WTN: Ridgeline 2005 Cabernet

Ridgeline 2005 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Lone Pine Vineyard.

Honestly, we didn't expect much from this bottle, which we picked up several years ago to fill out a mixed case we were shipping home from Sonoma. As I recall, we tried it at a multi-label tasting room and thought it was one of the best of the bunch, but that wasn't an especially high bar; it was more a souvenir than anything else. I think it was about $40. And I think Ridgeline is somehow related to Artesa (a sub-label, or something).

Now, reading the label again, we see the vineyard is at 1200' (promising) and that the ABV is 14.6% (distressing). But you know what? Having set our expectations low, we were pleasantly surprised. Very expressive, a core of black currant fruit and high-toned herbaceousness, tannins nicely softened, but still enough structure to keep the wine lively. Very true to the grape, not heavily made-up. You can detect the high alcohol by the mouthfeel more than by heat per se, and it does throw things a little out of balance, especially in the second half of the bottle, which seems to fall a part a bit. Even at this old price, I'm not sorry this was our only bottle -- but I'm glad to have had this one!

[Jenise]

Good to see you here again, Patchen. Ridgeline isn't a producer I've seen before, but apropos of nothing, really, it reminds me of a thought I've had before about how many wineries in California have the word 'Ridge' in their name. 'Stone' is equally ubiquitous.

[David M. Bueker]

Don't know that producer, but your experience is a great reminder that (per David Schildknecht) the wine will always have the last word.

Yeah, that's more or less why I posted the note (certainly not because I thought there'd be a lot of people with Ridgeline in their cellars looking for guidance!): too often, when you're reminded that the wine has the last word, it's because a bottle just did the vinous equivalent of a vigorous curse. Nice to be surprised pleasantly for a change. And thanks for the welcome back, Jenise -- good to see you here too!