Cracked this last night to go w/ my paninni:
1, Ridge Jimsomare Chard JimsomareRanch/SCM (100% Chard; 14.7%; Bttld: 1/11; Drk: 9/10-9/13-9/14: EB) 2009: Light gold/yellow color; strong ripe/melony/Chard/appley some floral/jasmine/exotic/minty light toastd/oak/toasted coconut/ZagNut bar slight earthy/SCM very perfumed lovely nose; soft lush/ripe/melony/lemony/Chard quite exotic/floral/jasmine/apple blossom light toasted coconut/toasty/oak slight earthy/SCM slight minty/spicy flavor; very long soft ripe/melony/Chard/appley rather exotic/floral/jasmine light toasted coconut/oak lovely finish; not as oaked as the SCM or MB Chards; ripe but not over the top; very exotic jasmine/floral character; quite a lovely/exotic/aromatic Chard; almost a Chard made by a Riesling producer. Very fair price at $30.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. This was half of the Jimsomare package (Chard/Zin) that Ridge was (is?) offering at Christmas. I was quite taken by this wine because of its exotic aromatics. I agree w/ Eric that it has a short drinking window...enjoy it for what it is now. I don't think it has the structure or the depth of his SCM or MB Chards, but it is such good drinking,
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2. Way back in the olden days (by crackey), back when DaveBennion was making Chard/WhiteRiesling/Sylvaner from SCM grapes; they wines were much different in style. Quite lean/austere/hard w/ lots of SCM dusty/earthy character. They were not my favorites..back when rich/ripe/very oaked Chards were the hot thing in Calif.
In the mid-'70's; I took a group of nuclear types up to TheRidge. Dave was are host. We tasted thru the new Ridge releases ('73's) and were suitably dazzled by them...on a cold/windy/gloomy/bone-chilling day up on the knoll in November. As we finished, I commented to Dave about how much I liked his reds...but found his whites a bit lacking.
Dave was a bit taken aback, and decided to prove me wrong. So he started pulling out btls of Chard/Riesling/Sylvaner from the library there; vintage from the mid-late '60's; finishing
with the Ridge Riesling TBA.
Well.....of course, Dave was right. Those wines had lost that lean/hard/earthy edge and evolved into beautiful/complex examples of those aged varietials. Sure made a believer outta me.
The current Ridge Chards, SCM and MB, are much different in style from those olden ones. More ripeness, more oak, more alcohol. Much more drinkable from the git-go. Yet they still express that SCM earthy character and have the acidity & structure for the long haul I believe. Very unique and some of the best Chards being made in Calif these days.
Tom