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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.6 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 29 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by mclanew on 2/26/2022 & rated 93 points: What a special wine. Popped and poured. The wine is lovely. Pretty nose of raspberry, violets, and tobacco. The wine is medium bodied, nicely balanced, showing red and black fruit, tobacco, red licorice and herbs. (1623 views) | | | Tasted by BHRH on 5/10/2019 & rated 93 points: One of the highlights of a superb blind tasting of mostly 1990s era reds. Spicy, rich, very slight roasted tomato and eucalyptus notes. Modest tannic structure with a sweet, very complex finish. Many blind tasters thought this was a Brunello from a riper vintage! (2773 views) | | | Tasted by srh on 5/10/2019: Friday Tasting Group: In HONOR of 1 of the Group's Mentors (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): From the same bottle as BHRH below.
80% Zinfandel, 13% Petite Sirah, 4% Carignan, 2% Grenache, & 1% Alicante; "The old-vine Zin was fermented in small tanks, & the grapes held below the surface of the juice for slower, gentler extraction. The P.S. & Carignan were also in small fermentors, but with grapes floating & the juice pumped over. Naturally-occurring yeasts & malolactic bacteria, respectively, carried out the primary, &, within 2 wks, the secondary fermentation. To accentuate the vyd’s distinctive fruit, we limited the number of new barrels, aging most of the wine in 3 & 4-yr-old air-dried AM oak. After a total of 6 racks and more than a yr in small cooperage, we blind-tasted 1 last time & bottled without fining."
N: RIPE berries with notes of oranges (?), poss an earthiness? Lots goin' on, but tough for me to parse; Intensity lurking
P: Med body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which somewhat resolves by a LONG, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with a bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins, & ult, a PLEASANTNESS. For now & should make its 30th. 14.5% ABV; My EXC+. (3324 views) | | | Tasted by Tim Heaton on 6/3/2018: PnP enjoyed over a 2 hour dinner, this still offers good freshness notwithstanding it's also mature/in the zone. No sign of decline on the horizon, this full(-) body has class, a lovely weight and sauve lines that are a nice complement to the silky, pure red/black fruits. Oak is fully integrated, some tannins are there, but nicely resolved. Should/could go another 5 years or more - if this bottle is representative, that is, but it's also drinking really well now, so I don't see a reason to wait. A joy. recommended+ (4354 views) | | | Tasted by Goodwine4ever on 6/6/2017 & rated 90 points: Pour mon anniversaire, je décide de me gâter et d'ouvrir mon Ridge Lytton Springs 1994. D'un rouge rubis le nez est principalement sur des aromes de fraise et de cerise mais en général le nez est plutôt timide. En bouche, WHOAAA !!! C'est un vin de 23 ans ? Really ? Wow c'est d'une jeunesse incroyable, on dirait presque un vin de l'année ! Les tannins sont bien présents et l'acidité est tranchante, peut-être même trop. Aucune note terrecière, Le vin présente une bonne touche épicé suivi par des belles notes de fruits rouges. La finale est incroyablement longue 1 min+. C'est encore un bébé, l'acidité doit se calmer car c'est une bombe présentement. Avec mon expérience d'hier soir, je vais attendre encore quelques années avant d'ouvrir mon Geyserville 1995. Bref, J'ai surtout été impressionné par la jeunesse de ce vin. Il était délicieux mais un meilleur équilibre aurait été apprécié. (4684 views) | | | Tasted by BoulderWine on 1/31/2017 & rated 94 points: Another fabulous old Zin from Ridge. The cork was tight and solid. No discoloring of the wine. Fruit still bright and sweet. Delicious! Too bad that I had to share it with five other people . . . (3946 views) | | | Tasted by NarunP on 1/5/2017 & rated 93 points: This bottle represents one of the best life experiences of my life. And to match the occasion, it's probably one of the best bottles of Zinfandel I've ever had.
Blue fruits especially blueberry, blue flower particularly violet. Smooth, integrated, low acid, long lasting. Everything comes together into one whole. (3128 views) | | | Tasted by Mellers on 11/16/2015: Bursting blackberry out of the bottle. This still has some structure, decayed black fruit and power. The finish betrays the vintage as is a little smudgy and dominated by roasted coffee and dark chocolate notes. I've enjoyed fresher vintages more than this but there is undeniable pedigree. (3993 views) | | | Tasted by elledeca on 3/21/2014: Ridge Zinfandels vertical: bad corks. much more evolved than the 1995, already shows very complex flavours. it still has fruit but also tobacco and balsamic notes, as a tiny bit of walnut/oxidation. still, I liked it very much, my second wine after the geyserville 1997. (5486 views) | | | Tasted by pkatz on 10/27/2013 & rated 86 points: Starting to dry out - fruit receding. (4513 views) | | | Tasted by pigdaddy on 10/2/2013 & rated 90 points: purchased on release, last bottle; crumbly cork, strained on decant through stainless mesh. pretty ruby/garnet, clear & bright despite the opening trauma; gorgeous, almost delicate aromas of blackberry & spice, pie dough, plum jam, black pepper, loam; med body, very supple & velvety; spice cake & bramble fruit cobbler, refined expression of the blend, with the petite sirah lending some firmness & peppery accents; held up & was very expressive with dinner but began to lose structure & crack up after about 1.5 hours in the decanter. delightful, certainly not dead, but probably near its last best days.
grilled arugula pesto-marinated chicken thighs; broccoli rabe w/sherry-glazed white turnips & roasted espelette pepper; bacon fat-roasted sweet potatoes (4437 views) | | | Tasted by andtheodor on 6/4/2012 & rated 90 points: A touch carbonic on opening. Spicy dark berry, herbal, fresh acidity. A classic expression of Ridge. (5878 views) | | | Tasted by cweiss on 12/4/2011: Certainly still alive, with attractive fruit that had become a little muddied. Disappointing but perhaps I expected too much. (5483 views) | | | Tasted by Anthony Lombardi on 10/3/2011: Simply ingenious and amazing wine. Brick red wine. Transparent. The nose is fresh as if it were bottled last week. Soaring red fruited aromatics with fresh floral notes. Medium bodied with amazing intensity at age 17. Layered fruit beginning with tart cherry and raspberry, moving slowly to brambly blackberry flavors. Plenty of backbone on this one. Acidity keeping things bright and fresh along with grainy tannins. Long persistent brooding finish.
Out of this world! (4169 views) | | | Tasted by cofidis2 on 4/17/2011 & rated 91 points: from a magnum. Part of the b-day line up so no formal note, just some impressions. Still some youthful red fruit very faintly showing that zin side, this is more claret like now, yet not as evolved as 750 ml bottles i've had in the past. This was drinking really well and I loved the tar, faint red berries, forest notes, and the lingering finish.
91 Points (4299 views) | | | Tasted by CDH on 2/25/2011: Color was dark red. On the palate was a core of crushed blackberry, surrounded by medium tannins. A slightly crisp finish. This wine is not at all over the hill but at nearly 20 years old will it improve with further aging? I'm going to enjoy my remaining bottles and revel in the $14 I paid at a recent Christies auction as part of a mixed lot. (4368 views) | | | Tasted by yhn on 1/31/2011 & rated 91 points: Tasted blind.
Nose - deep,dark, rich, classic L.S., oregano, sweet wood, floral, licorice, leather.
Cedary blackberry, tobacco, smooth/dusty tannin, slight bitterness. (3548 views) | | | Tasted by no leashes on 11/9/2010 & rated 90 points: This is my kind of zin -- good structure, not in-your-face...of course it's also 16 years old, and still drinking nicely. Black berry/cherry, smoke, pepper and spice flavors, nicely balanced. Not much life left, but still delicious. (3787 views) | | | Tasted by jeffzanatta on 5/26/2007: Enjoyed this bottle after all the food was gone. Opened up dramatically into its true Zin flavors after decanting and sitting for 30mins. The sugars and big fruit tastes are still fairly evident and continue to follow through as the wine passes over your tongue. Tannins are still there but lacking a little as should be with a wine of this age. Tough for me to judge as Zins just aren't my style but the big red and black fruits still remain and taste quite refined. (5097 views) | | | Tasted by MRichman on 5/21/2007: Warm, sweet & round. Nicely mature. Fruit forward but classic.
B++ (5129 views) | | | Tasted by bk on 3/16/2007 & rated 89 points: Brick red. Cherry fruit, cedar, earth. Lovely, delicate wine but will deteriorate from here out. (5573 views) | | | Tasted by gregg g on 11/9/2006: 17 vintages of Ridge Zinfandel, '67 & '78 Stony Hill & Dessert Wines (Campanile in Los Angeles, CA.): Wonderful nose of again spice, some leathery notes with raspberry. The fruit is deep and perfectly interwound with a solid structure, well balanced and long finish. Super wine and showing very well tonight. (6742 views) | | | Tasted by pgordon62 on 10/27/2005 & rated 88 points: Bricky, lighter colored. A pleasant, old wine nose with a lot of cedar. The palate is surprisingly fresh. The finish shows fading cherry fruit and wood tannin. Drink up fast. (5767 views) | | | Tasted by JoeGr on 9/24/2005: Still a very beautiful wine. Sadly consumed the last of the case that I purchased upon release. To me, very red fruit; raspberries? nicely balanced, still amazingly youthful, yet showing signs of maturity. Wish I had another case. (6366 views) | | | Tasted by luko on 9/6/2005: bot directly from winery in 375...and opened same night. excellent....still youthful (although not as youthful as the 94 geyserville out of the 1.5)...plenty of fruit but also starting to take on older wine character.....balanced and not over the top. (5654 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Ridge Producer website | Wikipedia
Ridge Vineyards is a California winery specializing in premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay wines. Ridge produces wine at two winery locations in northern California. The original winery facilities are located at an elevation of 2,300 feet (700 m) on Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA near Cupertino, California. The other Ridge winery facilities are at Lytton Springs in the Dry Creek Valley AVA of Sonoma County.Ridge Lytton SpringsHistory
In 1972, Ridge made its first Lytton Springs from vines planted on the eastern half of the vineyard at the turn of the century, and purchased both the eastern and western portions of the vineyard in the early 1990s, (In the 1870s, under "Captain" William Litton's ownership, the two were part of one property; spelling evolved into "Lytton" by 1903.) The vineyard is planted to zinfandel and its principal complementary varietals.
Vineyard
First Ridge Lytton Springs®: 1972
Location: The bench and hills separating Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, just north of Healdsburg, Sonoma County.
Elevation: 80' - 160'
Soils: Varied, with a predominance of gravelly clay; gravelly clay loam on hillsides.
Age of Vines: Lytton East: zinfandel, petite sirah, grenache and carignane planted 1901 (32 acres) and 1910 (11 acres); zinfandel and petite sirah, planted 1997-1998 (5 acres), Lytton West: zinfandel, petite sirah, carignane, grenache re-planted 1953-1968 (26 acres); zinfandel and petite sirah, planted 1980's (2.5 acres); zinfandel and petite sirah planted in 1990's (42.8 acres); zinfandel, limited petite sirah, limited carignane, in 2000's (60 acres).
Training: Head trained (no trellis), spur pruned.
Climate: Fog in a.m., warm sunny afternoons, breezes in late p.m.
Exposure: Southeasterly
Yields: 1.5 to 3.0 tons per acre
©Ridge Vineyards
In the heart of Dry Creek Valley, home to 100 year old Zinfandel vines, co-planted (as was the norm) with small amounts of Petite Sirah, Carignane, Grenache and Mourvedre, Lytton Springs is Ridge’s Sonoma HQ. This is ideal Zinfandel country and produces wines that are spectacular both young and with age.Lytton SpringsThe bench and hills separating Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, just north of Healdsburg, Sonoma County.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyDry Creek Valley Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley | Dry Creek Valley Association | Appellation America | San Francisco Chronicle Article |
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