2011 Ridge Three Valleys Red Wine

4g

Have you watched the movie Bottle Shock?  If not, it is a loose version of the famous tasting in the year 1976 held in Paris.  There was an English man who owned a bottle shop in France traveled to California and brought back wines celebrating the American bicentennial.  The wines were to be blind tasted against wines from Bordeaux.  Both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from California won the blind tasting.  It took the French by surprise and kind of re-energized wines from California.  People started searching for California wines.

Move forward 30 years.  The same English man re-enacted the Judgement of Paris tasting in England and Napa.  During this tasting the original wines were tasting and younger wines were too under a different category of course.  This time the 1971 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello out scored the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars who won thirty years ago.  This is a testament that some of the wines can cellar for a long time as long as the conditions are right.

One of our local restaurants was hosting a Ridge wine dinner.  Once I saw the invite I signed Chris and I up.  If you have not tried a Ridge wine you should as their wines are amazing.  We enjoyed the Ridge wine dinner and I look forward to visiting Ridge in both Santa Cruz and Healdsburg.  Our anniversary is May and we will be in Napa and Sonoma so we plan on tasting at Ridge in Healdsburg then.

The night before the Ridge dinner we decided to have a glass of 2011 Ridge Three Valleys Red Wine.

photo 1

Sight
Medium color depth and the hue was ruby.

photo 2

Smell
The Three Valleys was aromatic, young-fruity.  I could smell spice, dark fruit, and oak.

Taste
The red wine was dry, medium-bodied and the acidity was balanced.  The tannins were medium and slightly astringent with a soft mid palate start, and a fast finish.

abv: 13.8%  I have noticed many Ridge wines are lower in alcohol, which I prefer over the high alcohol wines.

How much: $54 at the restaurant.  On-line about $37.00

Wine blend: 65% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah , 9% Carignane , 3% Mataro , 2% Alicante Bouchet ,1% Grenache.

I rated the 2011 Ridge Three Valleys Red Wine four glasses.

In Vino Veritas!

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One Reply to “2011 Ridge Three Valleys Red Wine”

  • This wine sounds great. I look forward to trying it some day. I usually get my wine at Surdyk’s so i will look it up. By the way, I appreciate your wine wanderings blog — easy to read, thoughtful, smart. Thanks.

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