Hello All!
It’s been a very long time since the last wine deal. Much has happened since that time: for instance, I took the California Bar Exam (and waiting anxiously for the results). I also have decided to stay in DC, forsaking the halcyon skies of California for love, opportunity, and strangely enough, wine.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and you will be hearing about Beaujolais and Pinot, both of which are excellent Turkey Day varietals. But heck, sometimes you want to knock people’s socks off. Sometimes you want to pull out a bottle, set it down on the counter with a satisfying glassy “thud”, look around the room, and say, “Yes, I brought this.” (Your four-year-old nieces and nephews will go on playing whatever it is four-year-olds play nowadays, but the adults—the adults!—may well understand they are in for a taste of greatness.) Or, sometimes you want to give a special gift of an older vintage. Or, you might even want to keep a bottle or two in your cellar because they don’t even call this wine “Santa Cruz Mountains” anymore—it’s simply called “Estate”—a veritable collectors’ item if I’ve seen one.
The wine I am eager to bring to you is older than your hypothetical four-year-old relatives: in fact, the wine itself is eight years in bottle. It is not a Beaujolais, it is not a Pinot. It is a nod to my home state, a nod to one of the greatest wineries in the world. It is the 2003 Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon.
A little back history about Ridge: four Stanford University engineers purchased and re-bonded the winery in time for the 1962 vintage. (The land itself had been planted with vines in 1885!) They did so well that their flagship Monte Bello Cabernet was selected as one of the California Cabs to go head-to-head with Bordeaux in the now-legendary Judgment of Paris of 1976. Their 1971 Monte Bello came in fifth and was the second-highest rated California Cabernet in the tasting, not bad for a wine made only nine years after the start of the winery. More tellingly, however, a re-enactment of the tasting was conducted in 2006, and the 1971 Monte Bello came in first, beating out all other California and French wines!
Unfortunately for us, the Monte Bello line usually starts at $150+ when released. Fortunately for us, Ridge makes a “second wine” (in the tradition of the great Bordeaux chateaux) from grapes grown in the same Santa Cruz vineyards as the Monte Bello. The winemakers separate the more concentrated, tannic grapes—those with the chops for long-term cellaring—to make Monte Bello, and the rest are used to vinify the Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet.
What this means is the Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet is much more approachable and drinkable earlier on. Whereas a Monte Bello might take a decade to get to drinkable, the 2003 SCM is ready for drinking now. As such, it makes a perfect wine for a holiday meal or a gift for near-term drinking.
While this wine currently retails for around $40-$50 (if you can find it!), I have found a small supply for $34.00/btl (tax and delivery included). When I say “small supply” I mean there is only about a case of this wine left.
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2003 Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc
Retail: $40-$50 | DCWBC Price: $34/btl (tax and delivery included)
WINEMAKER’S NOTES: Bud break was early, but a cool spring delayed bloom until early June. Unusually high temperatures in mid-September stressed the young merlot, disqualifying it for inclusion in this year’s wine. The mature merlot, cabernets, and petit verdot were unaffected, and harvested on schedule throughout October. Acidity was firm and tannins easily extractable—even during the first three days, we limited circulation of juice over the cap of skins. From the start of natural yeast fermentation on day four, we allowed circulation only under the cap, and pressed at dryness after nine days. Most of the thirty-four lots went through natural malolactic in barrel: fourteen were selected for this fine companion to the Monte Bello. In aging, new oak was limited to forty percent; time in barrel was extended to twenty-one months. This beautifully-balanced wine is enjoyable now, and will develop fully over the next ten to twelve years.
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If you are interested, please e-mail me by 11:59 pm tonight! Quantities are extremely limited. I will contact you directly to make delivery arrangements. As always, first come, first served. There is a possibility that by the time I place an order with the merchant they will be sold out, so let’s act fast!
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Sincerely,
Joon Song
DC Wine Buyers Collective
