Ridge Vineyards 2025 California Coast Range Red 750ml

Coast Range is Ridge's occasional, opportunistic bottling — made "when possible," in the winery's own words, and only in years when the character of a particular vintage calls for it. The 2025 edition is a genuinely playful departure from Ridge's more familiar single-vineyard wines: a blend of 59% Zinfandel, 18% Carignane, 13% Petite Sirah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, drawing fruit from a genuinely wide geographic spread — the majority from Sonoma County, joined this year by fruit from Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, and Napa, with the Cabernet Sauvignon component sourced specifically from Fredson Ranch in Alexander Valley.

The 2025 growing season set the stage for something distinctive: near-perfect spring weather let the vines set a full crop, and despite rigorous thinning, yields still came in 20% above average — the highest in at least thirty years. Rather than push that unusually generous, fruit-forward harvest into Ridge's more structured, cellar-worthy wines, the winemaking team made a deliberate call: "more fruit-forward and meant for immediate enjoyment, we decided to bottle this wine separately." All lots were hand-harvested as they individually ripened, from mid-August through early October, with fermentation beginning naturally, on average, just two days after crush — no inoculation, entirely native yeast for both primary and secondary (malolactic) fermentation. Twice-daily pump-overs helped accentuate the fruit character, and the finished wine rested nine months in 100% air-dried American oak barrels, only 10% of it new, adding complexity without overwhelming the wine's inherently bright, playful character.

Ridge's own winemaker tasting notes describe a nose of hibiscus, cranberry, blood orange, and black tea, "light to medium body with playful acidity and supple texture," delivering flavors of boysenberry, pomegranate, and vanilla. The winery's own serving suggestion is a genuine departure from typical red wine convention: "serve at room temperature, or slightly chilled" — a direct nod to just how fresh and immediate this wine is built to be. Ridge's own vintage notes put it simply: "delicious now, it will be at its best over the next four years." This is Ridge's serious winemaking pedigree applied to something genuinely lighter and more spontaneous — a "when possible" wine, made because 2025's unusually abundant harvest gave the team fruit that deserved exactly this kind of playful, immediate treatment.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Coast Range is an occasional bottling from Ridge Vineyards, made only in years when conditions call for it, blending fruit from across coastal California rather than from a single estate vineyard. The 2025 vintage draws primarily from Sonoma County, supplemented this year by fruit from Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, and Napa counties, with the Cabernet Sauvignon component sourced from Fredson Ranch in Alexander Valley.

Near-perfect spring weather in 2025 allowed the vines to set a full crop, and despite rigorous thinning, yields still landed 20% above average — the highest Ridge has seen in at least thirty years. All fruit was hand-harvested as it individually ripened, from August 19 through October 8, reaching an average of 24.2° Brix, with total acidity of 5.47 g/L and pH of 3.73. Fermentation began naturally, on average two days after crush, with no inoculation — both primary and secondary (malolactic) fermentation occurred entirely through native, naturally occurring yeast and bacteria. The wine received twice-daily pump-overs to accentuate its fruit character, then aged nine months in 100% air-dried American oak barrels, 10% new and 90% five-plus-year-old wood. As with every Ridge bottling, no portion of the wine is purchased — fermentation and aging are handled entirely in-house. The finished wine is membrane sterile filtered at bottling, with minimum effective sulfur used throughout (35 ppm at crush, 150 ppm total over the course of aging). Bottled at 13.8% ABV.

Critics Reviews

No third-party critic score is confirmed for this product at this time.

Ridge Vineyards (official winemaker tasting notes, SR 6/26):
"Nose of hibiscus, cranberry, blood orange and black tea. Light to medium body with playful acidity and supple texture. Flavors of boysenberry, pomegranate and vanilla. Serve at room temperature, or slightly chilled."

Ridge Vineyards (official vintage notes, SR 2/26):
"This year's ideal spring resulted in some of the highest yields of recent years. Despite rigorous thinning, yields were 20% above average, providing grapes for this adventurous blend. More fruit-forward and meant for immediate enjoyment, we decided to bottle this wine separately. Nine months of aging in the barrel has added complexity. Delicious now, it will be at its best over the next four years."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Hibiscus, cranberry, blood orange, and black tea lead — a genuinely bright, floral, and tea-inflected aromatic profile distinct from Ridge's more traditional single-vineyard reds.

Palate
Light to medium-bodied, with playful acidity and a supple texture. Boysenberry and pomegranate carry the fruit character, joined by a gentle vanilla note from the wine's nine months in mostly neutral American oak.

Finish
Fresh and immediate, closing cleanly without heavy tannin or extended oak weight — built specifically for early, easy drinking rather than extended cellaring.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Light charcuterie
• Grilled poultry
• Fresh berry desserts
• Picnic fare — genuinely versatile, casual pairing wine

Serving Note

Serve at room temperature, or slightly chilled — Ridge's own recommendation, reflecting the wine's fresh, immediate character.