3/1/2018 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Drinking beautifull

4/16/2017 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose of pencil lead, dark dried fruits, dried herbs, well balanced vanilla oak. Taste of spiced black cherries, and flint. Firm tannins but amazingly already approachable now. Tasted twice, once at Monte Bello and once at home.

11/25/2015 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Over the hill

5/25/2015 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Drinking beautifully, will only get better. Nose of flint, chalk, dried fruit, hint of oak. Palate of cherries, leather, herbs & wet limestone. Gorgeous.

1/16/2015 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Perfectly aged and drinking so well.

12/10/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Round and full with soft tannins. Cherries, vanilla, spice, herbs. A bit one dimensional now but should develop complexity with time.

11/23/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose, layers of flint, stone, herbs/grass, dark fruits, boysenberry, cardamom, and leather. Palate: forward, dark plum fruit, spice, herbs, tar, and menthol. Firm tannins, nice acidity, beautifully balanced. Can't wait to watch this one develop.

11/5/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Beautifully balanced. Such amazing longevity. Nose of herbs, baking spice and dried cherries. Flavors of tar, tobacco, earth and white pepper. Firm acidity. A great example of what zin can become with patience.

9/22/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Dried cherries, baking spice, toast, meat & leather. Round mouthfeel, balanced tannins.

9/22/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Raspberry, earth, leather, white pepper, menthol. Fruit that reminds me of Mendocino zins. Firm acids, good structure, drinking perfectly. Had side by side with Ridge 2005 Mazzoni home ranch.

9/20/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose of peach, lychee nuts, honeysuckle, Clove & nectarines. Flavors of honey, peaches, & cloves. My favorite wine to pair with Thai food.

9/13/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose of tea, candied cherries, hint of white pepper. Flavors of herbs, tea, citrus, leather & earth. Nicely balanced. & integrated.

9/11/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose of briary plum fruit, baking spice, earth. Flavors of jam with solid acidity, a vegetal earthiness, a hint of spice. Nicely integrated, food friendly.

8/31/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose of dried cherries, chalk, cedar, tea and thyme. Layers of flavor with tobacco, leather, mint, blackberry. Very earthy with lots of depth. Best Petite Sirah I have had to date. Double decanted, opened beautifully, perfectly aged.

8/27/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose of boysenberry, herbs, anise, minerality. Flavors of dried plums, smoke, tobacco, earth. Firm tannins. Took a LONG time to open up.

8/24/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Well balanced. Nose of baking spice, bright cherry fruit, chalk and stone. Bright acidity, cherries, hints of tobacco & eucalyptus

8/19/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Beautifully aged syrah. Aromas of dried figs, tobacco shop, herbs, mint, earth. Flavors a bit muted. Blueberries, spice & meat.

6/30/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Fruit forward cab that I expect from Caymus. Dried dates & prunes, dill, mint, cardamom, & eucalyptus. Beautifully integrated & drinking well.

6/30/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Beautiful ripe cherry & raspberry fruit. Hint of raisins, a bit of dill herbs & spice.

6/8/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Aromas of dried, candied cherries, pencil lead, herbs and tobacco. Flavors of blackberry, leather, wet stones & dried herbs. Still has a firm backbone, drinking very nicely right now.

5/21/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Drinking beautifully. Wonderful, late harvest style.

5/18/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Drinking perfectly right now. Beautiful wine.

5/12/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Light color, nose of dried cherries, hint of pepper, baking spice, & oaky vanilla. Flavors of bright fruit & spice. Needs time to integrate but should develop beautifully.

5/12/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Dark violet color. Nose of plums, dried strawberries, figs, herbs, smoke and leather. Flavors of smoke, leather, currants, and dried fruit. Drinking perfectly.

5/4/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Deep dark inky color. Nose of blueberries, cloves, fresh cut grass, violets & chocolate. Flavors of plums, chocolate, leather, meat, and herbs. Perfectly aged, drinking beautifully.

4/28/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Dark, inky color. Aromas of dark fruit, wintergreen, & menthol. Smooth flavors of cassis, meat, leather & spice with an extraordinary long finish. Well integrated but firm tannins. Drinking surprisingly well for such a young wine.

4/28/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Still young, dark & brooding. Denser & more layers of flavors than the 2008 which I tasted side by side, but has a lot of potential & reminds me of the 2009. Nose of black cherries, dates, cinnamon, candied ginger & anise. Dark flavors, layered with minerals & chalky notes. Classic Geyserville.

4/26/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

A beautifully balanced wine that has gone into hiding since the last bottle I opened. Hold for a while.

4/20/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Cherries, cola, herbs, mineral & wet earth. Drinking beautifully & well integrated.

4/19/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

A beautiful, fully mature Paso Robles Zin. Nose of candied cherries, baking spice, briary green & black pepper. Palate of fruit, cassis, cedar & earth, finishing with pepper & spice

4/19/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

A beautiful, fully mature Paso Robles Zin. Nose of candied cherries, baking spice, briary green & black pepper. Palate of fruit, cassis, cedar & earth, finishing with pepper & spice.

4/17/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose of cherries, cassis, minerals, green & black pepper, finishing with oaky notes. Tight acidity on the palate, with caramel, earth, wet stone, & herbs. Lots of depth. 2011 is a true baby Monte Bello, more so than most of the prior vintages I have tried.

4/8/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Beautiful Alexander valley cab. Nose of eucalyptus, prunes, chalk, & wet stone. Flavors of dark, dried black fruits, a bit of earth, leather, finishing with a hint of spice & dried herbs. Took a long time to open up & still has years left to go.

3/29/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose of dark fruit, violets, leather, white pepper. Flavors of blackberry & prunes, currants, smoke, leather, a hint of spice. Deep dark colors. Solid backbone with solid finish. Drinking well but will continue to develop.

3/23/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Dark, inky color. Balanced nose of prunes, herbs, menthol. Flavors of blackberry, leather, violets, roasted meat & a hint of orange zest.

3/23/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Intense cherries, boysenberry, plums, mineral, over herbal / dill notes. Flavors of dark fruit, cherry pie, cola. Long finish, dense flavors that just keep going.

3/15/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Opened a bottle at home to re taste after having this at Lytton Springs. Bright, forward fruit of black cherries with pepper spice, toasted oak notes. That brambly fruit I always associate with Paso Robles & Dusi Ranch bottlings is beautifully featured. Balanced wine, good structure, plums, & some meatiness. Maybe the best Paso Robles bottling from Ridge in recent memory. I stick with my original scoring of 93

3/15/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Opened as part of a Buchignani vertical tasting. Much brighter acidity than the Zin from the same vineyard. Bright spiced raspberry pie fruit, a bit of baking spice on the nose, hints of herbal tea, & violets. Flavors of baked bread, herbs & tea. One of my favorite Ridge Carignan bottlings to date.

3/15/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Opened as part of a Buchignani vertical tasting. Dark, brooding fruits, tending toward earth & herbs. Nose of dried cherries, herbs, meat with a touch of baking spice. Flavors of Blackberry, tobacco, tar, leather.

3/15/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Opened as part of a Buchignani vertical tasting from the cellar. Color is still excellent but flavors tend toward, not surprisingly, a zin past it's prime. Nose of earth, tar, remnants of dried cherries. A bit oxidized. Flavors of dried herbs, tobacco and leather. Still has some solid structure.

3/15/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Tasted at Ridge Lytton Springs site. Really spectacular. One of the best Paso vintages I've tasted in years. Bursting with fruit & that briary fruit I associate with this bottling.

3/12/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Still drinking amazingly well. Dark & jammy, almost late harvest style reminiscent of the current bobcat bottlings. Cherry, currant, tea & cinnamon spice nose. Palate is very dark, jammy black fruit. Firm structure, tobacco, leather, & meat. A beautifully aged zin with nice secondary characteristics.

3/3/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose of toast, plums, herbs, & a hint of aged leather. Palate of stewed plums, earth, leather, meat. Beautifully aged & integrated, still has plenty of fruit & firm structure. This could easily go many more years.

2/24/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Unlike others I find this aging beautifully. Has been stored in my roving cellar since purchase & wine is at its prime. Deep dark color, thick mouthfeel & long finish. Nose of baked cherry pie, cloves, tea, earth. Structured palate with meat, leather & earth over that cherry pie. Well balanced, solid tannins, Classic York creek.

2/24/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Light in color, nose of cherry pie, rhubarb, spice, hint of licorice. Nice acidity, bright forward fruit, & baking spice.

2/21/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Dusty leather, dried fruit, menthol, tea, beautiful nose.

2/16/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Nose of plums, blueberries, chalk, dill, leather, a hint of cloves / cinnamon. Palate of dark berries, meat, leather over a firm structure. Very elegant wine, drinking well, but seems criminal to open this wine so young.

2/3/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Blueberry pie, cinnamon, cardamom, mint, eucalyptus & earth. Palate of earth, leather, & spice. Drinking beautifully.

2/1/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Brambles, dried mint, spice, meat, leather. Took a while to open up & probably past it's prime, but still a pleasure to drink.

1/25/2014 - mlwhitfi wrote:

Bright acidity; nose of pepper, anise, mint. Flavors of meat, green peppercorns, & lemons. Fascinating wine with a bit of everything.