Very cool! Is La Cuesta the same as the Mount Eden Cabernet clone? I remember hearing that Martin Ray got his cuttings from Rixford in Woodside.
La Cuesta is the same as Mount Eden, which did have origins to Rixford’s vineyard in Woodside. (Those vines are still there in woodside.) Ridge didn’t get La Cuesta directly from Mt. Eden. As I recall, they came to Ridge in the late 80’s as south-slope block was being replanted (its where the ruby cabernet was grown, but vines taken out.) The bud-wood was sourced from York Creek Vineyard on Spring Mountain, Napa. Somehow, Fritz Maytag got cuttings from Mt. Eden-possibly from Merry Edwards. They were selected twice before being planted at Ridge. We did a clonal experiment in south-slope and would ferment the clones separately. The terroir was the same, but somehow the genetic differences of the clones showed. We knew that LaCuesta was well-adapted to a mountain/cool-climate site. As more plantings were scheduled, bud-wood was harvested and used to plant more blocks at Jimsomare, Rousten, and I’m sure now at some of the open space phases.
EB
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Of course Emmett Rixford sourced that material from Chateau Margaux. I seem to recall someone, maybe William Short, and maybe others on Montebello, too, sourced some of that pre-Ridge. Then, a lot of the Cab that got planted in Saratoga and Los Gatos was sourced from the Mount Eden Vineyard.
I’ve never heard of the exact source of Rixford’s La Cuesta cabernet, but if its Ch. Margaux, that could explain why its makes absolutely beautiful wine. As I was describing the vineyard block of SouthSlope and how it was divided into four sub-parcels of La Cuesta versus “French” clone with an avenue down the middle. I have no idea of the source for the “French” clone used to compare against La Cuesta. It certainly had a unique flavor and was distinctly different. I doubt that “French” was a common Entav sourced clone as that was something very much opposed by Ridge to ever plant at Monte Bello. I’m sure it was some cuttings that were obtained via friends, but there was another block at the top of Monte Bello (next to Point merlot) planted in the late 60’s called “French.” As for the clonal experiment at South Slope, La Cuesta would show a unique character that was red currant, creamy tannin texture, rustic/earthy, distinct mountain character. “French” would be more tannic, dark berry/cassis, and showing more weighty tannins. La Cuesta was by far more elegant and complex. Given the soil and exposure being the same, winemaking being identical, the difference in the wine was purely genetics, subtle DNA changes that altered the flavor profile.
William Short sourced his cuttings from the Fountain Grove winery in Santa Rosa (Kanaye Nagasawa’s winery.) The block that William Short planted, which was sold to the Ridge Founders in 1959, exclusively produced the first vintages of Monte Bello until about 1975-76, when younger plantings began to contribute. Sadly, the old Fountain Grove (round barn) winery burned to the ground in the fires of 2017 that ravaged Santa Rosa. Not sure if any original cabernet vines were surviving before the fires, but I’m sure they would have been completely devastated by that fire as it destroyed everything in that area.
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Rixford must have really loved Margaux because I think there’s a story about one of his vineyards (Gaspare?) that he planted to match the Margaux blend percentages in each row.
I love the quote from Paul Draper about the William Short Fountaingrove plantings “The partners at Ridge had the chance–so rare in the New World–to see what quality, mature vines would make before they decided to reopen the winery. I think it was crucial to their financial success that they were able to base the quality of the wine on the quality of the vineyard, not the sophistication of the winemaking.”
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It was La Questa. He’d written his book and planted the vineyard in the 1880s, then went to Ch. Margaux and got the cuttings and began the process of grafting over to proportionately match Ch. Margaux, which took place between 1895 and 1905. He then won medals in tastings and charged First Growth price for his wine.
That does raise the question what happened to the other material? Did Martin Ray only take one clone of the one variety? Is there anything other than CS hiding in the tiny portions that remain at La Questa itself?
Gaspar was in Saratoga, uphill some distance along Pierce Rd. from where Kathryn Kennedy is. I’m away from my references, but dont recall who planted that. I know Mario Gemello sourced if from the '50s-'70s, and the vineyard manager also tended the Montebello site he sourced. (I have some NV Sutter Home CS, which is a blend of '59 and '60 barrels from those sites, which Mario made and Bob Trinchero bought, which is how Darell Corti discovered Gemello.)
Mario Gemello deserved huge credit here. When the Rixford sons decided to retire, Mario bought all their inventory and wines in barrel ('39-'44). Ray came down and tasted, then bought the '44 barrels and qent to check out the vineyard. Eleanor Ray’s book gets some details wrong, which Charles Sullivan got right. She also claimed Ray restored and sourced from La Questa, but I’ve never seen evidence. He certainly got cuttings. There’s a gap - the vineyard must’ve been maintained, to some degree, while must of it got grafted over to housing. Some home winemakers started Woodside Vineyards to preserve what little of the vineyard was left around 1960. That amount, on four properties remains.
Mario should get a lot if credit for Ridge Vineyards, since he provided a lot of encouragement, winemaking advice, and benchmark wine to the Ridge founders.
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Thanks for the refresher Wes. I think Mario told the Ridge founders to not go into the wine business! Ha.
It would be interesting to see who else might have gotten material from La Cuesta and if there are other clones or varieties floating around.
Charles Sullivan usually gets though tiny details correct, he’s my favorite of that generation of wine historian.
Kevin Ferguson, Mario’s grandson is now a member here also.
Yes, I’ve read and heard that several times. I think they found it amusing and enduring. Sort of like: He was right! It was the dumbest thing we ever did, and i wouldn’t trade it for ghe world!