Just found out from Laura at Pig+Fig that Ridge has just released a Grenache Blanc from the Adelaide Vnyd in Paso. 2018 vintage. This was never offered to the Ridge club members.
It’s released only to their wholesale distributors. This is something new, marketing wise, for Ridge. Rather peculiar I thought.
Anybody tried it yet??
Tom
Did have a chance to taste it twice. Not a pro wine taster but thought it was very good. Nice flavors. Recall liking the mouth feel. Smooth and full. Liked it. Nice change from a chard.
Don’t drink much Grenache Blanc so not sure how it compares to something that would be considered a standard.
i tried it last Friday and it comes across more of a white rhone blend than Grenache Blanc… it has 15% Picpoul and 10% Rousanne. The latter gives it a much more rounded/fatter mouth feel. Maybe because it was barrel aged, too, and not concrete or tank. Totally has more of a lanolin, pear, honeysuckly, bees wax spice nose. Honestly, wasn’t a fan of it. Had different expectations for a GB and love Ridge. YMMV
You just don’t get Roussanne!! 
I enjoy the Tablas Creek GB but have never had the Ridge; but am a big fan of Ridge.
Does it have the typical simple RIDGE label?
Wholesale Only Release
Interesting. I wonder what the story is.
Well…this is a new marketing approach for Ridge. I’ve got an inquiry in to Eric & Mark about what’s going on behind this new approach.
Will report back.
Tom
Maybe they had to agree to buy extra fruit (white rhone varietals) with their Paso Zin contracts. Decided to make a “bulk” white and sell it all through wholesale btg.
/shrug
Nope…their “Paso Zin contract” for Zin is only with Beni Dusi. In fact, I doubt there’s actually a contract w/ Beni.
These Rhone grapes come from AdelaidaVnyd. Ridge has never before done business w/ Adelaida.
Tom
Interesting. I look forward to hearing Ridge’s response to your inquiry. I will look for the chance to try this Grenache Blanc. I really like Halter Ranch’s GB which is sourced from Adelaida District AVA I believe.
According to Mark, this wine will be made available later to direct customers on their WebSite,
assuming it doesn’t all sell out. They made a sizeable amount of this wine.
My guess is this new approach of “restaurant only” sales is designed to give a boost to their sale
of Ridges in the restaurant trade.
Tom
According to Eric, because of declining yields of MB Chard, they had some xtra white wine capacity at the MB wnry
that this GrenacheBlanc was used to fill. The wine was made at DaveGates behest, since he’s really big on
their Rhone program and they’ve not ever made a Rhone white (save for a couple of Viogs).
He surmises that that it’s initially released as a “restaurant only” wine to be a “carrot” to interest restaurants
in more from the Ridge portfolio and it’ll eventually be available to “ordinary” Ridge customers such as myself.
Eric thinks the GB is really quite a nice wine.
Tom
Thanks for the update Tom.
I really like California Grenache Blanc. Producers like Tercero, Tablas Creek and Curran make really nice ones that are both easy for
civilians to enjoy (when you pour it for them – none of them would go buy them of course) and for geeks to appreciate.
Though from the description in this thread, I would be less likely to enjoy a fatter, rounder, more oaked version with Roussanne mixed in. The three I described above are quite clean and minerally.
Saw it at K&L.
David Gates poured this at our recent Rhone Rangers Board of Directors meeting. He mentioned that they made something like 1000 cases of it - and my guess is that having another white in their portfolio is not a bad thing. I did find it a bit richer and ‘rounder’ than I prefer in the variety, but I’m sure most folks are going to dig it!
Cheers.
Reached out to them on social media a few months ago after seeing it posted and actually have some bottles currently making their way to the east coast after a decent weather hold. Really looking forward to trying these.
Had a bottle last night, really enjoyed. Thought it had enough acidity to cut through the waxiness that others mentioned.
