Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This wine grows at the first site Jay Heminway planted at his property in the eastern hills of Napa Valley, the vines replanted in the mid-90's after the original vineyards succumbed to phylloxera. The plant material came from Trentadue Ranch, from an old block that Ridge uses for Geyserville, so the cuttings included a bit of petite sirah, syrah, carignan, grenache and some Italian varieties. The 2014 is clean and direct in its raspberry ripeness, darkened and softened by oak aging. There's a comforting feel to the raspy fruit tannins, lasting on gentle minerality and spice. This is built for roast venison or lamb.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.