Professional reviews
James Suckling (93)
Brilliant acidity backs up subtle, savory and fresh citrus flavors in this full-bodied and well-balanced Rhone-style white. Aromas like a hay field, lanolin and dry earth meet tangy apricot, lime zest, mineral and almond flavors on a broad but lively texture. Includes 14% picpoul and 2% roussanne grapes.
Jancis Robinson (17)
84% Grenache Blanc, 14% Picpoul, 2% Roussanne. Fruit sourced from: 52% Fossil Creek Vineyard, 46% Adelaida Vineyard, 2% Halter Ranch Vineyard. Limestone soils. Hand-harvested, whole-cluster-pressed, fermented with ambient yeast, malolactic conversion with ambient bacteria, and aged on the lees in barrel for six months. Bottled April 2024.
Medium lemon. Firm, juicy Asian pear on the nose, with a slight flintiness. Fleshier on the palate than on the nose, with layers of fat fruit, a pithy citrus bite, and refreshing acidity that pulls out a warming finish. Lovely balance. (SCJ)
Jeb Dunnuck (94)
The Ridge team started making 2023 Grenache Blanc with the 2018 vintage, winemaker John Olney impressed by the fruit he could find in Paso Robles. Able to source from three sites, Fossil Creek, Adelaida, and Halter Ranch, all on the appellation's west side, it includes 14% Picpoul Blanc and 2% Roussanne. Before this, the only white wine Ridge ever made was Chardonnay from Monte Bello Estate. Fermented in barrel, both American and French, and aged partly in concrete and clay amphorae, it is elegant yet concentrated, with lasting acidity, and should age another 5-7 years.
Owen Bargreen (93)
Mostly sourced from the Fossil Creek and Adelaida Vineyards, the 2023 Grenache Blanc has 14% Picpoul, and 2% Roussanne blended in. Mostly stainless steel fermented, this offers bright kiwi, green papaya and shades of salted cashew nut on the palate with a smooth texture. Seriously good now, enjoy over the next six to eight years.
