TN: 2018 Ridge Evangelho (USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County)

[Adam Frisch]

• 2018 Ridge Evangelho - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County (1/13/2021)
  Supertaster I am not, so forgive the hobbling notes: deep color and initially a little tart fruit notes. Cranberries and lingon berries? With some air it softens and opens very nicely. Chalky mid. But chalky and smooth, if that makes sense. The tannins are soft and the end lingers.
  
  I see that most people have pretty uniformly given this a 90pts, but I think this is a perfect example of the new/old CA we all wax lyrically about on paper and should be rewarded for being old school/modern. Great wine. (92 pts.)
  

Posted from CellarTracker

[Drew Goin]

Thanks for the tasting note, Adam! I am excited that Ridge has resumed working with Contra Costa fruit.

[Steve Brickley]

This one knocked it out of the park for me. My CT note:

On pnp, this is ready right out of the gate. Smooth, finished, dark fruits and almost a cab/merlot mature density. Wow this is really good. Went in for a case and a half more right away. 95

[Adam Frisch]

Yeah, and after 2hrs of slow drinking, it really blossomed. A wonderful wine.

[larry schaffer]

Question - I don't see any notes of American Oak which is quite 'different' for a young Ridge. Curious about that. And just fruit notes but no earthy notes?

Cheers.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Thanks for the preview. My bottles are resting from their cross-country trip.

[TomHill]

Thanks for the tasting note, Adam! I am excited that Ridge has resumed working with Contra Costa fruit.

Me too, Drew. Now if we could only convince them to return to making Amador Zins. I've raised bloody hell
w/ Draper about doing that. And the Esola fruit is still available to them, but not the Eschen/Rinaldi.
One of the things going on at Ridge these days is they're making some varietals they've never made before, like Falanghina.
The idea is to keep John & Eric engaged in their work by giving them the opportunity to try new things. I applaud this.
Thus far...they've done a good job.
Tom

[Adam Frisch]

I did not detect any American oak notes, Larry. If there are any, they're extremely well integrated and must be way less than 30%, my guess. Earthy notes, yes, I probably just missed that.

[S. Rash]

Thanks for the tasting note Adam. I would love to try a side by side tasting with Ridge, Bedrock, and Desire Lines Evangelho

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Thanks for the tasting note Adam. I would love to try a side by side tasting with Ridge, Bedrock, and Desire Lines Evangelho

Funny you should mention that. I have now built a tasting flight that includes all of those plus Dirty & Rowdy Evangelho Mourvedre. Should be fun - whenever I can get my tasting group back together.

[larry schaffer]

I did not detect any American oak notes, Larry. If there are any, they're extremely well integrated and must be way less than 30%, my guess. Earthy notes, yes, I probably just missed that.

They use 100% American oak on everything, and in this case, about 15% new according to the tech sheets. It's great that it's that integrated, but have found in the past that using it with Carignane, it can definitely stand out.

Cheers.

[larry schaffer]

Thanks for the tasting note Adam. I would love to try a side by side tasting with Ridge, Bedrock, and Desire Lines Evangelho

Funny you should mention that. I have now built a tasting flight that includes all of those plus Dirty & Rowdy Evangelho Mourvedre. Should be fun - whenever I can get my tasting group back together.

That does sound like a fun tasting for sure - of course, each of these will be different not only because of oak usage / winemaking style, but because the percentages of each varieties will be radically different. I noted the Ridge is nearly 60% Carignane, with about 25% Mataro and less than 20% Zinfandel . . .

Cheers

[Cris Whetstone]

Just as a data point in the talking about the new oak level on this wine, I noticed it the first night but it faded overnight. I also really liked where it ended up overnight. One of the better recent bottlings outside the standard lineup from Ridge.

• 2018 Ridge Evangelho - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County (11/3/2020)
  The first night this showed a strong sense of new wood. I don't think there is a lot on it but that sweet vanilla sort of thing hung there. The palate is 'smooth'. Very nice mouthfeel. Lowish extraction but nice core density. On the second night the oak vanished. Just pure dark fruits. The palate seemed a bit more reserved. This appears to be a strong bottling. I think it needs a wee bit more rest. It should age quite well over the medium term. Another strong 2018.

Posted from CellarTracker

[MitchTallan]

Anyone on ATP go for the Wild Cattle Ranch offer? The vineyard is owned by Ridge's COO and the vines are 20 years old or so. Despite the 14.7 which for me is rocket-fuel territory I went for a case.
I think it is the first time Ridge offered a vineyard designate from this vineyard which leaves for question if the grapes went into a different Ridge bottling or went elsewhere prior to '18.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Thanks for the tasting note Adam. I would love to try a side by side tasting with Ridge, Bedrock, and Desire Lines Evangelho

Funny you should mention that. I have now built a tasting flight that includes all of those plus Dirty & Rowdy Evangelho Mourvedre. Should be fun - whenever I can get my tasting group back together.

That does sound like a fun tasting for sure - of course, each of these will be different not only because of oak usage / winemaking style, but because the percentages of each varieties will be radically different. I noted the Ridge is nearly 60% Carignane, with about 25% Mataro and less than 20% Zinfandel . . .

Cheers

I think the Desire Lines is also heavy Carignan if I am recalling correctly.

[TomHill]

Anyone on ATP go for the Wild Cattle Ranch offer? The vineyard is owned by Ridge's COO and the vines are 20 years old or so. Despite the 14.7 which for me is rocket-fuel territory I went for a case.
I think it is the first time Ridge offered a vineyard designate from this vineyard which leaves for question if the grapes went into a different Ridge bottling or went elsewhere prior to '18.

Wow, Mitch....a whole friggin' case?? Hope you won't regret it. I went for only two btls. The TN didn't sound like it was a whole lot different
than any of their other ATP wines.
Twenty yrs ago sounds about the time Mark & Diane bought their property up there, so they probably put in the vnyd.
I can't imagine that they would have sold those grapes to anyone else but Ridge. So for the last 15-16 yrs, they probably
went into the Ridge 3Vllys Zin. Since it took that long for it to become a vnyd designate, that would not lead to
get my hopes very high.
Tom

[Sean Devaney]

Thanks for the tasting note, Adam! I am excited that Ridge has resumed working with Contra Costa fruit.

Me too, Drew. Now if we could only convince them to return to making Amador Zins. I've raised bloody hell
w/ Draper about doing that. And the Esola fruit is still available to them, but not the Eschen/Rinaldi.
One of the things going on at Ridge these days is they're making some varietals they've never made before, like Falanghina.
The idea is to keep John & Eric engaged in their work by giving them the opportunity to try new things. I applaud this.
Thus far...they've done a good job.
Tom

Funny you mention this Tom. About 20 or so years ago I picked up a bottle of Amador Zin and a bottle of Mendocino Zin from the odds and ends barrel at the Cupertino tasting room. After enjoying them both I had the chance to ask Paul if he ever planned to go back and make wines from there. He replied that Amador wineries were doing fine on their own but he did wish he looked closer into Mendocino but had no plans at the time.

[TomHill]

Thanks for the tasting note, Adam! I am excited that Ridge has resumed working with Contra Costa fruit.

Me too, Drew. Now if we could only convince them to return to making Amador Zins. I've raised bloody hell
w/ Draper about doing that. And the Esola fruit is still available to them, but not the Eschen/Rinaldi.
One of the things going on at Ridge these days is they're making some varietals they've never made before, like Falanghina.
The idea is to keep John & Eric engaged in their work by giving them the opportunity to try new things. I applaud this.
Thus far...they've done a good job.
Tom

Funny you mention this Tom. About 20 or so years ago I picked up a bottle of Amador Zin and a bottle of Mendocino Zin from the odds and ends barrel at the Cupertino tasting room. After enjoying them both I had the chance to ask Paul if he ever planned to go back and make wines from there. He replied that Amador wineries were doing fine on their own but he did wish he looked closer into Mendocino but had no plans at the time.

Yup, Sean...I've asked the same question of Paul myself. Some of those MendoCnty Zins (I believe they were taking DuPratt fruit) were wonderful.
I think this distance up to Amador is the stumbling block there.
Tom

[Cris Whetstone]

Anyone on ATP go for the Wild Cattle Ranch offer? The vineyard is owned by Ridge's COO and the vines are 20 years old or so. Despite the 14.7 which for me is rocket-fuel territory I went for a case.
I think it is the first time Ridge offered a vineyard designate from this vineyard which leaves for question if the grapes went into a different Ridge bottling or went elsewhere prior to '18.

No clue where the grapes went prior but they did make this designate in '17 as I bit on a couple last year. It was ok but I am intrigued about where this could go given the terroir and the fact that they co-fermented. I was going to take some '18 cuz '18 but I'm skipping because I just unloaded from Envoyer recently and am out of room. I already get ATP which is coming up soon.

• 2017 Ridge Wild Cattle Creek - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (3/2/2020)
  This is just a so-so effort for Ridge. I immediately noticed how little extraction this showed. It's already translucent. So of course not very fleshy feeling for a young Zin. Interesting to read that they co-fermented the Petit Sirah and Carignan even if only 5 and 10% respectively. A lot more tannin that you would expect for so little PS but that is likely explained by all the wood I detected. Not really overt new wood but just straight wood grain. It actually showed more on the following nights. Pretty sure the only way that strong tannin got there with a light body and a wee bit of PS is from the wood. And it's not integrated at this point. A few more years might let that happen but I'm not sure the concentration is here to suck up all that wood. It will certainly last long enough to experiment with. I'm hoping they will dial that back in future vintages. This source seems like it could be somewhat unique in the Zin lineup.

Posted from CellarTracker

[MitchTallan]

Tom-yes, pretty silly of me. Six bottles would have likely been four too many.
Chris-great note. i hope the '18 is better.

[S. Rash]

Thanks for the tasting note Adam. I would love to try a side by side tasting with Ridge, Bedrock, and Desire Lines Evangelho

Funny you should mention that. I have now built a tasting flight that includes all of those plus Dirty & Rowdy Evangelho Mourvedre. Should be fun - whenever I can get my tasting group back together.

Sounds like a great tasting!! Hopefully sooner rather than later.

[AD Northup]

Funny you should mention that. I have now built a tasting flight that includes all of those plus Dirty & Rowdy Evangelho Mourvedre. Should be fun - whenever I can get my tasting group back together.

That does sound like a fun tasting for sure - of course, each of these will be different not only because of oak usage / winemaking style, but because the percentages of each varieties will be radically different. I noted the Ridge is nearly 60% Carignane, with about 25% Mataro and less than 20% Zinfandel . . .

Cheers

I think the Desire Lines is also heavy Carignan if I am recalling correctly.

Yup, 90-95% depending on vintage

[AD Northup]

Thanks for the tasting note Adam. I would love to try a side by side tasting with Ridge, Bedrock, and Desire Lines Evangelho

Funny you should mention that. I have now built a tasting flight that includes all of those plus Dirty & Rowdy Evangelho Mourvedre. Should be fun - whenever I can get my tasting group back together.

Only other one I can think of that could fit in would be the Cruse version (I believe he still makes, haven't been a buyer in awhile)

[Vince T]

Thanks for the tasting note Adam. I would love to try a side by side tasting with Ridge, Bedrock, and Desire Lines Evangelho

Funny you should mention that. I have now built a tasting flight that includes all of those plus Dirty & Rowdy Evangelho Mourvedre. Should be fun - whenever I can get my tasting group back together.

I had the D&R last night. My reaction to every Evangelho I’ve had prior to it has been on the spectrum of lukewarm to decently enjoyable (haven’t had the desire lines), but the D&R knocked my socks off. Insanely good.