RIDGE VINEYARDS SPRING RELEASES TWELVE BOTTLE CASE

Purchase RIDGE VINEYARDS SPRING RELEASES TWELVE BOTTLE CASE

Notes on the Ridge Vineyards Spring Releases Twelve Bottle Case : NVWE NOTES: Don't miss this opportunity to be able to enjoy and compare six wonderful just-released wines from award-wining Ridge Vineyards! A case with two bottles each (12 total) is just $379.95! (Plus shipping.)

RIDGE VINEYARDS SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005
A late winter held the vines dormant longer than usual. During bloom, northern California was hit by a particularly strong weather system, disrupting fruit formation, and the estate yielded its smallest crop since 1996. Warm summer weather helped to avoid a seriously delayed harvest; picking began on schedule in early October, and was complete by early November. Small berry size resulted in rapid color and tannin extraction. This, in turn, required special handling - as the whole berries fermented on their natural yeasts, only a limited amount of juice was circulated through the cap. Early pressing - at day six, on average - helped maintain balance. press wine was aged separately, allowing excess tannin to precipitate, then added at eighteen months. Abundant fruit and richness permitted us to use a greater percentage of new and one-year-old air-dried american oak in aging. Twenty-one months in barrel and six racks off the settled lees have brought integration and clarity. Elegant structure and the rich, briary fruit typical of our Santa Cruz Mountains estate combine to give the wine immediate appeal. An excellent vintage, it will continue to develop over the next twelve to fourteen years. (EB 5/07) 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate, bottled August 2007, 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot

RIDGE VINEYARDS SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2006
Though cold winter rains persisted into May, our estate vineyard escaped damage and set an abundant crop. June and July were unusually warm, allowing the vines to catch up after their late start; abundant groundwater minimized stress. The weather cooled in August, slowing ripening; we harvested in October. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed, and racked to barrel. A lengthy natural-yeast cold fermentation finished by year's end; during the uninoculated secondary which followed, the lees were stirred every few weeks. By April, the lots were ready for blind tasting to determine assemblage. We selected the wine from four vineyard parcels where the vines showed least stress. Once assembled, it was allowed to settle, then racked off its lees for an unfiltered bottling. Elegant and approachable, this fine chardonnay will continue to develop over the next three to four years. (EB 7/07) 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Chardonnay, bottled September 2007, 100% Chardonnay

RIDGE VINEYARDS LYTTON WEST SONOMA SYRAH 2005
A warm February allowed the syrah vines an early start, but cold weather returned in March and persisted through May, setting them back five weeks. Summer's warmth was followed by an unusually foggy August and September. The fruit was fully ripe by late September, and all six parcels were harvested within six days. The grapes were destemmed but left uncrushed, and filled eight small tanks. By the third day, natural yeasts began the fermentations. For extraction of color, flavor, and tannin, a limited amount of juice was circulated twice daily over the cap of skins. Pressed at six days on average, the free run wines completed a natural malolactic fermentation and were racked to barrel. Assemblage was determined in late spring by blind tasting of the eight possible components. The oldest parcels produced wine of exceptional depth and density; the younger yielded focused fruit and soft, balanced tannins. Five lots were chosen for this fine syrah, and aged for a total of twenty-one months in air-dried american oak. Enjoyable now for its forward, spicy fruit, it will develop greater complexity over the next ten years. (EB 05/07) 2005 Syrah Lytton West, bottled August 2004, 94% Syrah, 6% Viognier

RIDGE VINEYARDS EAST BENCH DRY CREEK VALLEY ZINFANDEL 2006
This is our first wine entirely from vines on the benchland that separates Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. The original vines were abandoned in 1920; we replanted in 2000, using budwood from our own old-vine vineyards. Despite late spring rains and cool weather, the crop was good. We thinned heavily at veraison to assure concentration. August is usually hot. Instead, it was foggy and cool, with occasional showers. It became a challenge to determine how long to wait for the grapes to ripen before moisture caused serious problems; we went through the vineyards several times to remove damaged clusters. At harvest, the remaining fruit was clean and fully ripe. Primary and secondary fermentations were natural. To maximize extraction, the skins macerated for ten days and were pressed at dryness. After malolactic, the wine aged for thirteen months in air-dried american oak. This is classic Dry Creek — rich and structured with brambly dark fruit and chalky, yet balanced, tannins. It will be most enjoyable over the next five to six years. (JO 11/07) 2006 Zinfandel East Bench, bottled January 2008, 100% Zinfandel

RIDGE VINEYARDS GEYSERVILLE ZINFANDEL 2006
Winter rains continued into late March,sustaining the vines through summer. A full crop — comparable to 2005 — was thinned to intensify flavors. In September, as fog off the Pacific persisted, we dropped more clusters to eliminate damage to the fruit. Each parcel fermented separately on natural yeasts. Color and tannin extracted easily; we pressed at near-dryness after seven days. The uninoculated secondary finished within three weeks. Assemblage began October 10, when all the mixed-varietal parcels and one of petite sirah were combined. Based on further tastings, four zinfandel blocks were added, then two century-old carignane blocks for their opulence and complexity. At the end of June, a last rich, well-structured zinfandel lot completed assemblage. After fourteen months in barrel, the wine is fully integrated. Elegant tannins and intense fruit make it enjoyable now; it will be best over the next eight to ten years. (EB 11/07) 2006 Geyserville Vineyard, bottled January 2008, 70% Zinfandel, 18% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro

RIDGE VINEYARDS PASO ROBLES ZINFANDEL 2006
The eighty-year-old vines on Benito Dusi's ranch set a full crop, with yields equaling those of 2005. Above-average summer temperatures quickly advanced the growing season, but cooling ocean breezes slowed the process, and we harvested two weeks later than usual. Natural yeasts carried out primary fermentation in small tanks, which were pumped over twice daily. An uninoculated malolactic fermentation finished rapidly, allowing us to assemble the selected parcels in November. The blend was racked to air-dried american oak barrels — a quarter new, a very few one to two years old, and the balance four years old. Careful racking off the sediment brought brilliant clarity by the ninth month. This vineyard's forward fruit and soft tannins have often dictated early bottling. In this vintage, however, our blind tastings confirmed the need for a full thirteen months of barrel age. Rich fruit and the spice of barrel aging are beautifully balanced in this accessible zinfandel. It will be at its best over the next five years. (EB 11/07) 2006 Paso Robles, bottled January 2008, 100% Zinfandel



RIDGE VINEYARDS SPRING RELEASES TWELVE BOTTLE CASE

Purchase RIDGE VINEYARDS SPRING RELEASES TWELVE BOTTLE CASE