Ridge Vineyards Three Valleys 2023

This cuvée does not come from the Santa Cruz Mountains but from the Sonoma County appellation, in California. It brings together grapes from ten vineyards spread across the Alexander, Dry Creek, Sonoma and Russian River valleys. This mosaic of Sonoma terroirs makes up a blended red, unusual in the Ridge range, which is usually devoted to single-vineyard wines.

The grapes are harvested by hand, destemmed and crushed. Primary and malolactic fermentations take place without inoculation, thanks to native yeasts and naturally occurring bacteria. The wine is then aged for twelve months in air-dried American oak barrels, 19% of them new.

This wine reveals notes of blackberry, raspberry, plum, blueberry, candied cherry, liquorice, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, violet, resinous herbs and dry earth. The palate, broad yet lively, combines juicy, rounded fruit with lively acidity. Fine, slightly chalky tannins structure a long, savoury and spicy finish.

In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors into California that boosted the Californian wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in Sonoma and Napa. At the start of the 20th century there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933, Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the Californian wine industry, so much so that by 1933 only 140 wineries were still producing wine. It was not until 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition, and California was then known mainly for fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous wineries were founded (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc.). In 1976 a landmark event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgement of Paris". It pitted the greatest French wines against the American newcomers. On 24 May, an unexpected result shook the wine world when, to everyone's surprise, the United States came out on top. Yet the competition remains fairly unknown to the general public. Today there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Although California largely monopolises the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and Washington State offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.