Ridge, California's iconic Santa Cruz Mountains winery, was kind enough to give us a small amount of this outstanding Carignane, a cellar treasure generally reserved for members of their Advanced Tasting Program mailing list. Though Carignane is found in relative abundance throughout the Languedoc, Priorat, and Sardinia wine regions, plantings in California are rare — and this limited bottling is crafted with fruit from a vineyard planted in the late-1900s. With aromas of peppery smoke and blackberry, this requires plenty of air for its briary dark cherry flavors and chewy texture to emerge. This is at its best when served alongside juicy burgers or dry-aged steaks smothered in chef's butter.
JGS