This Ridge cuvée of equal parts Syrah and Grenache is now cresting maturity. The fragrance of youth has faded, leaving woodsy cedar and smoke. The body offers fruit, still, but this is tinged with age—and that is the wine’s main charm right now. It offers suggestions of tea-plum, bouillon, almost tamari, and black bramble fruits, especially toward the finish, and while the acidity remains firm, its tannic structure has become sinewy, supple like well-loved leather.
Don’t wait; open it, and pair with smoked pork, braises, or any foods with profound, earthy complexity, like terrines, pâté, well aged cheeses.
14.2% abv | $27 (private purchase, 2014)
2009? Those Ridge labels are notoriously hard to photograph. They need a wrap-around camera.
Yep! (Also, vintage always leads the title here on Maker’s Table.)
I saw that but not when it was on the front page. Ah well. I’m blind anyway!
Oh! Right. To keep things tidy, I don’t repeat the wine name on the Home page.