Ridge Santa Cruz Chardonnay 2003

Chardonnay
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    Ridge Santa Cruz Chardonnay 2003 Front Label
    Ridge Santa Cruz Chardonnay 2003 Front Label

    Product Details


    Varietal

    Producer

    Vintage
    2003

    Size
    750ML

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    Somm Note

    Winemaker Notes

    People seem unaware than Ridge makes a chardonnay. But chardonnay planted in the forties was growing on the "middle" vineyard when the founders bought the land in 1959. The first (legal) vintage was 1962. So it's nothing new, though the original vines were pulled in the eighties, and supplanted by those on the "lower" vineyard, Jimsomare. Style and technique have changed a bit over time, consistency has improved, but Ridge chardonnay remains — as ever — complex, delightful, and eminently suitable for cellaring. (Recent tastings of the '76 and '79 confirm the longevity factor.) Current vinification practice involves long, slow fermentation on naturally-occurring yeast, natural malolactic, natural clarification through settling (no fining or filtration.) In general: apple, pear, and pineapple fruit predominate. (Some years are more tropical than others.) A nicely flinty mineral element is present. There are subtle undertones of butter, baked bread, caramel. These are complex wines. The '96 is lovely now, the '97 just coming into its own. Either could do with some aging.

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    Ridge

    Ridge

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    Ridge, California
    Ridge Ridge Winery Video

    Ridge's history begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor and prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He planted vineyards and constructed a winery of redwood and native limestone in time to produce the first vintage of Monte Bello in 1892. The historic building now serves as the Ridge production facility.

    Though Ridge began as a Cabernet winery, by the mid-60s, it had produced several Zinfandels including the Geyserville. In 1972, Lytton Springs joined the line-up and the two came to represent an important part of Ridge production. Known primarily for its red wines, Ridge has also made limited amounts of Chardonnay since 1962.

    The Ridge approach is straightforward: find the most intense and flavorful grapes, guide the natural process, draw all the fruit's richness into the wine. Decisions on when to pick, when to press, when to rack, what varietals and what parcels to include and when to bottle, are based on taste. To retain the nuances that increase complexity, Ridge winemakers handle the grapes and wine as gently as possible. There are no recipes, only attention and sensitivity.

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    CNC686393_2003 Item# 83163

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