2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Rockpile, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Our objective is balance and complexity while at the same time showcasing that very special place âRockpileâ. The blending of Petit Verdot brings a pretty floral, a blue fruit component to the blend, while Malbecâs bright fruitiness and vibrancy accentuate both the nose and palate. The additional time in barrel adds rich, toasty aromas and a lush and structured mouthfeel to the final blend. Drink over the next 3-12 years.
Harvest
We strive to create this wine in the vineyard. To accomplish this, we harvest grapes separately lot by lot in early October. With careful and diligent handling at the winery, we produce several unique wines throughout the fermentation process. Each vineyard lot was harvested separately over the first 3 weeks of October 2018.
Vineyard
The grapes for this wine come from mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon from 7 individual blocks from the Rockpile and Branham Vineyards, nestled high in the Rockpile AVA in Sonoma County. Paradise Ridgeâs winemaker, Dan Barwick, has been working with the same vineyard blocks for 20 years and has gained an intimate understanding of this appellation, allowing his wines to truly showcase the flavors of Rockpile.
Winemaker
Dan Barwick creates handcrafted, food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Additionally, he crafts small lots of vineyard-designated wines, sparkling wines, and proprietary blends from the estate Russian River Valley vineyards and vines in the Rockpile viticultural area. After 21 harvests, Dan works to create wines that delight the palate and illustrate the diversity of the vineyards and vintage.
Specs
Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot
Appellation: Sonoma County
Alcohol: 13.8%
pH: 3.67
Total Acidity: 6.5 g/L
Cooperage and Aging: Each lot continues to be treated separately and are each vinified separately to maximize their terroirâs distinctive flavors. Then, the wine is aged for 22-24 months in 40% new French oak barrels.
Winemaker: Dan Barwick
2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Rockpile, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Dark garnet color. Aromas of berry muffins, tea with cream, smoked meats, and flourless chocolate cake with a lightly tannic, lively, dry medium body and a refreshing, medium-long cranberry, red cassis, and pimento finish with light oak flavor. A racy Cabernet Sauvignon to unwind in the cellar; drink now up to 10 years.
Vineyard
The grapes for this wine come from mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon from 7 individual blocks from the Rockpile and Branham Vineyards, nestled high in the Rockpile AVA in Sonoma County. Paradise Ridgeâs winemaker, Dan Barwick, has been working with the same vineyard blocks for 20 years and so he has an intimate understanding of this appellation, allowing his wines to truly showcase the flavors of the unique Rockpile AVA.
Winemaker
Dan Barwick creates handcrafted, food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Additionally, he crafts small lots of vineyard-designated wines, sparkling wines, and proprietary blends from the estate Russian River Valley vineyards and vines in the Rockpile viticultural area. After 21 harvests, Dan works to create wines that delight the palate and illustrate the diversity of the vineyards and vintage.
Specs
Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 13.8%
pH: 3.67
Total Acidity: 6.5 g/L
Harvest: Grapes harvested separately over 3 weeks starting in early October
Cooperage and Aging: Each lot was vinified separately for the 1st 6 months allowing for their individual characters to evolve, and then blended and aged for an additional 18 months in 25% new French oak barrels.
Winemaker: Dan Barwick
Whatâs Included
2-bottles:
1x 2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Rockpile, Sonoma County
1x 2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Rockpile, Sonoma County
Case:
6x 2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Rockpile, Sonoma County
6x 2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Rockpile, Sonoma County
Walter Byck & Marijke Byck-Hoenselaars discovered the magical Paradise Ridge property in 1977 in the heart of Wine Country. Walter and Marijke are wine lovers and art appreciators and saw their future in 155 acres overlooking the Russian River Valley. Their vision manifested into a beautiful estate winery which they built in 1991 and where they continue to produce elegant wines to this day. Because of their passion for art, the property also features a curated sculpture grove, serving as a gathering space for their community.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Cabernet Sauvignon Combo from Paradise Ridge
2 bottles for $64.99 $32.49/bottle + $4/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $299.99 $25/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
I and a friend tried the 2018 Rockpile Cabernet (regular) and here are our notes.
On pop the cork had a large deposit of tartrate crystals. Interestingly the cork on whiff had a vanilla cream scent to it. On pour the wine was a clear dark purple.
On the nose we both got cassis, this was the major aroma and it steadily developed stronger for about an hour where it then faded off. I also had a faint idea of violet but my friend did not.
For the taste we both found it drying and not much fruit. The tannins were very fine and did not have the typical younger cab pucker. We both found a light blueberry flavor on entry but it quickly faded out. The finish of wine was odd. I got a bit of tar, my friend found it to be as he explained it burnt herbs.
It was better with food but not noticeably so. In the end neither of us were huge fans and wouldnât go for it. On pricing we felt that it was around a $15 bottle.
Apologies to the winemaker as Iâm not sure if we got a bum bottle or didnât see the same vision. Thanks for allowing us to try a new bottle, even though it wasnât a winner for me it was still a lot of fun.
I was notified a lab rat bottle was headed my wayâŠso I immediately rerouted my UPS package to a UPS store so I could pick it upâŠbecause Iâm never home when they attempt to get an adult signature. Pulled up to the UPS store, and they had other plans. CLOSED FOR THE ENTIRE WEEKEND! There was a note on the door, closed early Friday, closed Saturday, closed Sunday.
I would have never had it go there (there were many options, I chose the most convenient location) had I known they would be closed. So now, it sits inside there, unavailable to me, so my lab report is unavailable to you
Of course I work late tonight, BUT IF I can get off in time to get there, get home, and get some of that beautiful juice in a glass, Iâll be sure to report how it is to you folks! Itâs my Monday goal! So, for now, hold tight my fellow wine loversâŠIâm on a missionâŠ
@bdb had I known they would be closed I could have rerouted to any number of other available and open locations, but I didnât know until I made the drive. Very disappointingâŠ
2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Rockpile, Sonoma County
OK! Grabbed it last night just before they closed after I got off work, and got it home, pulled the cork, poured a glass, and enjoyed the wine!
My thoughts: the cork was covered in crystalsâŠand darkly stained. The wine was dark and âthickâ, just the way I love it. This wine is âheavyâ and I can get fruit on the nose, but not as strong in the taste. No oak, no floral, just fruit, not sweet, dry. Long slow legs clung to the glass. I expected it to be âpuckeringâ because itâs so young, but it wasnât bad. No strong alcohol taste either. Although you could drink it now, it could use a few years (at least) to sit and better itself, but it is enjoyable right now.
This is great juice and was worth the wait UPS forced upon me. At the case price, itâs a good deal. I would have loved to try both together with a group of friends to taste the differences, and maybe that could be arranged if I get a case. To be honest Cabernet Sauvignon is one of my favorites and Iâm easy to please, but this is one of the better ones Iâve tried recently. This would hold up very well with food. I enjoyed with patty melts because that was what we had planned for dinner tonight, but it would have been better with the sausage and red pepper risotto I prepared Sunday nightâŠbut UPS had other plans.
My recommendation would be to get a case. Good price, great juice (at least this âreserveâ bottle).
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Combo from Paradise Ridge - $90 = 23.06%
tastings.com (Beverage Tasting Institute) says of the regular 2018:
87 Points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. $50. Cellar Selection.
Crisp and racy. Black garnet color. Aromas of berry muffins, tea with cream, smoked meats, and flourless chocolate cake with a lightly tannic, lively, dry medium body and a refreshing, medium-long cranberry, red cassis, and pimento finish with light oak flavor. A racy Cabernet Sauvignon to unwind in the cellar; drink in 3-10 years. 1/25/21
Wine Enthusiast also the regularâŠ
88 Points. Blended with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec, this light-bodied red is simple in black currant, dried herb and cedar. Supple tannins provide food-friendly approachability. VB 4/1/22
Apparently they took a hit in the 2017 fires, burned to the ground and rebuiltâŠa snippet from sonomamag.com in 2018:
Paradise Ridge Winery, located in Santa Rosaâs Fountaingrove area, was demolished by the Tubbs fire, but this was the worst of it for Sonoma wineries. A few suffered structural damage, which theyâve since repaired.
Backfires intentionally set protected many wineries, including Sonoma Valleyâs Arrowood Winery, from the conflagration.
But the major savers of Sonoma wines are the grapevines themselves, living plants with moisture in their veins. They served as natural firebreaks, with flames moving on to easier targets such as trees, brush, and structures. Paradise Ridge is rebuilding, with its LOVE art sculpture standing strong after the fires. We celebrate that, and all recovery effortsâŠ
@kaolis That is really unfortunate to hear about their winery.
I know you always stress fwiw tongue-in-cheek, but this is why I love wine reviews for the comedy of it all. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would study English (vocabulary/thesaurus/prose), Marketing, and maybe some food science/oenology for some credit and make a career out of it.
WHAT?!?!? 87 Point wine for $50 SRP is âHighly Recommended.â
Seriously? I bet you they went out and bought out the entire store when they âblindlyâ reviewed an 87 point Trader Joes wine for $5 SRP and didnât have a descriptor beyond âHighly Recommended.â What does a $50 SRP 91 point bottle get? âINSANELY RECOMMENDEDâ
It is Payola in the wine industry like the music industry. Sure, they donât actually âpayâ them, but they get the expensive bottle samplings, invites to the private winery tastings, access to things they shouldnât have with their status as a simple opinion. Gee. I wonder what inevitably happens with that model?
Rant over. I think wine ratings are absolute trash, and I love being a labrat! Oh the dissonance.
@kaolis@KNmeh7 Spot on gentlemen! Same thoughts!
TIME FOR ME TO VENT AGAIN ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC. Sorry for the hijack!..For a while now it seems that cases of wine are arriving in too tall of a box that leaves a 1.5" gap on the inside of the box. Some boxes arrive slightly flattened and itâs causing full cases stacked five high to look like âThe Leaning Tower of Pisaâ! Additionally, itâs causing more stress on the thin packaging tape! The use of proper box size and stronger tape or more tape would help alleviate the boxes arriving with the tops flapping open and the bottom tape broken on the outside edge! Our dedicated UPS driver continues to struggle to get the open 50 lb boxes to the door. My brother noticed the same problem! Upon arrival, Iâve been retaping my boxes for at least two years!
One last note, my son is a Senior Controls Engineer that writes the code for packaging systems! Todayâs packaging distribution systems are highly sophisticated with high-speed conveyors, intelligent sensors, and fast actuating gate arms! Some DSCs may or may not put heavy or fragile boxes onto automated systems. They are manually moved through the distribution centers. Hopefully, WCC has addressed this with UPS because the boxes donât show special handling requirements unless their bar code provides that info!
@Boatman72@kaolis@KNmeh7 I havenât had said packaging issue whatsoever shrug might have to do with more slender bottles being packaged when designed to tolerate all bottle sizes?
Good friends of mine got married at this winery!
Curious to hear from the winemaker what the actual difference is between the âregularâ and âreserveâ since according to the specs it appears to be an ever so slightly different elevage but otherwise identical.
Hi everyone! Paradise Ridge Winery here! Responding the question about the differences between the 2018 Cab and 2018 Reserve Cab, while there are many similarities, there are definitely some similarities:
1- Both wines are coming from the same vineyards. The best selection of grapes and wine blends are designated for the Reserve in the vineyard and also once the grapes have started their fermenting and again process.
2- The other difference is that the Reserve cab stays in barrel for 22-24 months versus the cab only for about 18 months.
3- The other major difference is that there is more barrel aging with the reserve cab. For example, the reserve cab uses 40% New oak where is the regular cab only uses 25% new oak in its barrel aging regime.
4- The last difference youâll notice as you get ready to open the bottle of wine. The reserve is a richer wine so it will benefit from opening the bottle up about an hour before drinking it so that it can mellow a bit. The regular cab is good to go as soon as the cork is popped
2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Rockpile, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Harvest
Vineyard
Winemaker
Specs
2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Rockpile, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Winemaker
Specs
Whatâs Included
2-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $770/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, May 23 - Wednesday, May 25
Cabernet Sauvignon Combo from Paradise Ridge
2 bottles for $64.99 $32.49/bottle + $4/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $299.99 $25/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Labrat reporting in!
I and a friend tried the 2018 Rockpile Cabernet (regular) and here are our notes.
On pop the cork had a large deposit of tartrate crystals. Interestingly the cork on whiff had a vanilla cream scent to it. On pour the wine was a clear dark purple.
On the nose we both got cassis, this was the major aroma and it steadily developed stronger for about an hour where it then faded off. I also had a faint idea of violet but my friend did not.
For the taste we both found it drying and not much fruit. The tannins were very fine and did not have the typical younger cab pucker. We both found a light blueberry flavor on entry but it quickly faded out. The finish of wine was odd. I got a bit of tar, my friend found it to be as he explained it burnt herbs.
It was better with food but not noticeably so. In the end neither of us were huge fans and wouldnât go for it. On pricing we felt that it was around a $15 bottle.
Apologies to the winemaker as Iâm not sure if we got a bum bottle or didnât see the same vision. Thanks for allowing us to try a new bottle, even though it wasnât a winner for me it was still a lot of fun.
@sdfreedive thank you for the rattage
I was notified a lab rat bottle was headed my wayâŠso I immediately rerouted my UPS package to a UPS store so I could pick it upâŠbecause Iâm never home when they attempt to get an adult signature. Pulled up to the UPS store, and they had other plans. CLOSED FOR THE ENTIRE WEEKEND! There was a note on the door, closed early Friday, closed Saturday, closed Sunday.
I would have never had it go there (there were many options, I chose the most convenient location) had I known they would be closed. So now, it sits inside there, unavailable to me, so my lab report is unavailable to you
Of course I work late tonight, BUT IF I can get off in time to get there, get home, and get some of that beautiful juice in a glass, Iâll be sure to report how it is to you folks! Itâs my Monday goal! So, for now, hold tight my fellow wine loversâŠIâm on a missionâŠ
@kasandrae yet there is an OPEN sign displayed�
@rjquillin it was turned off, usually illuminated when âopenâ.
@kasandrae That is a massive failure on the part of UPS as a corporation.
@bdb had I known they would be closed I could have rerouted to any number of other available and open locations, but I didnât know until I made the drive. Very disappointingâŠ
2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Rockpile, Sonoma County
OK! Grabbed it last night just before they closed after I got off work, and got it home, pulled the cork, poured a glass, and enjoyed the wine!
My thoughts: the cork was covered in crystalsâŠand darkly stained. The wine was dark and âthickâ, just the way I love it. This wine is âheavyâ and I can get fruit on the nose, but not as strong in the taste. No oak, no floral, just fruit, not sweet, dry. Long slow legs clung to the glass. I expected it to be âpuckeringâ because itâs so young, but it wasnât bad. No strong alcohol taste either. Although you could drink it now, it could use a few years (at least) to sit and better itself, but it is enjoyable right now.
This is great juice and was worth the wait UPS forced upon me. At the case price, itâs a good deal. I would have loved to try both together with a group of friends to taste the differences, and maybe that could be arranged if I get a case. To be honest Cabernet Sauvignon is one of my favorites and Iâm easy to please, but this is one of the better ones Iâve tried recently. This would hold up very well with food. I enjoyed with patty melts because that was what we had planned for dinner tonight, but it would have been better with the sausage and red pepper risotto I prepared Sunday nightâŠbut UPS had other plans.
My recommendation would be to get a case. Good price, great juice (at least this âreserveâ bottle).
@kasandrae Thank you for reviewing and going the extra âmileâ to retrieve the wine.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Combo from Paradise Ridge - $90 = 23.06%
Wellllll whatâs out in the stratosphereâŠ
tastings.com (Beverage Tasting Institute) says of the regular 2018:
87 Points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. $50. Cellar Selection.
Crisp and racy. Black garnet color. Aromas of berry muffins, tea with cream, smoked meats, and flourless chocolate cake with a lightly tannic, lively, dry medium body and a refreshing, medium-long cranberry, red cassis, and pimento finish with light oak flavor. A racy Cabernet Sauvignon to unwind in the cellar; drink in 3-10 years. 1/25/21
Wine Enthusiast also the regularâŠ
88 Points. Blended with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec, this light-bodied red is simple in black currant, dried herb and cedar. Supple tannins provide food-friendly approachability. VB 4/1/22
Apparently they took a hit in the 2017 fires, burned to the ground and rebuiltâŠa snippet from sonomamag.com in 2018:
Paradise Ridge Winery, located in Santa Rosaâs Fountaingrove area, was demolished by the Tubbs fire, but this was the worst of it for Sonoma wineries. A few suffered structural damage, which theyâve since repaired.
Backfires intentionally set protected many wineries, including Sonoma Valleyâs Arrowood Winery, from the conflagration.
But the major savers of Sonoma wines are the grapevines themselves, living plants with moisture in their veins. They served as natural firebreaks, with flames moving on to easier targets such as trees, brush, and structures. Paradise Ridge is rebuilding, with its LOVE art sculpture standing strong after the fires. We celebrate that, and all recovery effortsâŠ
more here at Wine Business Journal:
https://wbcrj.scholasticahq.com/article/22075-paradise-ridge-winery-can-a-tragedy-strengthen-a-brand
from the producer RS is 0âŠ
fwiw
@kaolis That is really unfortunate to hear about their winery.
I know you always stress fwiw tongue-in-cheek, but this is why I love wine reviews for the comedy of it all. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would study English (vocabulary/thesaurus/prose), Marketing, and maybe some food science/oenology for some credit and make a career out of it.
â87 Points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. $50. Cellar Selection.â
WHAT?!?!? 87 Point wine for $50 SRP is âHighly Recommended.â
Seriously? I bet you they went out and bought out the entire store when they âblindlyâ reviewed an 87 point Trader Joes wine for $5 SRP and didnât have a descriptor beyond âHighly Recommended.â What does a $50 SRP 91 point bottle get? âINSANELY RECOMMENDEDâ
It is Payola in the wine industry like the music industry. Sure, they donât actually âpayâ them, but they get the expensive bottle samplings, invites to the private winery tastings, access to things they shouldnât have with their status as a simple opinion. Gee. I wonder what inevitably happens with that model?
Rant over. I think wine ratings are absolute trash, and I love being a labrat! Oh the dissonance.
@kaolis @KNmeh7 Spot on gentlemen! Same thoughts!
TIME FOR ME TO VENT AGAIN ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC. Sorry for the hijack!..For a while now it seems that cases of wine are arriving in too tall of a box that leaves a 1.5" gap on the inside of the box. Some boxes arrive slightly flattened and itâs causing full cases stacked five high to look like âThe Leaning Tower of Pisaâ! Additionally, itâs causing more stress on the thin packaging tape! The use of proper box size and stronger tape or more tape would help alleviate the boxes arriving with the tops flapping open and the bottom tape broken on the outside edge! Our dedicated UPS driver continues to struggle to get the open 50 lb boxes to the door. My brother noticed the same problem! Upon arrival, Iâve been retaping my boxes for at least two years!
One last note, my son is a Senior Controls Engineer that writes the code for packaging systems! Todayâs packaging distribution systems are highly sophisticated with high-speed conveyors, intelligent sensors, and fast actuating gate arms! Some DSCs may or may not put heavy or fragile boxes onto automated systems. They are manually moved through the distribution centers. Hopefully, WCC has addressed this with UPS because the boxes donât show special handling requirements unless their bar code provides that info!
@Boatman72 @kaolis @KNmeh7 I havenât had said packaging issue whatsoever shrug might have to do with more slender bottles being packaged when designed to tolerate all bottle sizes?
@kaolis @KNmeh7
Okay, I laughed.
@Boatman72 @kaolis @KNmeh7 This may be the single finest example of âfirst world problemsâ that I have ever encountered.
Good friends of mine got married at this winery!
Curious to hear from the winemaker what the actual difference is between the âregularâ and âreserveâ since according to the specs it appears to be an ever so slightly different elevage but otherwise identical.
Hi everyone! Paradise Ridge Winery here! Responding the question about the differences between the 2018 Cab and 2018 Reserve Cab, while there are many similarities, there are definitely some similarities:
1- Both wines are coming from the same vineyards. The best selection of grapes and wine blends are designated for the Reserve in the vineyard and also once the grapes have started their fermenting and again process.
2- The other difference is that the Reserve cab stays in barrel for 22-24 months versus the cab only for about 18 months.
3- The other major difference is that there is more barrel aging with the reserve cab. For example, the reserve cab uses 40% New oak where is the regular cab only uses 25% new oak in its barrel aging regime.
4- The last difference youâll notice as you get ready to open the bottle of wine. The reserve is a richer wine so it will benefit from opening the bottle up about an hour before drinking it so that it can mellow a bit. The regular cab is good to go as soon as the cork is popped
Cheers!
Donât know about this wine, but Iâve a few bottles of zin from Rockpile that have been really, really good.