Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Ridge Vineyards – Grenache Blanc blend – 2024
Fossil Creek / Adelaida / Halter Ranch Vineyards – Paso Robles – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A stunning, high-toned white Rhône blend of 47% Grenache Blanc, 12% Picpoul, 3% Roussanne from Ridge that delivers immediate “whoa” factor. Crisp, mineral, and beautifully textured, this release shows Ridge’s mastery beyond Monte Bello, proving they can craft Rhône whites that rival the best of the Rhône Valley itself.

Aromas & Flavors
Pear skin, white peach, citrus blossom, and salted stone. Subtle hints of fennel, honeydew, and crushed seashell align with a whisper of almond from neutral barrel aging.

Mouthfeel
Bright acidity with mountain-stream freshness, balanced by a gentle mid-palate creaminess from whole-cluster pressing and lees contact. Finishes long, clean, and slightly saline.

Food Pairings
Seared scallops, grilled prawns, Provençal chicken, halibut with lemon butter, or Mediterranean mezze.

Verdict
A beautifully balanced, quietly complex white Rhône-style blend that showcases Ridge at its most refreshing and precise. Astonishing quality, especially at this youthful stage.

Did You Know?
Ridge first experimented with Grenache Blanc only in 2018. The results were so impressive that they expanded sourcing to three top west-side Paso vineyards, Fossil Creek, Adelaida, and Halter Ranch, turning this bottling into one of California’s most compelling Rhône-white expressions.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
Easily one of the most impressive domestic Grenache Blancs I’ve tasted, its freshness and mineral drive can stand toe-to-toe with elite Rhône whites. — 8 months ago

ESF

9.0

impressive Garganega here, sort of Reserve style Soave leaning towards Turbiano - bit of age fattened up nicely just oozing minerals, saline, shells, crunchy rocks alongside ripe citrus. Tangy juicy acidity, strong backbone, this was rich & deep. $36 retail is a bit steep - glad I caught this on closeout. — 4 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.0

Modestly fragrant, with ripe dark cherry (both fresh and dried), along with some tilled soil and almond notes. A little richer in the mouth than most regular Valpos, and has some tannin even! Not complex, but went really well with our pasta dish tonight. (Thanks to my bro for this one.)

NIGHT 2 UPDATE: nose has opened up, palate has softened considerably and now is very minerally, almost saline, on the finish. Very nice development. Upping score from 8.9 to 9.0. — 9 years ago

Jim Wagonfeld

9.0

More tropical, opulent and creamy than I expected. Still with good acidity and a saline whiff. Long intense finish. — 10 years ago

with Judy

Jeremiah Diaz

9.0

Medium gold in color; peach, honeydew, and orange blossom on the nose; high acidity; tastes like tangerines, saline, and lemon with a long finish. Nellie and I like it. — a year ago

with Nellie

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Light lemon gold colour . Bruised apple , quince , with a waxy and sea breeze character. On the palate quite high acidity with yellow stone fruit, nice intensity , saline , mineral notes. Good length , and refreshing mineral finish . This will probably age ok , good now and over the next 5-8 years . — 3 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

A slightly saline iodine note. Tangy blue fruit with sour cherry, leather, tobacco. The fruit and structure are intense . A little bit simple but delicious and authentic. — 6 years ago

with Bex and Naoko

Conrad Green

9.3

Very serious, dark and austere compared to the others. Still enclosed with dark blue fruit, minerals, a saline quality. Still dark and dense with a touch of sour. Interesting to track this in glass. — 9 years ago

with Rick

Daron Watson

9.1

fresh nose of talcum, Mediterranean herbs & saline quickly gets rich & honeyed w peach & pear yet has a vein of lime! — 10 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.0

The 2023 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Ruviano is savory in style, offering crushed rocks, wild herbs and ripe yellow apples. Silky-smooth yet full of zesty tension, this cascades across the palate with tart orchard fruits and sour citrus tones. The 2023 finishes long and saline. $15.00 (Eric Guido, Vinous, July 2024) — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.1

The 2021 Soave Classico Monte Carbonare is decidedly savory, displaying notes of crushed rocks and dried flowers that give way to white peach and hints of gingery spice. It sweeps across the palate with a silky, textural wave of liquid florals and ripe pit-fruits, riding along a core of vibrant acidity. Notions of candied lime and saline minerals linger through the long and youthfully tense finale as the 2021 leaves a confectionary air of spice. (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2024)
— 2 years ago

Brian S

9.0

Green apples, green pear, lemon and saline. — 8 years ago

Meghan Sullivan

9.0

Citrus. Saline. Love it. — 9 years ago

Prem Aamód

9.5

Buenísimo, me pareció parecido a Monte Xanic 2007 Cabernet — 10 years ago

Peanut Gallery

8.9

Stewed fruit and spice. Aging gracefully. $18! — 11 years ago