1999 Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet

Though a late spring delayed the growing season, fine weather held through mid-November for a great cabernet year. The distinct parcels on our Monte Bello estate vineyard were harvested separately, then fermented on their natural yeasts in thirty-six small tanks. Of these, we selected thirteen for this Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet. For the first time, it includes a significant amount of petit verdot which—as a late-ripening varietal in a late year—was rounder, less tannic, and less ripe than usual. The dominant cabernet lots were fined with fresh egg whites to soften tannins and provide balance. Aged for two years in air-dried american oak barrels, this full, rich wine is a lovely example of cool-climate, mountain-grown cabernet. Approachable when young, it will be at its best with five to ten years of bottle age.

Since 1962, Ridge has championed single-vineyard winemaking, searching California for those rare sites where climate, soil, and varietal are ideally matched. Our aim is to guide the natural process; using traditional methods, we strive to produce exceptional wines from distinctive fruit.

Average Rating: 89

No. of Tasting Notes: 16

View this wine on CellarTracker