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: 2016 Ridge Vineyards "Estate" Santa Cruz Mountains Merlot

2016 Ridge Vineyards "Estate" Santa Cruz Mountains Merlot

SKU #1410030 92 points Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark The Merlot Estate is a special selection of 100% Merlot from the Monte Bello vineyard and is a 'second' wine as these grapes don't usually make it into the Monte Bello. It was aged for 18 months in 100% new American oak. 'I wanted to bottle this wine with supple tannins, finesse and early drinkability,' Eric Baugher says. It comes from a single parcel down in the fog where the nights are extremely cool, giving Merlot with good tannic structure and acid backbone. The 2016 Merlot Estate Monte Bello Vineyard is medium ruby with a nose of chocolate box, cedar and toasted coconut with warm black plum, redcurrant, chocolate-covered cherries, dried herbs and blackcurrant bud plus a strong mineral vein of graphite, pipe tobacco and iron. Medium to full-bodied, it’s rounded and silky in the mouth, still with a firm frame of chalky-textured tannins, great freshness and a long finish. (EB) Inner quote mark (2/2020)

92 points Vinous

Outer quote mark The 2016 Merlot Estate is a gorgeous, classically-built wine that captures so much of what makes Ridge so unique. Savory herb, leather, tobacco, spice and menthol add intrigue to this mid-weight, understated yet beautifully persistent Merlot. Hints of sage, sweet tobacco, leather and mint give the Merlot a distinctive savory feel. The 2016 is a bit a austere in the early going, but time in bottle will help. (AG) Inner quote mark (10/2019)

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2016 Ridge Vineyards "Estate" Santa Cruz Mountains Merlot

Price: $49.99

Quantity:

RP: 92

VN: 92

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Additional Information:

Varietal:

Merlot

- A very popular red grape variety found in the great wines of St. Emilion and Pomerol. It is the most planted variety in Bordeaux, and it has also become an extremely fashionable red in many regions including California. Although it has a reputation to be smooth, and easy to drink when young, Merlot is also capable of producing extremely intense wines as well. It is often used as a blending agent with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Santa Cruz Mountains

- Vineyards dot the valleys and ridges of this coastal AVA just south of San Francisco. Microclimates make it difficult to generalize, and vineyards are frequently separated by acres of forests and meadowlands (not to mention entire towns!), but this is nonetheless known as a cooler-climate zone ideal for pinot noir. Ridge is doubtless the most famous local producer, with its cabernet blend, Monte Bello, named after a Santa Cruz mountain peak. High-quality, low-production chardonnay and some Rhône varietals prosper as well.