2019 Evangelho

Deep garnet red color with aromas of cherry, dried herbs, dusty mineral, and leather. Juicy red berries on entry, medium body, elegant tannins, and a spicy, long finish. JO (2/21)

The growing season began cool and wet but a mild, dry summer produced beautiful fruit from these 130-year-old vines. The carignane and zinfandel were harvested in late August. Mataro required more heat and days to ripen and was picked in early September. Fermented separately, the crushed grapes were pumped over twice a day for full extraction. The three varieties were then assembled by taste and aged eighteen months in barrel. Enjoyable now, the wine will develop further over the next eight to ten years. (1/21)

Ridge produced its first wine from the Evangelho vineyard in 1990 and went on to produce small bottlings of mataro and zinfandel from this distinctive 1890s-era vineyard for the next three years. The vineyard is located 50 miles east of San Francisco in Contra Costa County and is planted on an ancient alluvial sand bar at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. The cooling influence of the nearby San Francisco Bay along with the vineyard’s deep, sandy soils produce elegant wines with excellent natural acidity.

Rainfall: 12 inches (below normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: Warm spring and hot summer days, with cooling afternoon Delta winds

Harvest Dates: 23 August – 3 September
Grapes: Average Brix 23.0˚
TA: 6.68 g/L
pH: 3.33
Fermentation: 100% natural primary and secondary fermentation; 100% floating cap; pressed at eight days.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (100% Appalachia), 15% new, 26% four years-old, 33% five years-old, and 26% six years-old.
Aging: Eighteen months in barrel

Evangelho Vineyard grapes, hand-harvested; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur; 35ppm at crush, 76ppm during aging. Pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

OwenBargreen.com: 96 Points “The 2019 ‘Evangelho’ combines 47% Carignane, 29% Zinfandel and the remainder Mataro. Inky and intense once in the glass, the brilliant core of huckleberry, smoke and creme de violette all come together beautifully on the palate. With a generous texture and good length, this outstanding, one of a kind blend, will cellar well for another fifteen years.” -Owen Bargreen (August 2021)

Wine & Spirits: 94 Points “A blend of 47% carignane, 29% zinfandel and 24% mataro, this bottling seems to capture the ripeness of all three varieties at their peak expressions. Grown at Contra Costa’s famed old vineyard in Antioch, it develops a scent of raspberries and bramble, a hint of spice and cured meat, a vibrant freshness that leaps out of the glass, juicy and highly structured at once, with an effusive red berry flavor that is the epitome of old-vine mixed-black balance and charm.” -P.J.C. (June 2022)

Vinous: 93 Points “The 2019 Evangelho is a tasty Carignane/Zinfandel/Mataro blend. Rich, deep and exuberant, the 2019 is gorgeous today. Succulent red cherry, blood orange, spice, mint and cedar are all dialed up in this mid-weight, flavorful Contra Coast Country red. The Evangelo is another suberb wine in this lineup.” -Antonio Galloni (May 2022)

Blue Lifestyle: 93 Points “Fresh and bright Carignane-dominated wine with silky texture and an elegant style derived from 130 year-old vines; aging potential.” -Anthony Dias Blue (September 2021)

Wine Enthusiast: 91 Points “Vivid, juicy and fresh berry flavors fill up this medium-bodied wine made from Carignan, Zinfandel and Mataro (Mourvèdre). It gushes blackberries, raspberries and a dash of smoky oak from the aroma to the finish. Light tannins and good, light acidity give it a nice snap in the texture.” -Jim Gordon (January 2022)

See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.