Ridge Estate Merlot out of balance?

Hello everyone! I am new to the wine world and I had some questions. I joined the Ridge Monte Bello futures program this year after hearing many good things about Ridge and trying the Estate Cabernet as well as Monte Bello. I was excited to get the estate wines this year and given that everyone is in quarantine, I starting popping them. The estate chardonnay was wonderful and I was very pleased with it.

However when I tried the Merlot(2017) this past week, it had some really good characteristics like great concentrated fruit, but it was really really acidic, to the point of being out of balance and almost sour. So on to my question, did I open this bottle too early? Would the acid mellow out with time?

Thank you for any insights.

Idk , but 2017 presented some challenges in Napa/Sonoma (weather and fires) so perhaps that has some influence on this wine.

As an anecdotal observation, I see people ‘new’ to wine or that just are not experienced used the term “sour” most frequently. Most times it’s when they encounter more classically made wines that are higher in acid than they are used to drinking. Ridge could be a candidate for that in many cases as they are by and large a house that makes wines in a more classic tradition.

That being said, I have not tried the wine in question. It would just be a shock for me to find a California Merlot to be sour.

As someone new I would recommend tasting far and wide. And not only single bottles at a time. I think you’ll find over time that that acidity is something to be enjoyed rather than being something that bothers you.

My hunch is that it’s way too young right now - I’ve had the estate cab upon delivery a couple of times and it’s usually unbalanced and tart to my taste – until day #2. Did the merlot get a chance to last that long?

To add to what Cris and Glen said, did you decant and give it time to breathe prior to trying it? That can make a huge difference, and something I only came to realize as my palate shifted to more “classically made wines”.

Way too young for my tastes. I put these deep into my locker and try to give them 8-10 years from label date before approaching, but that’s just me.

The Estate Merlot is neither Napa nor Sonoma…SCM.

Hi Ryan. I think Cris got it. Have you had other wines that were less sour and that you liked?

First off, if you’re new to the world of wine and already drinking Ridge, someone has guided you in the right direction.

Second, yes, you’re drinking it too young. I prefer Ridge’s estate Merlots at 7-10 years old. Give it a few years, or, better yet, try to visit them and get them to open an older bottle so you can taste where it’s going. I actually think the estate cab drinks better young than the estate merlot, but even so, give it a year or two. None of these wines should be consumed on release.

I agree with Cris. There are different acids and expressions of acidity, and I wouldn’t describe how I expect this showed to you as sour - which I’d use more for acetic (vinegar) and perhaps citric.

Out of balance? Sort of, yes. But the acidity and tannin are in the forefront, playing off each other. The wine needs age. Perhaps a good decant would open it up, perhaps not. On that, you may notice the wine getting better over the hours or a day or two. Also, tannin bonds with proteins. It gives you a rough feel in your mouth bonding with the surface proteins. Try it with a little meat or cheese. That can sort of cleanse it from your mouth, and balance with the wine as you enjoy it, giving the tannin something easier to bond with.

Thanks. Yup forgot (not a buyer/drinker of the wine).

Ryan, thought I’d mention this since you said you’re new to this. Perhaps you are perceiving this wine as “angular”, which can mean that different aspects are definitely noticeable but maybe aren’t quite working in harmony together yet or that something sticks out more than it should. Happens with some young wines and this is a really young wine. Time can bring the parts together into balance. Just a thought.

I would echo what others have said, probing what you mean by sour.

Often people describe astringency — the harshness that comes from tannins in skins and seeds and stems — as sourness. For people who drink and discuss wines a lot, those two things are distinct. But newcomers to wine sometimes don’t distinguish them. Astringency/tannins give you a dry sensation, like the skin of a green apple or black tea. Acidity is the sourness that makes you pucker. Both make you salivate.

It wouldn’t surprise me if this wine was tannic at this stage, as well as having a decent amount of acid. The tannins do dissipate with time. Technically, acid levels don’t fall, bot other changes in a wine over time can make the perceived acidity rise and fall over time.

Nothing to add to this conversation except praise and admiration for the “kindness” and even-handed attitudes of the responses…I’m proud of all of you wizened wine watchers…would be so easy to thoughtlessly wipe away the enthusiasm of the new convert. We have enough attitude in the business. Thanks.

Ryan, there are great responses above and I agree with all of them BUT also don’t overthink the situation. Wine is meant to give at least some pleasure when opened. Keep experimenting, try other Ridge (and other producers) wines, red, white and pink. You will then begin to decide the style of wine you prefer.

Good to have you aboard and keep posting!!

Tom

This. Tannins subside (or develop rather) with age, but normally acid stays pretty constant. So, to OP’s question, the appearance of acid can vary completely depending on how everything around it develops.

Thank you all for your insights! I did pop and pour and finished the bottle that night, so I didn’t get a chance to see its development. With that being said, I think it definitely would have benefited from a decanting.

Or it simply might be too acidic to him . . . champagne.gif

Ryan, there will never be a shortage of opinions around here, and many are really spot on - but what matters most is your impression. Since none of us had the same bottle that you did, all of us can just try to ‘extrapolate’.

The best advice in this situation is to definitely give the wine more time next time - save some for day 2 and possibly longer. Though not perfect, it will give you a decent idea of how the wine may develop over time.

Cheers

Some good posts above about the perception of sour. In addition to John’s description of young wine primary flavors Ridge uses american oak and in my 30 years of Ridge experience it can be there in a way that adds to the astringency of a young wine. To your point Ryan, a good decant likely would have helped.

Exactly, I love Ridge red wines, might be my favorite US winery, but most of the time dislike them, I mean dislike, when they are a bottled newly released and freshly opened wine, more often than with any other winery I can think of.