Coming up next month we have an exclusive, intimate dinner showcasing the latest Ridge Vineyards wines. Join us at La Lune in South Brisbane to taste through the range of this cult producer, including the 100 Points 2017 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon.
THE WINES AND MENU
WINE & MENU
Freshly Shucked Oysters
Champagne Charles Benoît
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Scallops
2018 Estate Chardonnay - $159
“The 2018 Chardonnay is classy, translucent and so vivid. Apricot, tangerine oil and light tropical overtones open up first, but the 2018 only starts to show all it has to offer with some aeration. The layers start to fill out, and yet the 2018 never loses its sense of transparency and overall detail. A real sense of phenolic weight gives the wine its distinctive mountain feel.” - 94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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Stockyard Beef + Sides
2018 East Bench Zinfandel - $115
“All Zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley, the 2018 Zinfandel East Bench offers up a great, pure, medium to full-bodied style that carries lots of classic spice, brambly herbs, incense, and plum-laced fruits. Nicely balanced, structured, and with solid length, this terrific Zinfandel will be even better with a year in bottle and keep for a decade.” - 93 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
2018 Lytton Springs Zinfandel Blend - $149
“The 2018 Lytton Springs is magnificent. Elegant, layered and so complete, the 2018 has a lot to offer, but it needs time to fully come together. Sweet red cherry, red plum, blood orange, spice, mint and rose petal open up in the glass. Bright acids and beams of tannin give the wine its vibrant energy. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2018 for at least a few years. Wow!” - 96 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2018 Geyserville Zinfandel Blend - $149
“The 2018 Geyserville is an infant. That much is obvious, especially in this lineup of otherwise more settled 2018s. Ripe Zinfandel flavors drive the overall profile. A blast of wild cherry, leather, tobacco, smoke, licorice, menthol and spice hit the palate first, followed by swaths of tannin and a touch of new oak that suggest the wine still needs time to come together. Readers should be in no rush.” - 94+ Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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Cheese + Garnishes
2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - $185
“Ridge’s 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a fabulous choice for readers who want a Monte Bello fix now, without having to wait. Supple, radiant and silky, with tremendous balance, the 2017 is just flat-out delicious and utterly irresistible. Dark red cherry/plum fruit, mocha, licorice, sweet tobacco and a kick of American oak build as this sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon shows its allure. The 2017 is an outrageously beautiful wine. Don’t miss it.” - 94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2017 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon - $649
“Destined to rank as one of the all-time greats from Ridge, the 2017 Monte Bello opens in the glass with youthfully complex notes of ripe plums, cassis, espresso roast and black truffles, with little apparent trace of its time in 100% new oak. On the palate, it’s full-bodied and incredibly concentrated, with a rich, layered mid-palate and immense substance that marks it out as the most richly tannic Monte Bello since 2013. As ever, the acids are vibrant, with a classic pH of around 3.5—notably lower than most Cabernet Sauvignons from contemporary Bordeaux or Napa Valley, thanks to this site’s limestone soils and high altitude. At the time of writing, the blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, though that may change by the time it’s bottled. Eric Baugher observes that fermentations were slow in 2017, which protracted the period of extraction, partially accounting for this vintage’s power. It’s still a baby, but this is a strong contender for a perfect score when it’s bottled in over a year’s time—and it should see out its 50th birthday in style.” - (98-100) Points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
