2019 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

<p>Such a real and focused cabernet with redcurrants, Spanish cedar, and mint. Medium to full body. Firm and fine tannins. Some redwood and spice, too. Chewy and juicy. Give it a year or two to soften.</p>

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes from the estate Monte Bello Vineyard on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains and is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. Hitting 13.8% alcohol, its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a brilliant perfume of blue fruits, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and lead pencil. Beautifully balanced and medium to full-bodied, with building tannins, it's a seamless Cabernet Sauvignon that has some up-front appeal given its balance and elegance yet will benefit from 2-5 years of bottle age and, I suspect, have 20+ years of overall longevity. While many of these wines fall outside the “Central Coast,” I was able to taste a full lineup from Ridge and am happy to include these wines here. Going forward, the Sonoma releases will be covered by my colleague, Audrey Frick.

88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Purest blackcurrant fruit, gorgeous floral notes, a well-integrated herbal note. Grainy tannins, plenty of acid, currently fruit-dominated, which fades gradually, without much complexity at this young stage. Many more years of evolution awaits. Chewy. Perhaps very slight acetone on the finish. (RH)