The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot) is gorgeous. Dark red berries, grilled herbs, spice box, cedar and tobacco are some of the notes that flesh out in the radiant, expressive Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. This attractive, medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon can be enjoyed with minimum cellaring. Think of it as a baby Monte Bello to drink while the 2009 Monte Bello ages. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2021. Indiana Jones and I have one thing in common – a fear of snakes. That is why every time I see the sign in the Ridge parking lot that reads “Beware of rattlesnakes,” I get a little uneasy. So it’s quickly into the tasting room for me. Winemaker Eric Baugher and his team have prepared a great tasting covering all of the Ridge classics, plus a few smaller-production bottlings I am tasting for the first time. This is a sublime set of new releases from one of this country’s greatest heritage wineries. It’s hard to know where to start, but the highlights are the 2009 Monte Bello, followed by the 2010, which will be released this year, plus some of the Zinfandels and Zinfandel-based wines. The 2010 harvest was not an easy one. The summer was very cold, as it was throughout California. Ridge was severely affected by August heat spikes that were crippling for Zinfandel. The wines that were bottled are the result of a severe selection of the best fruit that survived the heat. Tel. (408) 867-3233