What's Pressoir Drinking?

Edouard Bourgeois
March 1, 2023

When I moved to the US in 2008, one of my motivations as a sommelier was to learn about American  wines. Soon I had my first sip of Cabernet Sauvignon from Ridge Vineyards and I was sold. But the most surprising discovery for me was Ridge’s Zinfandel. I have been a fan of Ridge wines ever since and I am always on a hunt for an old bottle of their Zinfandel. Although I am not typically a fan of big, bold flavor wines, I have always found a great energy in these wines and the powerful character of the grape variety never speaks too loudly, letting terroir express itself.

30 years ago, Ridge made its first Monte Bello, now a legendary US Meritage. Two years later, Ridge bottled their first Zinfandel. The winery has been on a constant hunt for California’s ideal vineyard so the climate, soil, and varietal are perfectly matched. To bring the distinctive character of each vineyard to the wine, they use minimal handling that is typical of traditional winemaking.

I recently acquired a bottle of a 1991 Beatty Vineyard Zinfandel from the online Acker auction and opened it last week. Ridge is known for their numerous experiments with different grape varieties and vineyards, and it is easy to get lost on their website trying to navigate the plethora of wines that have been made there. Because of that diverse portfolio, some cuvées were made only a few times before a vineyard got replanted or a lease ended. This Beatty vineyard is a good example of that, having been made only four times, in 1983, 1984, 1988 and 1991.

Though Howell Mountain is on the dry side of Napa Valley, and the open, chaparral-covered slopes seem to bake in the August sun, this is a cool microclimate. With a late start and full crop in 1991, these grapes did not ripen completely until the first week of November. Anticipating firm tannins, the winery used small, five-ton fermentors; a third of the grapes in each tank were whole clusters. This approach adds a floral, bright fruit character, and Petite Sirah contributes spice and structure.

Paul Draper in 2014

Draper first gained recognition for his 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon when it placed fifth at the Judgment of Paris wine tasting. I was blessed to meet this true gentleman in 2013 at Cafe Boulud during a marvelous Ridge wine dinner and later during a visit at the Santa Cruz winery.

The Beatty 1991 was everything I love about Old Zinfandel. The nose at first was a touch dirty and not completely homogeneous with a touch of dusty old library. But the fruit started to blossom quickly with aeration and displayed stewed plum and roasted berries with the signature of herbs and spices that makes the greater Zinfandel very unique wines.

Ridge Winery

What's Pressoir Drinking

December 15, 2021
Edouard Bourgeois

Whenever I tell my friends I had a great bottle of Zinfandel, I really enjoy watching the surprise on their faces while their eyebrows reach the middle of their forehead. However, the ones who know me well also know that I am usually referring to one of the most serious producers in California when it comes to Zinfandel. And that is Ridge Vineyards.

The multi-estate enterprise cultivates vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Sonoma County and Paso Robles. It is the largest grower of certified organic grapes in the appellations of Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The business was founded in 1959 when three Stanford Research Institute engineers bought an abandoned winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The vineyards had been planted in the late 19th century by a San Francisco physician who produced his first vintage in the original winery, called Monte Bello, in 1892. The first Ridge vintage was in 1962. For more than 50 years Ridge’s winemaker and CEO was Paul Draper, a legendary figure in California winemaking I was lucky to meet in my early years as a sommelier in New York. Mr. Draper retired in 2016 but the estate still produces excellent wines.

If Zinfandel is mostly known for the affordable and mass produced “White Zin” which by the way accounts for 85% of the wine made, the red wines produced from that varietal is typically very bold, spicy and dark. I’ve always thought of it as a jacked up Chateauneuf du Pape.

Another name for Zinfandel is Primitivo, which is found in Italy. But actually its Croatian name of origin is Tribidrag. Useful geeky information…

I opened the bottle pictured below a week ago to accompany a juicy roasted pork shoulder (not pictured as it disappeared too quickly). The wine was impressively youthful, still very powerful but with so much nuance. This particular cuvée was made from fruits grown in the Jimsomare Ranch, just below the Ridge property. Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot and Chardonnay vines are planted there with the Bordeaux varieties most often making it into the Monte Bello blend. Most of the Zinfandel vines on the property date back to 1884 and the first Zinfandel made on the ranch was in 1968. Ridge also bottles wines for its Advance Tasting Program (ATP), a wine club founded in 1977, from the Jimsomare fruit and that bottle was one of them.

This was delicious and surely a great choice for the cold months of the holidays and to pair that comfort food we are all craving.