Elin McCoy in conversation with Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards
Episode Summary:-
In Part II of this instalment of our “Great Wine Lives” series, Elin McCoy talks to Paul Draper, the legendary winemaker at Ridge Vineyards in California, about Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, widely regarded as one of California’s First Growths, and his love of Zinfandel, which he believes should be treated with the same care and respect as Cabernet.
He explains that the reason he joined Ridge Vineyards was his agreement with their approach to traditional winemaking. He discusses their early wines of the 1960s, which were made before he joined in 1969, and asserts that they were up there with Bordeaux’s First Growths in terms of their quality and ability to age.
When he started at Ridge, there were only a handful of California estates which had a fine-wine ambition. One was Beaulieu Vineyards, where Andre Tschelistcheff was making a name for himself and the winery and selling well on America’s East Coast, which was not the case for many other California wineries, where sales were either at the cellar door or through localised distribution channels. Ridge started exporting very early, and Paul explains how his years in Europe and visiting the UK cemented a vision that if you wanted to be considered a fine wine, you needed to be involved around the world.
Whilst in Chile, he befriended Philippe Dourthe, son of Roger Dourthe of the negociant Dourthe Freres, who helped with Ridge’s distribution in France, and John Avery of Avery’s of Bristol, who became an early champion in the UK. Steven Spurrier’s 1976 Paris tasting had virtually no effect on Ridge, as they were already known in the export market and on the East Coast and Chicago, though it provided the other California wines in the tasting considerable impact and also put them on the international map, helping to build a wider presence.
Paul’s inspiration for Monte Bello came from the fine Bordeaux wines he had drunk, and one in particular, Château Lafite 1864, which he bought with two friends at the Christie’s Glamis Castle auction. It remains his most memorable wine and convinced him that the techniques and criteria used in Bordeaux in that era allowed that wine to age beautifully over many years.
His approach to winemaking was influenced by two books, “The Wine Press and Cellar,” written by Emmitt Rixford, and Raymond-Lucien Boireau’s 1867 volume, “Traitement Pratique des Vins Par Les Méthodes Bordelaise.” Until 1974, many of Ridge’s grapes came from old vines which were planted in the 1940s, and he didn’t change his winemaking style dependent on the year. In the mid-1970s, Ridge employed a young technician who persuaded Paul to adapt his winemaking practices dependent on the vintage, and he believes that all this pointed him in a new direction, and the wines became more consistent. Paul reveals how Merlot and Petit Verdot were gradually introduced into the blend, and why he decided against Malbec, which he was not impressed with.
Ridge is renowned for its Zinfandels, and Paul confesses he loves the grape. His mindset is to make it as a fine wine, with all the same care as a top Cabernet. He looked at over 100 different old-vine Zinfandel vineyards to find the ones which could produce distinctive Zinfandel, as found in Geyserville and Lytton Springs in Sonoma, and how he created renowned single-vineyard Zinfandels from other regions, and explains his singular approach to them.
He cites yields as one of the biggest changes he has seen in his career. He follows Château Latour’s approach in taking out single vines rather than ripping out part of a vineyard. Ridge has always been known for its wines being in balance, and Paul discusses how the 1997 vintage changed the style of California wine, with its overripe grapes, which led to big, bold, intense fruits, and was lauded by Robert Parker. He believes the ‘97 approach is still going on to today, with a couple of notable exceptions, namely Inglenook, from when Philip Bascaules from Château Margaux came in, and Napa stalwart Cathy Corison.
His favourite wines? He loves wines from the Piedmont; of his own, Elin coaxes an affection for 1973 Ridge Monte Bello.
““At Ridge, we will make Zinfandel as though it were Cabernet, we will give it the attention and care and give it the same respect.” - Paul Draper”
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Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards - one of the world’s greatest wine names.