RIDGE VINEYARDS
SONOMA & SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA 2022
WHY BUY:
The great Ridge has pulled off something truly incredible here: a pair of 98-point Zinfandels for just around $50 a bottle that will have you believing in that oft-overlooked varietal, to say nothing of the wizardry of their winemaking team, and that should for sure have you thinking cases, not bottles. But folks, we've also managed to secure an allocation of the 98-point 2022 vintage of the super hard-to-come-by Monte Bello Cabernet, one of the most enduringly rewarding wines in all of America, and the winner (to absolutely no one's surprise) of the 30th anniversary re-staging of the historic Judgment of Paris. Act now; these are going to go faster than fast.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
Jeb Dunnuck, long a Ridge lover, was downright effusive about these wines, awarding 98 points to both Zinfandels and the Monte Bello. He extolled the Lytton Springs Zinfandel for its "fine tannins... good heft... underlying acidity" with "well-woven oak [that] supports a moderately ripe, medium-bodied frame of structured elegance,” and was almost gleeful in writing about the Pagani Zinfandel, sourced "from a simply gorgeous and truly historic site” and “made in an elegant, medium-bodied style... complex, [and with] a gorgeously silky texture.” As for the Monte Bello 2022, he declared it "a 'wow' wine, herbal, lightly spiced in oak, with a lovely creamy, velvety texture and a backbone of well-resolved tannin supporting a medium-bodied, balanced spirit of mountain garrigue."
THE STORY:
Long before Apple made Cupertino famous, the company of legend in these parts was Ridge Vineyards, founded in 1959 on a plot of Santa Cruz Mountain land that had been producing wine grapes since 1885. Paul Draper arrived in 1969 and has been making wine there ever since, a tenure that makes most tech CEOs look like job-hoppers. His philosophy? Minimal intervention, maximum character. All grapes are organic, estate-grown, and hand-harvested; only native yeasts handle fermentation; pump-overs happen just once daily. While other wineries chase trends and consultants, Ridge has quietly perfected their throwback approach to winemaking. The Monte Bello vineyard itself stretches from 1,600 feet to 2,700 feet across four different ranches, divided into 55 separate blocks that get picked and fermented individually. By harvest's end, Draper selects his final blend from these myriad lots through blind tasting, a process that would make most winemakers dizzy but has yielded decades upon decades of consistent (and frankly mind-blowing) brilliance.
OUR TASTING NOTES:
When we opened the Monte Bello 2022 at our recent tasting, it reminded us immediately why Paul Draper has been doing this for fifty-plus years ... and why other winemakers study his bottles like sacred texts. The nose alone is proof of mastery: there's power here, but it doesn't announce itself with a bullhorn. Instead, you get these marvelous, subtle layers of mountain herbs, cedar, and dark fruit that keep evolving in the glass. On the palate, everything feels perfectly calibrated, as if someone had spent decades figuring out the exact sweet spot between concentration and elegance. The two Zinfandels completely flipped our expectations. We'll admit it: we've grown a touch cynical about Zinfandel, having tasted too many fruit bombs over the years. But the Pagani blew us away. There's something almost Burgundian about its approach to ripeness, and its complexity is evident from the very first sip. The Lytton Springs, meanwhile, makes you understand why blending five different grapes isn't just showing off; each variety contributes something essential. The Petite Sirah comes less heralded, but it honestly made us question why this grape gets so little respect. The wine is rich without being heavy-handed, delivering waves of dark fruit and evocative spice that build gradually and impressively.
FUN FACT:
Draper insists on listing every ingredient used in winemaking on Ridge's back labels, not because he's required to, but because he considers it a statement of integrity: how little should go into a bottle of fine wine.
OUR GUARANTEE:
As always, we only buy and source directly from the estate, to ensure pristine provenance every time. Secure your bottles and cases today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Winter 2025. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NE, NY, OK, & TN. This offer will expire on Tuesday, September 30th, 2025.