Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 Magnum 6x150cl [in bond ex vat] ETA Sept. 2026

Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Merlot (19%), Cabernet Franc (3%), Petit Verdot (3%)

6x150cl * 13.4% ABV * Monte Bello Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA

With a cult following, Ridge Wines generally sell out long before the next vintage is available, and keen fans will know that early opportunities to buy generally need to be seized upon.

The Monte Bello vineyard was originally planted in 1886, with its first vintage released in 1892. Although parts of the site were abandoned in the early 20th century, Cabernet Sauvignon blocks replanted in the late 1940s later formed the basis of the first Ridge Monte Bello wine in 1962. As more sections of the vineyard were restored, certain parcels consistently produced a softer, more approachable style, which led to a separate bottling first labelled “Santa Cruz Mountains.” Since 2008, this wine has been known as Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, reflecting its origin from the Monte Bello estate.

The 2023 vintage followed a wet winter that restored soil moisture after years of drought. A cool growing season slowed ripening and pushed harvest into mid-November. Longer fermentations helped develop colour and integrate tannins, and fruit from the more approachable Monte Bello parcels was selected for this wine.

Hand-harvested grapes were destemmed, sorted, and fermented as whole berries using native yeasts, followed by full malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged for 21 months in American oak, 55% new. Deep ruby in colour, it shows aromas of blackberry and toasty oak, with a full-bodied palate, firm tannins, bright acidity, and a long finish with hints of mint.

94pts, Owen Bargreen

Tasting notes from Rebecca Gray: 'Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is laden with blackberry fruit, sweet vanilla spice and seductive mocha notes. This is a very juicy wine with excellent freshness and big, supple tannins. As a cooler vintage, the grapes benefitted from a greater hang time and slower maturation than in the warmer years. It would benefit from a couple of years of extra ageing to allow the vanilla notes of the American oak to harmonise and could be very happily enjoyed over the next 10-15 years.'

Please note that prices are in-bond and exclude Duty and VAT, which are payable when the wines land.