Weekly Tasting Report (March 8-14, 2021): Ridge, Antica Terra show their personalities

Last week we tasted wines from two American icon wineries who share a philosophy of making real wines that clearly communicate their unique soils and microclimates: Ridge Vineyards and Antica Terra. The former is a decades-old favorite producing one of California’s greatest collectors’ wine, Monte Bello, while the latter is a leader in Oregon making philosophically charged bottles of pinot noir.

“The power [of Ridge Montebello] comes from the concentration and not the alcohol or ripeness,” says David Amadia, president of Ridge Vineyards. “It is a different type of power. To show the difference between Monte Bello and Napa in 2017, Napa is a valley and the farther north you go the hotter it gets while Monte Bello is on a mountain with the San Francisco Bay to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. We rarely get a day over 90 degrees even on a hot summer day. Our vines never shut down; our wines never get to those levels [of alcohol] like in Napa.”

"We have our own air conditioner,” added John Olney, the winemaker. “We have the Pacific Ocean.”

Olney likes to use the word “weightless” in describing his wines from his estate vineyards like the Monte Bellos, where the wines have intensity and richness yet remain fresh and not heavy. The 2017 is a wonder example of this: full-bodied with multi-layered fruit and very fine, creamy tannins, along with impressive density. Yet it is rather airy and full of finesse. It could be as great as the perfect 2013.

Some of the other Ridge wines of note in the tasting were the zinfandels which shared the weightlessness of the Monte Bellos and were similarly unique, in the sense of their complexity and not overdone character like many zinfandels. Each one was different in its own right with unique aromas and flavors and densities.

The Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Paso Robles Benito Dusi Ranch 2019 was the richest of the three with dried fruit and darkness yet fresh at the same time. The Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley East Bench 2019 was almost pinot-like with its old vine subtlety and clarity in fruit character. Meanwhile, the Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma County Alexander Valley Boatman 2018 was the most structured and needed another two or three years to come around.

I also was impressed with the Ridge Vineyards Sonoma County Alexander Valley Geyserville 2019, which is a field blend of 71% zinfandel, 19% carignan, 7% petite sirah and 3% alicante bouschet. It has so much spicy and stoney character with red fruits from the blend. And it gives a mossy, old vine undertone in the aftertaste. Some of the vines were planted in 1885. They are part of a parcel of the vineyard called “the old patch.”

“The wine making is consistent across all the zinfandels and all the single vineyards so the only difference you are going to perceive is the vintage and the character of the vineyard,” said Amadia. It sounds so simple but I find it is not so easily attained by many wineries, regardless of where in the world they may be. Check out the video for more interesting thoughts and facts on the Ridge wines tasted.

The pinots and chardonnays from Maggie Harrison, winemaker and part owner of Antica Terra, were equally compelling last week during another Zoom tasting. Contributing editor Nick Stock and I had a long conversation and the wines had an intense personal flare and feeling to them. When she describes creating each wine she sounds like an artist describing how and why she creates a particular art work. The video is forthcoming.

Her enthusiasm for the excellent 2018 vintage in Oregon shines through in the wines. The year was extremely balanced and long producing complex yet structured wines. Winds may have been a factor in toughing the grapes, both for reds and whites, so the wines have serious phenolic tension.

“Nothing forced our hand [in 2018],” Harrison said during the interview. “We could look at the potential of the fruit at all the different angles. It felt easy. I don’t like it when the harvest finishes so early. [She joked!] Most people may want to go to Hawaii or go back to their family but I could live in the harvest. The other nine months of the year I like because they serve the next harvest. I love harvest.

“In a long harvest [like 2018], you get to learn,” she added. “In 15, 16, and 17, harvest happened all at once. So by the time you were understanding how the harvest was or how the fermentations were (there is a character to the fermentations themselves, if you are working with uninoculated fermentations) it’s over. There is a richness that happens in a long harvest like 2018 that you don’t get when one is shorter.”

Her three wines in this report are terrific quality: Antica Terra Chardonnay Willamette Valley Aequorin 2018, Antica Terra Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Obelin 2018 and Antica Terra Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Antikythera 2018. More ratings are on their way including the Antica Terra Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Botanica 2018 and Antica Terra Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Antikythera 2017.

A number of terrific Champagnes are also in the report including the 2007 Comtes de Champagne blanc de blancs and 2007 rosés that I have tasted before but wanted to reconfirm their greatness. The drive, intensity and complex character of each one is something very special. Also, I rated the newly released Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut 2012, which is a fantastic bottle. I may like it even better than the superb 2008. It’s depth and balance is exceptional and it already has more complexity than the 2008. I did Tasting Interviews with both Champagne houses, so stay tuned for more on these wines.

The new vintage of China’s greatest wine, Ao Yun, was also an eyeopener last week. The 2017 is the fourth release of the top wine from the French owned winery in the Mekong valley at 2,200m-2,600m above sea level in northern Yunnan Province, southwest of China. It is the best ever with an added depth and complexity and roundness from the hotter 2017 vintage and perhaps the touch of merlot in the blend. Check out this Tasting Interview with the winemaker Maxence Dulou.

When I asked him during the interview what he thought if someone said he is now making China’s greatest wine, he simply answered: “We are happy about this, but we can’t to say this ourselves. It shows we are going in a good direction. We don’t want to compete with the Chinese. We want to compete with ourselves to be the best possible and get the best from our terroir.”

There are many terroir-driven wines in this report from Germany, USA, France, Italy, Portugal, Argentina and even China. Spend some time and check them out. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

- James Suckling, editor

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The list of wines below are bottles tasted and rated in the previous week by James and other tasters at JamesSuckling.com. They include many latest releases not yet in the market, but entering soon. Some will be included in upcoming tasting reports. 

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