The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (which hails from the Monte Bello Vineyard) is already quite expressive, revealing aromas of blackcurrant, ripe cherries, cigar box and burning embers, framed by a judicious application of new oak. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, supple and nicely balanced, with fine-grained tannins, a good core of ripe fruit and a pure finish. While the Estate Cabernet is explicitly crafted to be approachable in its youth, this should be well worth following for the next 15 years. The 2015 blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc.

Another terrific wine, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (incorporates 24% Merlot) is an inky, structured effort that has lots of blackberry, cassis, scorched earth and toasted spice notes giving way to a full-bodied, concentrated and tannic profile on the palate. Beautifully concentrated, it still has a serious amount of tannin and I wouldn't touch a bottle for another 4-5 years. It will have an easy two decades or more of overall longevity.

Composed of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate came in at a relatively low alcohol level of 13%. Remarkably, it was harvested primarily in October, finishing in early November (one of the latest harvest dates ever recorded at Ridge). A dark ruby/plum color is followed by sweet black currant and cherry fruit notes intermixed with a hint of oak. Lacking flesh, flavor dimension and density, this 2010 is somewhat superficial, but reveals enough acidity and tannin to indicate it may benefit from more time in the bottle. Given its firmness and structure, it should easily evolve for a decade or more. Tel. (408) 867-3233

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

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is compelling. Where to start? An expressive bouquet redolent of sweet herbs, tobacco and incense leads to a gorgeous tapestry of dark red fruit. The Estate is drop-dead gorgeous, with the silkiest of tannins that frame an extraordinary finish. This has to be one of the most compelling values in California Cabernet. In 2008 the blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Draper describes 2008 as the driest of the three drought years spanning 2006-2008. The 2008 is the first vintage for the Cabernet Sauvignon, which used to be called Santa Cruz Mountains. In 2008 a spring harvest frost damaged much of the Merlot crop, so there was no natural outlet for the Merlot that had previously been used in the Santa Cruz Mountains bottling, but in 2009 there will be a new Merlot bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2028. I tasted a breathtaking array of wines during my recent visit with Paul Draper at Ridge. Draper is a true American icon, so it’s great to see him doing well after a bout with illness. I also tasted a number of older wines, including several Monte Bellos going back to the 1970s. Heretical as it may sound, I think the wines Draper is making today will prove to be far superior to the wines of decades past, many of which are rightly considered legendary. For ease of reference I have also included notes on all of the Ridge wines made outside the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Chardonnays are fermented with native yeasts and go into barrel with their gross lees, which are stirred once a week. The malos usually start the following spring. The wines are assembled just before the following harvest and go back into neutral oak. Aging is about 15 months for the Estate and 17 months for the Chardonnay Monte Bello, with a maximum of 25% new barrels. The reds are fermented with ambient yeasts, undergo malolactic fermentation in tank (except for the Monte Bello which is mostly done in barrel) and stay on their gross lees until the following spring. Tel. (408) 867-3233; Fax (408) 868-1350. www.ridgewine.com