| | 10 of us gathered in a private room at Bar Boulud to taste older vintages of Ridge wines from the cellar of Mark Golodetz with Paul and his wife. The wines were all in amazing condition except for a slightly corked bottle of '70 Montebello Cab. The dinner was organized by Omar Khan and the food pairings were phenomenal. - 1974 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
A very interesting wine that has stood the test of time. The nose is smoky with exotic fruits and minerals. The smokiness continues on the palate with flavors of dry, old lemons and pineapples. The texture is creamy and unctuous with good acids still! The finish lacks real complexity but this is really interesting to drink and improved with food. (89 pts.)
- 1974 Ridge Petite Sirah York Creek - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Wow, this wine is fascinating to drink as it has aged beautifully and the fierce tannins of this grape have melted away to reveal a balanced, complex wine with dark blue fruits and black spices. It has a lovely velvety texture and finishes with notes of dark blsack earth. A revelation. (93 pts.)
- 1975 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon York Creek - USA, California, North Coast, Napa County
Very good nose with black earth, purple fruits and minerals. The tannins are dry and the wine is lean and perhaps past its best but still shows lovely dark earth, tobacco and vegetal flavors. (88 pts.)
- 1973 Ridge Geyserville - USA, California, Sonoma County
Of all the wonderful Ridge wines we drank tonight, this was the most amazing. A 40-year old Zinfandel?? I would've never believed it but the wine was so perfectly balanced and still with plenty of richness although the red fruit flavors while ripe are softened by age. The finish is quite complex with lovely notes of red spices and soft red earth. It was paired with a wild mushroom risotto with foie gras and cripsy duck prosciutto which was a marvelous food/wine combination. One of the most remarkable and shocking wines I've ever tasted. (94 pts.)
- 1964 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Nice nose but quite dry on the palate and perhaps past its best but it is still quite elegant with classic black mineral and black spice flavors. (88 pts.)
- 1968 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Wow, a great bottle of this wine which smells very much like a Latour with a wonderful nose of black fruits, minerals and roasted walnuts. Perfectly mature now with wonderful earthy dark fruit flavors and a smooth, silky first-growth type texture. Really elegant and fine but also grippy on the finish with complex notes of tar, black earth and minerals. Wow! (96 pts.)
- 1971 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
This has a beautiful, pure nose of black fruits, roasted nuts, minerlas and eucalyptus. POn the palate it is dry and leaner but still filled with good black fruit flavors and great mineral notes. A great wine for sure but perhaps a touch past its best given the dryness of the tannins. (93 pts.)
- 1971 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
A very rare wine indeed and the only Ridge Eisele ever made. This is riper and sweeter that the Montebello offerings with good intensity and an open, fleshy texture (according to paul, the alcohol level here was 1.5% higher than the typical Montebello given the early ripening of the vineyard). Best on the finish with complex notes of grilled nuts and dark spices. Much lighter in color than the Montebellos and not nearly as mineral-driven but still a balanced and delcious old cab that is very ready now. (94 pts.)
Truly an amazing tasting and a testament to the terroir of the place and the conviction of Paul to make age-worthy, balanced wines as opposed to the overripe mess created throughout most of the rest of California during the past 30 years. |
