A new white wine from Ridge? Based on grenache blanc from Paso Robles, the epicentre of Rhône plantings in California? Offered in-bond exclusively in the UK to The Society’s members? You can imagine how the conversation went...
I was very excited to finally taste a barrel sample of the 2024 vintage of this new wine (only the second vintage ever produced in this guise) a couple of weeks ago. I immediately confirmed we would take as much as we could!
Order by midday on Thursday 3rd April
White wines from Ridge, while not quite as rare as hen’s teeth, are not exactly easy to get your hands on, and demand is always far, far higher than supply. With this in mind, the team at Ridge are perennially on the lookout for vineyard parcels of white grapes with high potential. This grenache blanc started its life as a single-site parcel for Ridge’s mailing list in the US – made in tiny quantities – and was such a hit that they began to look for more sources. With three excellent vineyards secured, the winemaking team trialled blending the three sites and found that the resulting wine was more complete and compelling than the individual expressions. And so, Ridge grenache blanc was born, with 2023 the first vintage that comprised fruit from Fossil Creek Vineyard, Adelaida Vineyard, and Halter Ranch Vineyard. Some of the 2023 made its way to the UK to be sold in restaurants but very few people here have had chance to taste it. Spoiler alert: it’s incredibly delicious right now – ‘sublime’, in fact, to borrow our Director of Wine, Pierre’s words – so if you do see it on a list, be sure to order it! Ridge head winemaker, John Olney, believes the 2024 is destined to follow the same path of evolution as the 2023.
In a UK retail first, we are therefore delighted to offer you the chance to buy the 2024 vintage as a First Release. The wine is initially subtle – yet beguiling – aromatically, with notes of white peach, apple and chamomile flowers. The palate shows zesty freshness, lifted by the 13% picpoul, balanced with a creamy texture thanks to extended lees ageing, and a saline minerality. As one colleague said to me on tasting in the office, it exudes ‘beautiful, understated elegance’.
If you love Ridge, and you love Rhône-style whites, what are you waiting for? I can’t wait to buy a case for myself!
