Ridge Vineyards: Amsterdam Tasting Journey

Winebar Vindict, Amsterdam, on a Wednesday evening. Eight bottles of Ridge Vineyards on the table. Jan Jaap Altenburg, owner of Vindict and host for the night, pours the first glasses. American wine on a Dutch list is still rare, so I’m glad to be here.

The peak sits at the end of the lineup: Monte Bello from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. The grape composition shifts per vintage, but Cabernet Sauvignon always leads, with Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc filling in. A classic Bordeaux blend, on Californian soil. Nickname: America’s First Growth. Comparable to a Premier Cru.

Beforehand, I reached out to Katie Blakely, CSW and International Sales Director at Ridge, for added context. Below: the evening as it unfolded, with notes per bottle.

A Legacy Rooted in Passion and Innovation

Ridge started in 1959. A group of Stanford Research Institute engineers bought an abandoned winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Weekend project. Ten years later Paul Draper joined. He runs minimal intervention and puts terroir first. That philosophy has held since.

The Art of Blending: A Ridge Signature

Ridge blends almost everything. The approach traces directly to Northern California’s planting history. Many of their vineyards, including Geyserville, Lytton Springs, and Pagani, are field-blended. Multiple varietals stand interplanted in the same parcels.

The team believes this combined with pre-industrial methods yields more complexity. “The sum is greater than its parts,” Jan Jaap noted.

Sustainable Practices: Nurturing the Land

All three estates, Monte Bello, Geyserville, and Lytton Springs, are certified organic. The production facilities themselves are not, and that’s a deliberate call.

“Our production facilities aren’t certified because we use ‘minimum effective sulfur dioxide,’” Katie noted. “We never exceed industry standards or EU maximums, which is 300 ppm, but we exceed the maximum for organic certification, which is 100 ppm.”

So Ridge picks enough SO2 to keep volatile acidity under control. Goal: wines that age over decades.

The Oak Regiment: A Taste of America

Ridge works with American oak, not French. The wood comes from the Ozark and Appalachian Mountains.

“We work with multiple cooperages in the US, primarily in the Ozark and Appalachian mountains. All our oak is air-dried on the forest floor for two years before being made into barrels,” Katie said.

Two years of forest-floor drying is well beyond industry standard. You taste it in the Monte Bello.

The wines, glass by glass

Jan Jaap brought a cross-section of the portfolio. Recent vintages only, unfortunately. Ridge wines usually need several years of bottle aging before they hit peak. Tonight we see them young. A bit too early. But useful: you get a read on where the wine is heading over the next 8 to 15 years.

2020 Ridge Estate Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains | 100% Chardonnay | 13.5%

Golden in the glass. Green apple and fresh lemon on the nose, with vanilla and toasted oak behind. A whisper of nutmeg.

Dry, full body. Juicy pear and a delicate touch of butter alongside the nose’s fruit. High acidity keeps it lively, alcohol sits in the background. Long finish with citrus and oak.

Good balance across fruit, oak, and acid. Complex enough to hold attention sip after sip, with room to age.

2021 Ridge Lytton Estate Petite Sirah | 100% Petite Sirah | 14.1%

Deep purple, thick tears down the glass. Blackberries and blueberries on the nose, with eucalyptus, black pepper, and violets.

Dry, full body. Firm but ripe tannins, high acid, high alcohol that registers as warmth. Blackberry jam, black plum, white pepper, dried herbs. Long finish with fruit and spice.

Concentration and complexity sit there in volume. Drinks well now. Better in a few years.

2022 Ridge Three Valleys, Sonoma County | 65% Zinfandel, 16% Carignan, 14% Petite Sirah, 5% Mataro | 14.2%

Deep ruby with a purple rim, still young. Ripe red cherries and blackberries, with cinnamon and a whisper of vanilla.

Dry, medium-plus body. Tannins well-managed, acid keeps it fresh. Red and black fruit with baking spice and a touch of oak. High alcohol, but balanced. Pleasant finish.

Good balance, concentrated, complex enough. Drinks well now. Short-term aging possible.

2022 Ridge Pagani Ranch, Sonoma County |82% Zinfandel, 9% Alicante Bouschet, 5% Petite Sirah, 4% Mataro | 14.4%

Deep ruby-purple. Blackberries and black cherry on the nose, with orange peel, laurel, and freshly cracked white pepper.

Dry, full body. Noticeable tannins, bright acid that catches the high alcohol. Black fruit up front, with citrus, savory herbs, and spice. Long finish.

Tight balance, intense, layered. Drinks with confidence.

2022 Ridge Lytton Springs 50th Anniversary, Dry Creek Valley | 67% Zinfandel, 19% Petite Sirah, 11% Carignan, 3% Alicante Bouschet | 14.4%

Deep purple, inky core. Blackberries and black plum, with freshly cracked white pepper, vanilla, and dried Mediterranean herbs.

Dry, full body. High but velvety tannins, vibrant acid, alcohol well-integrated. Black fruit leading, with peppery spice, vanilla, and nuanced oak. Long spicy finish.

Depth, balance, complexity. Drinks now, gains with cellaring.

2022 Ridge Geyserville, Alexander Valley | 67% Zinfandel, 20% Carignan, 10% Petite Sirah, 3% Mataro | 14.5%

Deep ruby with a purple rim. Blackberries, black cherry, ripe plum, with white pepper and a whisper of vanilla.

Dry, full body. High but surprisingly smooth tannins, vibrant acid, high alcohol kept in check. Black fruit up front, with warm baking spice and light oak. Long finish on spice.

Tight balance, intense, layered. Drinks now, cellar-worthy.

2021 Ridge Estate Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains | 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot | 13.5%

Deep ruby-purple. Blackcurrant and blackberry, with elegant cedar and graphite, a whisper of vanilla.

Dry, full body. Firm but silky tannins, vibrant acid, alcohol in the background. Concentrated black fruit up front, with cedar, tobacco leaf, and a striking hint of crushed minerals. Long finish with fruit and refined oak.

Impressive balance and layering. Drinks now. Better in a decade. Here’s where the America’s First Growth nickname earns itself.

These wines show Ridge’s blending hand and their grip on terroir. American oak is audible but never dominant. The Zinfandel-based field blends show good cross-varietal harmony. For a young tasting, this was a fine night. I’d happily see them again in a few years.

In closing

On the last sip of Monte Bello, one thing stands out: Ridge runs tradition and innovation in parallel without it feeling forced. Their stance on sustainable practices, field blends, and transparent labeling puts them outside the mainstream.

Thanks to Jan Jaap Altenburg for the invitation and the evening, and to Katie Blakely for context and background.

More information:

Ridge Vineyards: https://www.ridgewine.com/

Vindict Winebar: https://wijnbarvindict.nl/

Follow Jan Jaap (sommeljj) on Instagram: @sommeljj