Great showing for this wine. If anything, it got a bit underrated being the first wine. Golden in color. The nose is very nice especially once it warmed up. Citrus, mostly orange with a slight herbal note and a nice salinity to it. Also slight crushed shells. On the palate, slightly viscous, barely sweet. Nice complex if tight and young. Drinkable now but needs air. Easily a decade left in this with no degradation.

Really nice showing for this Pinot Gris. No vineyard designation. Light golden in color. The nose has a nice peach compote note along with a slight bone marrow quality. Interesting if a bit different. Also a bit of pine. It all comes together though in a very enticing nose. On the palate, this is a big wine. It has a lovely supple texture. Nice acidity although not dominant. Good finish. A perception of sweetness but dry. Really a nice wine.

This is gorgeous. People avoid a lot of 2011 but one needs to remember that Ridge is far south of Napa. This bottle had been opened by the time I tried it so it saw some air. Really a great showing. Open and accessible at this point. The nose has cassis, coffee and leather. Maybe some dark cherries too. Not super ripe but big. On the palate, this has a nice complexity already. Cassis, slight earthiness, some coffee. Nice easy texture. Good finish. Loved this wine.

This was an auction purchase I was told. The label was beat to heck. The wine was decanted for sediment and given about an hour of air. Way above expectations. Classic Bordeaux worthy of a first growth label. Better than an 03 recently and at least this bottle, absolutely at peak. Given that out of a dozen bottles or so of the 82, I have never had one that was fully mature, this was a pleasure. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has cassis, some dark cherries, cigar tobacco, slight funk and just a hint of cedar and spice. On the palate, there is a lovely layering of cassis, moist earth, tobacco with light tannins. Not quite seamless but close. Long finish. At this stage, one never knows, but this tasted fully mature but not past. Just the slightest mixture of dried fruit to a lot of fresh fruit with just enough tannins to keep it right there. Thanks Ron.

I had this about a month ago. This bottle did not seem quite as fresh but still a very good bottle of Cab. not as big as i would expect for 2012 Napa. Purple in color. Cassis, oak, vanilla, cedar, and some blueberries on the nose. The palate is similar. This needs time to integrate and should be just fine. I will be curious how long the oak last vs. the fruit though.

This was interesting. it is a bit, heavy, high in alcohol wine, but it is not really a fruit bomb. Perhaps the vintage. Purple in color. I believe this is a Bordeaux blend. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, dark cherries, cedar and some dust. On the palate, this is big and upfront. There is some cassis and cherries but the finish is a bit clipped. A bit of generic green but only slightly. Still firm tannins and I think a bit of age will be kind to this wine although its traditional fans might not like it as much.

i know Parker scored this "only" a 90. I don't think Lou did as well in this vintage as some did or his other vintages, but this remains one of my favorite Napa wineries. IMO, this will need time. Much like a lot of 98 and 00 Napa wines, if you gave them 10-15 years, they show like top Bordeauxs. While that is not why people typically buy Napa, it may be the way to go in less ripe years. Anyway, I really liked this wine. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, slight chocolate, a bit of char, and slight graphite. On the palate, this is juicy with nice cassis fruit. It is tight and not a monster at this point. Some complexity. firm tannins. Nothing under ripe here. Good finish. I would not call this austere but in that way for this type of wine if that makes sense. I would hold these for 5 years at least.

bought on release. This is in a very nice place right now. I don't think it get's any better but doesn't seem to be a big hurry. While certainly not Massetto, this is one of the better Italian Merlots and can hold its own with anyone. Deep ruby/purple in color. The nose has cherries, dark cherries, some dried cherries, hints of chocolate shavings and leather. On the palate, this has plenty of ripe dark cherry and cherry fruit. Light tannins. A nice earthy forest floor. Complex layers. Good finish. Worked well with food.

Excellent showing for this wine. it seems like every vintage, they kick it up a notch. Boysenberries, chocolate, slight roasted herbs and bits of black pepper. On the palate, this is juicy and deep. Firm tannins. Lots of black raspberry fruit. Some oak. Nice finish. Delicious today, i think it needs a few more years.

Interesting wine. I don't think I have had it before. Purple in color. The nose has cherries, dark cherries, spice and some crushed leaves. On the palate, this seems full mature and drinking well. Some dark cherries, some dried cherries, some earthy forest floor. Light tannins. Nice balance. No idea on pricing, but this worked well with food and if not too crazy, this is a nice wine. Drink now, I don't think it gets better.

This drank very well and better than a prior bottle I vaguely remembered having. Deep ruby in color. The nose has raspberries, black cherries, soy sauce, and a nice mineral streak. On the palate, there is good fruit. A nice backbone of acidity. Cherries and dark cherries. Some depth and complexity. Good finish. Very nice. No idea, but I would presume this is nearing peak.

This was nice. It didn't get touched a lot and there was more than half a bottle left, so i brought it home to see what some air did to it later today. Purple in color. The nose has cherries, dark cherries, some roasted herbs and a bit of pepper. On the palate, this is not showing a lot. Nice texture which makes me think its shut down a bit? Some fruit. Light tannins. Its good, but not as good as the other bottle on the table. Hopefully, it opens up a bit today.

This was a fun way to end the night. We had too much wine, so just a sip was good. Light golden in color. The nose is nice with honey, wax and peaches. On the palate, this is sweet but also a burnt note to it (burnt sugar?). Viscous. A little goes a long way, but I enjoyed it. Fun way to finish.