Recent Northern Rhônes Part I: Barge, Belle, Blachon, Chapoutier

Recent vintages have been uneven here. Many of the wines are high in alcohol, but these producers handled it better than one would fear. Use of new oak seems to be more problematic, though. (Continue reading here.)

Ridge Vineyards: Spring 2021 National Releases

 I have found Ridge in recent years to have moved more in the direction of wines of oak and power, which is not my preferred style and not consistent with Ridge wines I’ve known from further back. I cannot say whether this is a result of climate change, winemaker preferences, or both. As mentioned below, John Olney, who has long been in charge of the wines at Ridge’s Lytton Springs facility, is now taking over as head winemaker and chief operating officer at Ridge, so we’ll see in the future if there is any change in direction for the wines.


The assessments below are “objective" in the sense that I have tried to eliminate as much as possible my personal preferences in judging the wines. (Continue reading here.)