2012 Ridge Estate Merlot + Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak #WinePW

It’s October! And that means the Wine Pairing Weekend group of writers, in collaboration with the #MerlotMe producers will be singing the praises of Merlot. According to Jeff Burrows who will be leading the charge again this year…” we’ll continue our quest to raise the visibility of this fine grape in wine drinker’s consciousness“. You can see his invitation post here.

I’ve always been a fan of well-made Merlot. I love it for its approachability and affinity for food.

And speaking of its affinity for food, you’re bound to find Merlot and food pairing inspiration in Jeff’s recap of the group’s posts from 2015-2020 here.

I’m featuring a Merlot from one of my favorite producers – Ridge Vineyards. This one has been in my cellar for five years. I can’t think of a better time to enjoy it than the Wine Pairing Weekend MerlotMe event!

2012 Ridge Merlot Estate

The 2012 vintage is 100% Merlot from the sustainably farmed Monte Bello Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains between 1,300 and 2,700’. Fermented on native yeasts. Raised in 95% air dried American oak, 5% French oak; 18% new, 82% one year old.

Opaque crimson color with exuberant black currant, black cherry, violets dried herb, vanilla and creosote aromas. On the palate, it medium-bodied with mouth-watering fresh acidity and well-integrated supple, sweet tannins with black cherry, black currant, plum, leather, mocha and dried herb flavors with a hint of graphite minerality. Long savory finish. 92pts|13.5% abv.

I think this is an exceptional wine!

2012 Ridge Merlot paired with Reverse Sear Bone-in Ribeye and Perfect Roasted Potatoes

I paired with this great recipe from Vindulge, including Perfect Roasted Potatoes, which were indeed pretty much perfect!

It was my first attempt at reverse-searing, and I have to say it turned out great! The wine was excellent paired with our meal!

About Ridge Vineyards

Ridge Vineyards is a California winery with two estates, Monte Bello in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Lytton Springs in Sonoma County.  They are best known for their world-class “Monte Bello” – a single-vineyard premium Bordeaux style Cabernet Sauvignon Blend ), single vineyard Zinfandels, and estate Chardonnay.  Ridge was established by three engineers from nearby Stanford Research Institute (SRI).  They produced its first commercial wine in 1962 after purchasing the winery in 1960.

Great wines have always been determined by their site – by nature, not by man – Paul Draper

It wasn’t too long after that, that Ridge gained an international  rep when the  Ridge Monte Bello, under the direction of winemaker Paul Draper , took fifth place in the “Judgment of Paris” in 1976 against nine other French and California wines.  Here’s what’s really cool though, the 1976 Monte Bello unanimously took first place in The Judgment of Paris 30th Anniversary when it was tasted against the same wines thirty years later!

Ridge is a member of the International Wineries For Climate Change(ICWA), an organization committed to taking collective action to decarbonize the global wine industry.

They are currently the largest grower of organic grapes in Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, with nearly 380 acres of organically certified vines. They have a very comprehensive and impressive set of sustainability practices.

Here’s What We Have Planned for #MerlotMe 2021

Join our group on Oct. 9, 2021 for a new set of foods paired with Merlot wines. Check out the list of new posts below. Then, join our Twitter chat all about Merlot on October 9 at 10am CDT. Just search for the #WinePW and #MerlotMe tags on Twitter.

11 Comments

  1. Jen Martin says:

    That rib eye looks delicious! I’ve heard great things about that Merlot, but have yet to try it.

    1. Martin D. Redmond says:

      Thanks Jen! I hope you can find a bottle, I think it’s a great Merlot – quite different than the Duckhorn (no criticism of the Duckhorn, it too is great, but this bottle has a more Old-world character.

  2. robincgc says:

    Now there is a Merlot to look out for! The reverse sear sounds delicious!

    1. Martin D. Redmond says:

      The Reverse Sear Rib-eye did turn out great! We don’t eat a lot of beef, but when we do, we’ll be using the reverse sear technique going forward. I bet you’d love the Merlot Robin

  3. 2012 Merlot, I am impressed and with Ridge Estate’s bio. You have peaked my curiosity I need to try a bottle of Ridge Merlot, probably won’t find a 2012.

    1. Martin D. Redmond says:

      It would be great if you could get a Merlot from their library, but they’ve been making them every vintage the last 7 or 8 years I think.

  4. David says:

    I always think of Ridge for their Zin. Will need to be on the lookout for their Merlot!

    1. Martin D. Redmond says:

      I understand. I know them first for their Geyserville and Lytton Springs field blends (which are mostly Zin), but their claim to fame is the Monte Bello Bordeaux blend, so their estate Cab and well as this Merlot are great wines in their own right.

  5. Oh It has been far too long since I had Ridge Merlot. I must fix that right away!

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