Ridge Vineyards Grenache Blanc Paso Robles 2023

Profile & Story

Founded in 1962 by four Stanford scientists building on vineyard land dating back to 1885, Ridge Vineyards has long practiced a philosophy of single-vineyard, pre-industrial winemaking, seeking out rare California sites where climate, soil, and variety align, with a commitment to organic farming, minimal intervention, and full ingredient transparency on every label since 2011. Historically known for Chardonnay as its white wine from the Monte Bello Estate, Ridge began exploring Rhone-style whites with the 2018 vintage, and the 2023 Grenache Blanc continues that path. The wine is sourced from three west-side Paso Robles vineyards - Adelaida, Fossil Creek, and Halter Ranch - whose limestone soils and proximity to the Pacific provide ideal growing conditions. The blend is 84% Grenache Blanc, 14% Picpoul, and 2% Roussanne, made through 100% direct-to-press, whole-cluster fermentation, allowed to undergo natural primary and secondary (malolactic) fermentation. The wine ages ten months across a complex mix of vessels - 33% American oak (20% one-year and 80% two-to-three-year barrels), 4% new French oak, 1% new acacia, 2% concrete amphora, and 2% Italian clay amphora, with the remaining 58% in stainless steel - with a minimum of 35 ppm SO2 at crush and 50 ppm during aging, and pad filtration at bottling.