Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Oyster Ridge bursts from the glass with an abundant display of both red and black fruits, all underpinned by notes of violet, graphite, caramel and black olive. An impressively integrated palate reveals seamless flavors of black cherry, plum, red currant, and cassis. The mouthfeel is broad and deep, combining approachability with staying power. Hints of toasted oak, tobacco, mocha, and spice awaken toward the finish, while sleek, polished tannins and measured acidity carry the experience to a triumphant conclusion.
Blend: 72%, Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 10% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThe soils at the Santa Margherita Vineyard were once the ocean floor; now 1,100 feet above the contemporary Pacific, oyster fossils lie on the surface where it’s planted to vines. This cabernet-focused blend comes off as dark and warm when first poured, all plum, cassis and fig jam. That calcareous foundation props up the fruit with a dusty spice—marjoram, tobacco, mace. The wine has the stuffing to age a decade at least.
The 2018 Oyster Ridge has a medium ruby color and fresh berry fruit on the nose with accents of underbrush, dried flowers and herbs. The medium-bodied palate is grainy, bright and layered with spices that linger on the uplifted finish. It's a very pleasing, pretty wine that's SIP (Sustainability in Practice) certified, but I'm surprised by the unwieldy bottle that is so heavy I can't pour it without using both hands.
Saturated ruby. Aromas of ripe dark fruits, mocha and pipe tobacco are sharpened by a suggestion of cracked pepper. Gently chewy and focused on the palate, offering appealingly sweet cherry and cassis flavors that steadily firm up through the back half. Shows bright clarity and spicy lift on the gently tannic finish, which clings with authority. 85% new oak.
We are a family-owned winery specializing in estate-grown wines from Margarita Vineyard, the southernmost vineyard in the Paso Robles appellation on California’s Central Coast.
Just look at a map of Paso Robles wineries and at the very southern tip you will find our Vineyard. Here, amid the rugged Santa Lucia mountain range just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Margarita Vineyard stands alone as the only vineyard in its vicinity, and thus the only vineyard to benefit from the extraordinary growing conditions of the area. Margarita Vineyard resides in the historic Santa Margarita Ranch, which was first planted to vines by Franciscan missionaries in 1774.
Ancient Peaks and Margarita Vineyard are owned by three longtime local winegrowing families—the Filipponis, Rossis and Wittstroms—who are actively involved in the daily operations of the vineyard and winery. Ancient Peaks wines are crafted under the guidance of Mike Sinor, a local winemaking veteran and one of the highest-rated winemakers on the Central Coast.
Ancient Peaks implements numerous sustainable viticultural practices to ensure natural quality in their wines while protecting the rich, native environment surrounding the Margarita Vineyard. Their practices have earned SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certification for Margarita Vineyard, the leading standard for viticultural sustainability.
Composed of steep mountain slopes of ancient Salinas River origins at 900 to 1,400 feet in elevation, Santa Margarita Ranch is in the southern portion of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.