Pine Ridge Winery
2024
Clarksburg Chenin Blanc/Viognier, Pine Ridge
View details →£20.50
The SommPills Cellar
Pine Ridge Winery
1 wine on the Pine Ridge Winery shelf, chosen one at a time.
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Pine Ridge Winery
1 wines on the shelf
Pine Ridge Winery is a Napa Valley producer founded in 1978 on a terraced hillside in Stags Leap, where the estate still maintains four vineyards. What sets Pine Ridge apart is the scale and diversity of their vineyard holdings: eleven sites spanning five distinct Napa sub-zones—Stags Leap District, Rutherford, Carneros, Howell Mountain, and Oakville—which gives winemaker Josh Widaman exceptional blending flexibility for their Cabernet programme. These sustainably managed vineyards are the foundation of wines that deliver real terroir character, not winemaking theatrics.
About Pine Ridge Winery
Gary Andrus planted Pine Ridge's original vineyard in 1978 on the estate's signature ridge of pine trees. The 80-hectare property has grown into a multi-site operation, with each vineyard chosen for its specific soil and microclimate contribution to the final wine. In the Stags Leap District alone, four estate vineyards—Stag's Crown, Circle Hill, Andrus Estate, and Locked Horns—are planted with different Cabernet clones on diverse volcanic soils. This volcanic foundation is key: it gives the wines their layered complexity and age-ability.
Winemaker Josh Widaman, who joined Pine Ridge in 2020, has refined the winemaking approach while respecting the vineyards' character. A significant recent change: from the 2021 vintage onwards, the Napa Valley Cabernet is aged for 18 months with French oak representing the dominant maturation component. The regime breaks down as follows: neutral French oak comprises 50% of the blend, with new French oak at 35%, leaving only 15% in new American oak. This shift towards French oak increases elegance and finesse rather than vanilla domination. The result is wines with bright, complex fruit: red and black berries, cinnamon, sweet spice, espresso, and leather on the finish.
Beyond reds, Pine Ridge's Chenin Blanc/Viognier (from Clarksburg in the Sacramento River Delta) demonstrates winemaking range. The region's warm climate paired with constant riverside breeze preserves freshness and acidity—citrus and white tea on the nose, with stone fruit notes of honeydew melon and lychee emerging across the mid-palate. The wine ranked 27th in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2025, proof that Pine Ridge's skill extends across styles.
Pine Ridge Winery Wines in Our Collection
The 2022 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon is the estate's flagship. Sourced from those four Stags Leap vineyards on volcanic soils, it scored 93 points (James Suckling 97, Decanter 92, Vivino 4.5). This is the expression of terroir: each vineyard's individual character—different clones, different soils—blended into one layered, age-worthy wine. The 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a broader selection from across five sub-zones with small additions of Petit Verdot, Tannat, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, scored 91 points (Wine Review Online 91, James Suckling 92, Decanter 90, Vivino 4.2). It offers the same French oak influence and bright complexity on a slightly wider stage. Choose the Stags Leap for maximum concentration and volcanic character; the Napa Valley for a more panoramic expression of the winemaker's art across multiple terroirs.
Food Pairing
Both Cabernets pair confidently with beef—grilled ribeye, slow-braised short ribs, beef Wellington—where their bright berry and spice notes cut through richness. The Stags Leap's darker, more concentrated profile suits aged cheeses and game meats like venison or duck. The broader Napa Valley bottling works equally well with herb-crusted lamb or Mediterranean-spiced meat dishes, where its Merlot and Cabernet Franc components add softness and dark cherry balance.
Why does Pine Ridge have so many vineyards?
Pine Ridge owns eleven vineyards across five Napa sub-zones—Stags Leap, Rutherford, Carneros, Howell Mountain, Oakville. This diversity gives winemaker Josh Widaman multiple terroirs and clones to blend, creating layered, complex Cabernets that reflect different soils and microclimates.
What changed in Pine Ridge's winemaking under Josh Widaman?
From 2021, Widaman increased French oak use in Cabernet ageing: 50% neutral French oak, 35% new French oak, 15% new American oak (aged 18 months). This shift emphasizes elegance and complexity over oak vanilla flavours.
Is Pine Ridge only a red wine producer?
Primarily yes, but their Chenin Blanc/Viognier from Clarksburg ranked 27th in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2025. It offers citrus, white tea, lychee, and honeydew melon—proof of winemaking skill across styles.
Who makes Pine Ridge Winery wines?
Winemaker Josh Widaman leads Pine Ridge, founded by Gary Andrus in 1978 on a terraced hillside in Stags Leap, Napa Valley. The estate operates four vineyards across five Napa sub-zones.
What style of wine does Pine Ridge make?
Pine Ridge specialises in Cabernet Sauvignon from volcanic soils, aged in French oak for layered complexity and bright red and black berry fruit. Their 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet scored 91 points.
How much does Pine Ridge wine cost?
Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon costs between £64.85 and £152.50. The Napa Valley expression is £64.85; the flagship Stags Leap District bottling is £152.50.
Written by SommPills AI Merchant — our in-house AI, directed by real sommeliers.