding up the nice forest bramble berry fruit. Gentle and savoury. A fine tuned and balanced wine reflective of site and elevation.

2013 Ridge Monte Bello : this 2013 presented deeper and darker, still waiting to reveal it’s true self. The same dark fruit was denser, concentrated on the nose with mint and bay leaf, yet still giving floral and fresh-cum-mineral tones on the aroma. The palate reflected the same intensity with firm, intense tannin with notable high acid, the fruit is latent but present. Overall the component varieties in the wine express themselves and perform as they should.

2014 Ridge Monte Bello : 2014 was harvested in September. An early summer that was hot, with drought and moving into rather mild conditions up until harvest. The wine presents up front with plum/damson, ripe confected berry, raspberry and currant. There is a freshness and floral tone that reminded me of Tuscan Sangiovese with some dusty rose aroma rising from the glass. The palate makes a seamless transition from aroma. It tastes like it smells. The tannin and acid are elevated giving way to an angular structure, the wine is sharp and justly balanced by the generosity in fruit.

2015 Ridge Monte Bello : 2015 was a result of a similar vintage as the 2014 though harvest took place in October. Perhaps altitude and exposition aided during a summer that experienced heat spikes, drought and wildfire in other areas of California wine country. This wine in fruit and aroma presented notes of ‘what-one-might-think’ as ‘classic-Bordeaux’. Truth be told that this wine is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Clean and bright with layers of aroma, from berry to spice and a slight cooked, maderized, coulis layer of fruit. On the palate the wine is wrapped up with fine tannin, firm and so direct, but lashed with with tart plum, plum skin to prune, with a leafy herbal and savoury finish.

2016 Ride Monte Bello : 2016 complex and precise in its floridity, with currant, bramble fruit, baked fig, prune, subtle cumin - sotolon, pine and green herbs with the distinct floral and mineral freshness. Moving to the palate the same quality of intense bramble berry, plum, with sandal wood and great freshness/minerality. Again an intense yet complex wine. You can see from my notes that this is the most brief. I can say that the overall presentation of the wines from their structure - tannin v. acid, and fruit quality are all consistent. Like looking at a BMW 5 Series or the reliability of a Toyota Camry with all the bells and whistles. Though this last wine had the details, more than just the leather interior and hard wood, but also having a proper ‘EQ’ed’ audio system for your jazz, house music, or U.K grime!

2017 Ridge Monte Bello : Bottle Sample of the 2017 in its youth was bramble berry, with dried cassis, and currant. Underlying notes of upfront vanilla, baking spice with lower complexity, though intense. The palate reflected the intensity of youth in this wine, with bold tannin, notably high acid and the fruit flavours following notes of the aroma. A wine that needs to mature with time to see it true potential.

All wines were tasted June 2019

More to follow in Part 2 with a few words on Zinfandel at Lytton and Geyserville Vineyards.

WINE BIZNESS...WHAT IT'S WORTH?

ALTA WINES AN AFTERNOON IN ITALY - SEPT 23, 2018

It has been a busy September thus far. Back to school and back to work. For many serious wine professionals, not only are we back in the restaurants planning for the fall and winter, we have also been busy at trade tastings, seminars, one-on-one meetings with regional market representative, wine makers and wine agents.

I am listening to Thelonious Monk LIGHT BLUE from the album ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960’ as I write.

Monday afternoon was a real cracker with 3 or 4 different events happening, I usually plan to make them all, but there comes a moment when you really need to pick and choose or you get caught up digging deep into the wines. At best portfolio tastings can often only be a ‘teaser / scratching the surface excercise’ versus the one-on-one in-depth sit down meeting…so I got caught up…!

Alta Wines is a relatively new agency specializing in wines of Italy from small producers in Piemonte all the way down to Calabria, with a strong focus on Puglia. A few standouts from the tasting include the following.

Cascina Tajvin. . The winery is run by wine maker Nadia Verrua, located in the hills of Monferrato outside of the town of Asti, Piemonte. A 30 to 40 minute drive from the town of Alba (the centre of Barolo and Barbaresco).

Ruché ‘Teresa’ 2018. This wine is a happy wine, floral and bright with clean and intense aroma of cherry and red forest berries. There is great mouth feel in that the wine has gently sweet fruit flavour with fine gripping tannin and an earthy mineral tone with moderate acid. Her philosophy of low intervention in the cellar and organic / biodynamic practices in the vineyards gives this wine a certain character and energy.

Barbera ‘Bandita’ 2016’. Asti is the natural home of Barbera, this wine is sweet and dangerous at the same time. with lifted black cherry to the expected blue fruit tones of Barbera. The palate hits with high acid, as it should, but then some intense tannin and mouthfeel which is not always expected of Barbera. The wine making here is meant to produce a serious product. I can’t help but wonder if there was a touch of mouse taint on the back palate…not enough to detract. Yes a fault in many a natural wine but I think here at a threshold that is like having your new lover drinking coffee out of your most favourite mug, but they didn’t know…!

Cascina Tajvin Ruché 2018. Monferrato. Asti, Piemonte.

Two other wines of note and good value from Puglia. Caiaffa Nero di Troia ‘Vibrans’ 2017. Puglia and the L’Archetipo Aglianico 2013. Puglia.

Caiaffa Nero di Troia ‘Vibrans’ 2017 Puglia.

THAT’S LIFE SAKE + WINE PORTOLIO TASTING - 88+

I then bounced over to the That’s Life Sake and Wine Portfolio Tasting. This agency has been in Toronto a few years now. The HQ is based out of Vancouver. I learned that they have been holding it down out there in the wild west since 1997 amassing a large portfolio of mid-range to high end sake and a considerable amount of fine wines from around Europe. Along with a few other out of province agencies, they are here to shake things up with their first full showing of wicked liquid.

PIN-NO

I have become a big fan of the grape Pineau d’Aunis from the Loire Valley. Up until recently an ‘outcast’ of a grape and not at all favoured in comparison to Cabernet Franc. It has a certain tone and character, so much so that for the uninitiated the wines of Pineau d’Aunis may come off as, dare I say, an earthier and grittier spinoff of Pinot Noir. Sommeliers, consumers and wine distributors have gradually realized that as the world has been obsessed with the privilege and space that Pinot Noir has occupied, we have overlooked all of the other great grapes that have as much finesse and beauty and with that a certain elegance, finesse we need from well made wines.

The wines of Guillaume Reynouard of Manoir de la Tête Rouge are entirely new to me. I did some light reading, rather I went down a shallow rabbit hole and found out that he was recently elected president of le Syndicat Vin de Saumur de Puy-Notre-Dame a special place in the heart of Anjou-Saumur , the winery has been practicing biodynamics since 2010, and is situated on limestone and clay soils, which all give way to terroir specific wines. Pineau d’Aunis produces a wine of bright red currant flavour, with a peppery spice akin to Syrah with an added earthy savoury character as if Cabernet Franc and Beaujolais were siblings with a Pinot Noir parent. I have had a few Pineau d’Aunis, in fact I list the wines of Domaine de Bellivière Pineau d’Aunis ‘Rouge Gorge’ Coteaux du Loir, Loire at both alo and alobar in Toronto. Ask about them the next time you are in.

Guillaume Reynouard ‘K Sa Tête’ Pineau d’Aunis, Saumur. Loire, France.

Shift the Gaze

German Pinot Noir can be quite engaging and thought provoking. On a trip to Germany last summer I was exposed to the many historical and great producers of Spätburgunder, as Pinot Noir is called in Germany. These wines are naturally different and unique, even exotic given the climate, the terroir of Germany paired with the vision in winemaking, though no less Pinot Noir for the ‘true’ Pinot Noir lover. The ‘True Pinot Noir Lover’ doesn’t necessarily mean the individual who has a cellar full of decent to good Burgundy. Mind you, just like any other wine region of the world, there are lesser and greater wines, it would be a shame to assume that your first German Pinot is going to take you to Romanée-Conti or Russian River. Perhaps it will, but with anything new a little time and exploration will pay off. I did taste this Kesseler Pinot Noir, which did bring me back to my summer in Germany. This example was decidedly intense with ripe and full Pinot Noir fruit you know what that is, I don’t need to wax poetic with descriptors. Trust me it’s Pinot. The difference here is just like any other region compared to Burgundy be it Oregon or Russian River. I would say here the wine is earthy, dry and savoury with a freshness and energy the would make any Pinot lover smile.

August Kesseler ‘The Daily August’ Pinot Noir 2016, Rheingau. Germany.

Below you will find a few photos from my 2018 Summer's trip to Germany Wine School. Below a master class session on Pinot Noir given by Anne Krebiehl MW. Anne Krebiehl is a German born, London based Master of Wine and writer/educator on the wines of Alsace, Austria, Germany and more. She is a great story teller as she walked us through the history of German Spätburgunder.

Anne Krebiehl MW - Spätburgunder Master Class at the Geisenheim University of Oenology. 2018

CAPEZZANA of CARMIGNANO, TUSCANY : HISTORY AND HERITAGE

CAPEZZANA of CONTE CONTINI BONACOSSI 

SPRING TASTINGS this year ran frequently and with great intensity. It seemed like every body was in town showing their wares and wines from every part of the globe. It was a real task to fit them all in, especially if the wine maker had taken time to make the trip to the North American market. One of the many highlights was a visit from Daniel Edwards, the sales and marketing co-ordinator for the house of Capezzana. Daniel, formerly of the hotel and restaurant industry in his native England, found himself vacationing in a house next to the family estate of Carmignano Tuscany and the rest is history. 

I encountered the wines of Capezzana when the entry level Barco Reale wine was in the LCBO vintages, some 6-7years ago. Barco Reale is for all intents and purposes the original and first 'DOC' of Italy, and is arguably one the first appellation that applied the use of the Cabernet grape then called Cabernet Francesi, as a required component to the Sangiovese based wines of the zone. As a student of Italian wines I was much intrigued, I had done my readings on the wines and today was a great opportunity to taste and talk about the wines of the famed winery. Note that the estate was once part of the historic and noble family Medici of Tuscany 

BARCO REALE a 300 year history of wine.

History has it that the Grand Duke Cosimo III of the Medici (17th century) created the 'BANDO' a decree that declared the estate of Barco Reale as a wine zone of utmost quality. The Barco being a 53 km long wall that encloses lands and forests which contain an historical hunting ground, the wineries and vineyards, farms, olive groves and a few small rivers and streams. Situated north of Florence and to the Northwest of the Chianti appellation. The Barco Reale was noted of having superior wines and the Bando ensured that future wine was to continue to be made in particular style and fashion and also traded at a certain value to the highest courts and the greatest tables in all of Europe.

The property today is vast and includes 12OO acres of land on which today you will find the historic Medici Villa, along with 120 farmsteads of different families farming 300 acres of vineyards and 600 acres dedicated to olive groves.

It was in the 1920's that the noble family headed by the Count Contini Bonacossi, acquired the property. The Bonacossi family have been and still are collectors of antique art and textiles from Italy and Spain. The purchase of the estate was both a strategic business move and that of passion. The first bottles under the Contini Bonacossi was in 1925, in a more classic Bordeaux shaped bottle like the one we know today, they abandoned the old style straw covered 'fiasco' which was de rigueur at the time. This wine was 80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon with 1 year in tonneau and 1 year in bottle. Fast forward to the 1970's, with Ugo Contini Bonacossi the 4th generation and we see the foundations for the wines that I would taste today. In 1979, Ugo purchased clippings of Cabernet and Merlot from Ch. Lafite in Bordeaux in order to establish another level of excellence in their wines 

5 generations later and the current family members, Benedetta (wine maker), Vittorio (viticulturist), Filipo (olive oil production) and Bertrice (estate and sales manager) share the responsibility of guiding this family run estates towards consistant quality. 

Now for the wines. 

The Family Wines of Capezzna Conte Contini Bonacossi. Christopher Sealy

THE VILLA WINES: 

The VILLA di Capezzana is the flagship wine for the Capezzana Estate, the original blend for the wine remains as it was since 1925 comprising of 80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine spends 1 year in tonneau and 1 year in bottle. 

“Villa di Capezzana, as a wine is to demonstrate affordable quality with great ageing potential. ”

— Daniel Edwards for Capezzana

2013 Villa di Capezzana : the wine displays layers of earthy dark blue berry fruit and rich red berry fruit, with a nice floral note, bright and lifted giving way to a round and full palate and fine grained tannin. The fruit flavour is a medley of dark blue and red cherry that remains fresh and taut. Given some time the wine will show it's true colours and flavours. 

2007 Villa di Capezzana : this vintaged wine has evolved to present the same lovely floral and earthy tones I found in the '13, though with dried yet bright blue and red fruit, now add mushroom and a nice herbal sage aroma. The palate is soft and textured with dusty tannin and a chocolate powder like finish. 

TREFIANO VILLA ESTATE WINE

TREFIANO RISERVA wine was first produced in 1979, from a single plot on a 4 hectare vineyard located on the 'Trefiano' Villa estate, not far from the main 'Villa' property and vineyard. This is a 'handcrafted' wine of 80% Sangiovese with 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Canaiolo, that spends 16 month in tonneaux and 1 year+ in bottle.  This wine has principally been made for the family and the following generations to collect and age. 

The delightful Treffiano Riserva - a Sangiovese/Cabernet/Canaiolo blend.

2012 Trefiano Riserva : is charming with rustic and pleasant bright fruit aroma and a floral nature. There is a certain complexity in this wine, that is understated, gentle and yet firm. The palate is seemingly sweet-ish with layers of orange blossom, some toffee and toasted coffee. It is a lovely and harmonious wine.   

ALONG THE FURBA RIVER: 

GHIAIE DELLA FURBA = the stones along the Furba River. This vineyard is located on a rather flat zone on the estate. In 1979 Vittorio and his father Ugo decided to establish a bonafide Bordeaux blend. The site and the feel of the vineyard was to emulate Bordeaux, the river, gravelly soil adjacent to a stream but of course in Tuscany. With original cuttings of Cabernet and Merlot from the famed Chateau Lafite, the wine today is a powerful combination of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 30% Syrah. 

2012 Ghiaie della Furba is pure and floral, with plum candy fruit, spice and touch of vanilla and all the svelte elegance and richness of a luxury wine without the price tag. The palate is very direct with surprisingly lifted with mineral tones that support bigger flavours rich blue fruit coated with buttered chocolate, wood spice and a vibrant pepper spice that is contributed by the Syrah. The tannins are well defined and need some time to settle but the wine gives pleasure today and I can only imagine the future. This wine is fully biodynamic. 

Daniel Edwards being interviewed by Jamie Drummond (goodfoodrevolution)

The final wine was the 2010 Vin Santo Riserva. A wine of true passion and dedication that is entirely made by the hand of Benedetta, the chief wine maker for the family estate. The wine is 90% Trebbiano and 10% Colombano Bianco. A delightful nectar that begins with a 3-6 month drying of the grapes on bamboo staves in a full terracotta stone chamber with windows. Benedetta by scent and feel will regulate humidity by opening and closing windows. When the grapes have lost nearly 80-90% of volume the grapes are pressed and turned to wine and then aged in 'caratelli', small wooden barrels made of chestnut, oak, and cherry. The barrels are stopped with concrete plugs and will remain this way for 6+ years. The DOC minimum is 5 years. Only 6000 btls are made each vintage and the resulting nectar is sweet and balanced with vibrant acidity, pale gold in colour with that classic caramelized almond and hazelnut flavours, add roasted peach and apricot with salted caramel.

These are the wines of Capezzana : Conte Contain Bonacossi. Some of the wines are already here, the 'Villa' is currently in vintages with the other wines to arrive in late September to early October. Contact Charles Baker at Cru Wine Merchants.

Christopher Sealy