The Ur-Ridge ATP wine. Distinctive oak and slightly boozy, but very tasty. Grenache, unlike Zin or Syrah, doesn’t add much flavor of its own to get in the way of the Ridge-ness. The bottle states, uncharacteristicly, that the wine would be best in the first 5 years (<2013). Still holding strong, though, and this bottle wasn’t stored all that carefully.
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Medium-dark red with medium transparency. Aromas of pepper and raspberry. Palate has currant, pepper, thyme, raspberry, and blackberry notes with a medium finish. Polished and well integrated. May develop some interesting aged nuance, but lovely to drink now. Drink or hold.
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ruby to garnet, deep, low acid, medium body, medium finish, plums, stewed dark fruit, warm vanilla and cinnamon. close to past, tasting next to alban grenache 2004: different profile. higher acid, less fruit, lower octane
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Aromas of dark cherries, blackberry, vanilla, smoke and spice. Taste of blackberry, dark fruit, raspberry, smoke and spice. Interesting mineral, iron touch. Excellent Grenache very well integrated wine. Ample fruit, beautiful aromas aromas and an excellent accompaniment to smoky BBQ ribs. Great value.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind <$40 (Bin 75): Semi-translucent deep rose crimson; sandalwood, medicinal cherry, green pepper, iron, warm, vanilla, licorice, acetaldehyde; dense and richer palate, softened with time but still grainy tannin, almost some sweetness, dark cherry, ripe, lower acid.
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Deliciously perfect with chicken adobo. Old vine Grenache + 6% each of Petite Sirah & Zinfandel, 18 months in American oak. Red fruit with xlnt spicy structure. Nice finish. Wish we had more.
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Like others have said, may not win any awards with this one, but I just found it to be a great drinker. Really smooth with great fruit. Probably at its peak.
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I have to believe that this wine was beyond its optimum drinking window. It just did not have the bright fruit that I expect from grenache; it was pretty flat. It was still okay - just not as good as I suspect it once was.
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PnP, consumed over3+ hours. First glass tasted at 30 minute mark, last at the end of the night. Dark brambly fruit, notice a little alcohol on transition from mid to finish. Smooth tannins dominate the mouthfeel and finish.
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I was puzzled by my previous note (where I underrated this wine), which was 1.5 years ago. Bottle variation or did this turn the corner? Ridge nose of American Oak. Rich and sweet, but balanced core of fruit - politely new world. Nice soft and cottony tannins. This is not going to win any awards for complexity, but it is really, really delicious. The tip of the tongue impression (sweet kirsch) reminds me of many of the Janasse CdPs. Based on this bottle, this should be in a great window over the next five to seven years.
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PnP, consumed over 3+ hours. Didn't take detailed notes but definitely enjoyed the bottle...even if a bit oak heavy. Dark cherry, coffee, integrated though prevalent tannins. Paid $15ish for this recently. Great for the money.
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Got a taste from a bottle that had been opened 2 or 3 hours. This is in a really nice pace. Cherry, toasted oak, herbal and coffee on the nose. On the palate notice much less oak, cherry, a bit of earthiness, reserved and nicely integrated. Picked a few up recently for ~$15ish. Score.
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A powerful Grenache, with many years left. Unfortunately my tasting notes are buried on Twitter from last Friday. Savory, powerful, good structure, about the right time to open, another 5-10 years in bottle.
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Saturday night at home - paella - with Jamie and Rich and Lisa and Dean - enjoyed Scholium verdelho before the meal with the scallop ceviche. Then opened 3 grenache based wines from the 2005 vintage - one from France, one from Spain, and one from the US. The French Win - bottle emptied, next the Spanish - though difficult to figure out - never really resolved itself even by the end of the night. The Cali - just fine/ok - not particularly interesting. Spain: Acústic Cellar Montsant Braó Vinyes Velles. France: M. Chapoutier Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour Domaine de Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem. California: Ridge Grenache Lytton Estate.
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Dark purple color with little variation. Big bouquet of cherry with the slightest touch of alcohol on the nose. Nice fruit with a little meat on the attack but quickly overwhelmed by sharp tannins, which carried through the mid-palate into the finish. Ridge's label notes written in 2007 suggest the wine would be best from release through 2012...this is too tannic for my taste. I if I had more bottles I'd let them sit, though the wine did seem to soften with some air.
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4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Rick's & Cris'): Garnet core. Aromas of cherry, herbs and forest floor, with floral and even some meaty undertones. Balanced, with dark fruit and cherry flavors. Finishes nicely.
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Visit to Ridge's Montebello Vineyard and Tasting: Did not care for this at all, and really think Ridge has no business growing Grenache. Okay, so they discovered in 1972 that one of their parcels had a field blend dominated by Grenache vines dating back to 1902. Still, to my palate, this is not rewarding at all. I found it reductive with a boozy nose, oxidative in a port-like way; dirty, rusty. Really reminded me of a Spanish Rioja that went through its oak regimen and ended up with that slightly rancid butter aroma. Maybe it's the preponderance of 3-5 yr old oak used here. Seems a bit like a failed pet project to me. Becch. Sorry Ridge, love ya, but can't toast to this.
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CONSUME NOW. HITTING THE WALL. I drank the '05 and '06 over one weekend. One of them was done. The other tasted pretty good, but still appeared to be at the end of it's life. Can't remember which. I have an '04 that I'm hoping will be okay. We'll see.
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Nose - smoky dark savory plum, touches of redwood and nutmeg. Lighter body, dark dusky fruit, light dusty tannin, wild plum, huckleberry, white pepper, lime. Drink '14-'22.
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Tasted during private tour/reserve tasting at Ridge. Medium color. Made from old vines. Old world, slight barnyard, herbal notes with mushrooms on forest floor. Dry, Italian style with red fruits. Paired the best with meats/cheeses during tasting.
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Tasted the latest release @ Ridge First Friday. It tasted pretty much identical, so those couple of years of age did nit much of anything. This is a lovely wine. Fruit, structure and a little spice.
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Decanted ~4 hours, consumed over 1 hour. While this struck us as being on the simple side, we still liked this, not finding it too light or out of balance. Typical red-fruited grenache notes with just a tiny bit of herbaceousness. No excess sweetness to report, and decent with our dinner of braised beef. A solid, non-mind-blowing effort from Ridge.
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Was a bit let down by this wine. Bought this at Ridge during our Sonoma trip in March, and recall it being better during the tasting. One thing's for sure: This pales in comparison to my favorite Grenache which I had a couple of years ago, a Jeff Runquist Grenache (it was amazing!) from Amador County. This Ridge was a bit thin (not mouth-filling), not as complex as expected, and just a bit tart. I do still give this an 84, though, so it's not like I didn't like it at all. It did display cherries, mint, and some floral characters. Reminded me more of a French wine, and while I love some, there are plenty that I'm less wowed by. For the price, I wouldn't buy again.
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Light in color; whether influenced by the visual presence of the label or not, it has the typical "Ridge" nose to me upon first whiff. It has been a while since I had the 2004 and I frankly don't remember enough to compare, but this wine has softened quite a bit, as would be expected given its age. Still has some nice fruit. Missing many of the complexities of the terroir of its French brethren - i.e., garrigues, herb and spice. This wine is more complex on the nose than the palate.
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Color is fairly light transparent red with hints of some brown. Smells of sweet cherry fruit. Really smooth and long. This wine actually reminds me of a Chateauneuf du Pape without the provencal herbs and garrigue. Clean and light on its feet. Pretty good. This wine won't make old bones.
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Visting Ridge Vineyards: Tasted at the winery. Reddish purple color. Aromas of chocolate-covered black cherries with a nice purity to the fruit, and a woodsy/herbal character. Quite ripe and showing the alcohol a bit, but with delicious fruit that takes on a more raspberry-ish flavor. Tasty but not quite on the level of the other Ridge reds. Not nearly as good as the 04 version of this wine, which had quite a bit more depth and weight -- maybe because the 04 had more PS blended in?
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Despite being six years old, this is still drinking young and rough. It displays every bit of its 14.6% alcohol, with a bit of a boozy character lingering in the finish. The nose of leather, smoke and dark berries is appealing, and there's plenty of acid (perhaps a bit too much) to balance out the juicy fruit up front. With less alcohol, and maybe more time to allow it to mellow out, this could be much better than the simply good that it is.
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Not a wine for the big bold zin loving Ridge fans - a little southern france taste that goes well with not overpowering foods. Had at the lake on the fourth.
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Nose of vanilla, red fruit and earth. On the palate there are candied cherries and cranberries followed by notes of stones and tobacco. The finishes with chewy with notes of flowers and leather.
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Decanted 30 minutes before pouring. Medium Burgundy, no longer opaque. Nice nose, wine not berry. Dry, medium weight, very smooth, tannins integrated, and rich. Nice wine.
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Definitely opened up since my previous tasting in January. All the sharp notes are gone from both the nose and palate. Delicious plummy flavors with bacon fat and flowers. Very nice.
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A delicate nose of florals, strawberry, watermelon; with some darker follow through plum, flint, a touch of tobacco. Taste is all rich, deep tobacco, leather, toasty oak. Medium body, medium finish.
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Good quality BBQ wine. Some depth and jamminess (but not too much). Nice tannic structure. May improve but plenty good now. Is it a bargain? No. Is it a good wine? YES.
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While the notes on the bottle suggested that this one should be near its prime, it seemed like it might benefit from a couple more years. Well-rounded, with an even-tempered tartness. Lingers long and toasty.
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My first pure Grenache. As a fan of Grenache-heavy Cotes du Rhone, though, this is right up my alley. Amazed when I opened it, as my first thought was "Yes, this is a Ridge". It must be the American Oak or the small field blend of Zinfandel or something. Either way, this is a fun, food-friendly wine.
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Medium red color with medium transparency. Initially reserved nose of sweet olive, bay, garrigue, and a dusty red fruit. Palate shows sweet currant with a hint of garrigue and a medium finish. Sweetens and opens in the glass and is drinking well now. Drink or hold.
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Just barely ready to drink. Plummy magenta in color. Somewhat alcoholic nose with notes of moss and forest floor. Restrained red fruit flavors with notes of oak. Good food wine.
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12/13/2020 - amarasco Likes this wine: 91 Points
Notes of pepper and leather, great with my steak!
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11/26/2018 - missionpk Likes this wine:
The Ur-Ridge ATP wine. Distinctive oak and slightly boozy, but very tasty. Grenache, unlike Zin or Syrah, doesn’t add much flavor of its own to get in the way of the Ridge-ness. The bottle states, uncharacteristicly, that the wine would be best in the first 5 years (<2013). Still holding strong, though, and this bottle wasn’t stored all that carefully.
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8/25/2018 - Samadhi Likes this wine: 89 Points
Definitely on a bit past its prime, but still drinking beautifully
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1/30/2017 - fredb Likes this wine:
Medium-dark red with medium transparency. Aromas of pepper and raspberry. Palate has currant, pepper, thyme, raspberry, and blackberry notes with a medium finish. Polished and well integrated. May develop some interesting aged nuance, but lovely to drink now. Drink or hold.
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7/25/2015 - moxielady wrote: 90 Points
Was drinking better last year, but still has plenty of life. Best with rich foods.
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1/5/2015 - WineDoctors wrote: 89 Points
ruby to garnet, deep, low acid, medium body, medium finish, plums, stewed dark fruit, warm vanilla and cinnamon. close to past, tasting next to alban grenache 2004: different profile. higher acid, less fruit, lower octane
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9/2/2014 - casjf wrote: 87 Points
A little past it's prime but still quite drinkable.
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8/11/2014 - dchisholm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aromas of dark cherries, blackberry, vanilla, smoke and spice. Taste of blackberry, dark fruit, raspberry, smoke and spice. Interesting mineral, iron touch. Excellent Grenache very well integrated wine. Ample fruit, beautiful aromas aromas and an excellent accompaniment to smoky BBQ ribs. Great value.
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4/19/2014 - moxielady wrote: 92 Points
Plum, dark cherry tobacco nose. Rich fruit and smooth on palate. Drinking well now.
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4/15/2014 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind <$40 (Bin 75): Semi-translucent deep rose crimson; sandalwood, medicinal cherry, green pepper, iron, warm, vanilla, licorice, acetaldehyde; dense and richer palate, softened with time but still grainy tannin, almost some sweetness, dark cherry, ripe, lower acid.
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1/30/2014 - IAmVintage wrote: 91 Points
Deliciously perfect with chicken adobo. Old vine Grenache + 6% each of Petite Sirah & Zinfandel, 18 months in American oak. Red fruit with xlnt spicy structure. Nice finish. Wish we had more.
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12/14/2013 - storysworld Likes this wine: 92 Points
Like others have said, may not win any awards with this one, but I just found it to be a great drinker. Really smooth with great fruit. Probably at its peak.
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11/13/2013 - JERB Likes this wine: 85 Points
I have to believe that this wine was beyond its optimum drinking window. It just did not have the bright fruit that I expect from grenache; it was pretty flat. It was still okay - just not as good as I suspect it once was.
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3/29/2013 - Bellissimo wrote:
PnP, consumed over3+ hours. First glass tasted at 30 minute mark, last at the end of the night. Dark brambly fruit, notice a little alcohol on transition from mid to finish. Smooth tannins dominate the mouthfeel and finish.
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3/16/2013 - MusignyBlanc wrote:
I was puzzled by my previous note (where I underrated this wine), which was 1.5 years ago. Bottle variation or did this turn the corner? Ridge nose of American Oak. Rich and sweet, but balanced core of fruit - politely new world. Nice soft and cottony tannins. This is not going to win any awards for complexity, but it is really, really delicious. The tip of the tongue impression (sweet kirsch) reminds me of many of the Janasse CdPs. Based on this bottle, this should be in a great window over the next five to seven years.
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2/3/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good wine, but not as good as the 2003 Grenache/Syrah Lytton Estate. Seems a bit hollow in the mid palate.
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1/14/2013 - MeMyself&I wrote: 89 Points
Very impressive. Good structure, lots of fruit.
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12/6/2012 - Lagovista wrote: 90 Points
Tannins still a little tight, but the structure is excellent. Medium nose, with a rich body and lingering finish.
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11/28/2012 - kosinski wrote:
May have entered its backward phase -- it has returned to its acidic and brambly character which I noticed in Jan 2011.
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11/22/2012 - Noahc wrote: 89 Points
Had after turkey, no formal notes but liked the bottle, a little woody but interesting.
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11/16/2012 - Bellissimo wrote:
PnP, consumed over 3+ hours. Didn't take detailed notes but definitely enjoyed the bottle...even if a bit oak heavy. Dark cherry, coffee, integrated though prevalent tannins. Paid $15ish for this recently. Great for the money.
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10/17/2012 - Bellissimo wrote:
Got a taste from a bottle that had been opened 2 or 3 hours. This is in a really nice pace. Cherry, toasted oak, herbal and coffee on the nose. On the palate notice much less oak, cherry, a bit of earthiness, reserved and nicely integrated. Picked a few up recently for ~$15ish. Score.
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9/25/2012 - SonomaWilliam wrote: 91 Points
A powerful Grenache, with many years left. Unfortunately my tasting notes are buried on Twitter from last Friday.
Savory, powerful, good structure, about the right time to open, another 5-10 years in bottle.
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5/19/2012 - eastover wrote:
Saturday night at home - paella - with Jamie and Rich and Lisa and Dean - enjoyed Scholium verdelho before the meal with the scallop ceviche. Then opened 3 grenache based wines from the 2005 vintage - one from France, one from Spain, and one from the US. The French Win - bottle emptied, next the Spanish - though difficult to figure out - never really resolved itself even by the end of the night. The Cali - just fine/ok - not particularly interesting. Spain: Acústic Cellar Montsant Braó Vinyes Velles. France: M. Chapoutier Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour Domaine de Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem. California: Ridge Grenache Lytton Estate.
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5/5/2012 - diggydan wrote: 85 Points
Dark purple color with little variation. Big bouquet of cherry with the slightest touch of alcohol on the nose. Nice fruit with a little meat on the attack but quickly overwhelmed by sharp tannins, which carried through the mid-palate into the finish. Ridge's label notes written in 2007 suggest the wine would be best from release through 2012...this is too tannic for my taste. I if I had more bottles I'd let them sit, though the wine did seem to soften with some air.
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4/11/2012 - donbert wrote: 91 Points
Opened up nicely, took 30 minutes, still great fruit and finish
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4/2/2012 - sully13 wrote: 90 Points
Cherry and dried grass aroma. Balanced fruit flavors with a nice smooth finish.
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3/24/2012 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Rick's & Cris'): Garnet core. Aromas of cherry, herbs and forest floor, with floral and even some meaty undertones. Balanced, with dark fruit and cherry flavors. Finishes nicely.
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2/21/2012 - Gargantua wrote: 84 Points
Visit to Ridge's Montebello Vineyard and Tasting: Did not care for this at all, and really think Ridge has no business growing Grenache. Okay, so they discovered in 1972 that one of their parcels had a field blend dominated by Grenache vines dating back to 1902. Still, to my palate, this is not rewarding at all. I found it reductive with a boozy nose, oxidative in a port-like way; dirty, rusty. Really reminded me of a Spanish Rioja that went through its oak regimen and ended up with that slightly rancid butter aroma. Maybe it's the preponderance of 3-5 yr old oak used here. Seems a bit like a failed pet project to me. Becch. Sorry Ridge, love ya, but can't toast to this.
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2/19/2012 - wagging_tail wrote:
CONSUME NOW. HITTING THE WALL. I drank the '05 and '06 over one weekend. One of them was done. The other tasted pretty good, but still appeared to be at the end of it's life. Can't remember which. I have an '04 that I'm hoping will be okay. We'll see.
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2/15/2012 - marksfamily wrote: 84 Points
Hitting the wall now...drink 'em if you've got 'em.
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2/10/2012 - yhn wrote: 92 Points
Nose - smoky dark savory plum, touches of redwood and nutmeg.
Lighter body, dark dusky fruit, light dusty tannin, wild plum, huckleberry, white pepper, lime. Drink '14-'22.
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1/12/2012 - raydawgone wrote: 92 Points
Tasted during private tour/reserve tasting at Ridge. Medium color. Made from old vines. Old world, slight barnyard, herbal notes with mushrooms on forest floor. Dry, Italian style with red fruits. Paired the best with meats/cheeses during tasting.
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1/2/2012 - dlynch wrote:
Tasted the latest release @ Ridge First Friday. It tasted pretty much identical, so those couple of years of age did nit much of anything. This is a lovely wine. Fruit, structure and a little spice.
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1/2/2012 - Chili wrote: 89 Points
Great lamb or beef wine
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12/8/2011 - sweendog wrote: 90 Points
Great smooth taste
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11/12/2011 - bretrooks wrote: 87 Points
Decanted ~4 hours, consumed over 1 hour. While this struck us as being on the simple side, we still liked this, not finding it too light or out of balance. Typical red-fruited grenache notes with just a tiny bit of herbaceousness. No excess sweetness to report, and decent with our dinner of braised beef. A solid, non-mind-blowing effort from Ridge.
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10/8/2011 - MadisonWIneGuy wrote: 84 Points
Was a bit let down by this wine. Bought this at Ridge during our Sonoma trip in March, and recall it being better during the tasting. One thing's for sure: This pales in comparison to my favorite Grenache which I had a couple of years ago, a Jeff Runquist Grenache (it was amazing!) from Amador County. This Ridge was a bit thin (not mouth-filling), not as complex as expected, and just a bit tart. I do still give this an 84, though, so it's not like I didn't like it at all. It did display cherries, mint, and some floral characters. Reminded me more of a French wine, and while I love some, there are plenty that I'm less wowed by. For the price, I wouldn't buy again.
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9/18/2011 - MusignyBlanc wrote: 87 Points
Light in color; whether influenced by the visual presence of the label or not, it has the typical "Ridge" nose to me upon first whiff. It has been a while since I had the 2004 and I frankly don't remember enough to compare, but this wine has softened quite a bit, as would be expected given its age. Still has some nice fruit. Missing many of the complexities of the terroir of its French brethren - i.e., garrigues, herb and spice. This wine is more complex on the nose than the palate.
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9/10/2011 - winemaker wrote: 91 Points
Color is fairly light transparent red with hints of some brown. Smells of sweet cherry fruit. Really smooth and long. This wine actually reminds me of a Chateauneuf du Pape without the provencal herbs and garrigue. Clean and light on its feet. Pretty good. This wine won't make old bones.
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9/5/2011 - anonymoose12345 wrote: 87 Points
Good, but I would so much rather drink a CdP that would probably cost the same. Nice fruit characteristics but still rough around the edges.
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8/31/2011 - coremill wrote: 88 Points
Visting Ridge Vineyards: Tasted at the winery. Reddish purple color. Aromas of chocolate-covered black cherries with a nice purity to the fruit, and a woodsy/herbal character. Quite ripe and showing the alcohol a bit, but with delicious fruit that takes on a more raspberry-ish flavor. Tasty but not quite on the level of the other Ridge reds. Not nearly as good as the 04 version of this wine, which had quite a bit more depth and weight -- maybe because the 04 had more PS blended in?
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8/18/2011 - stvjackson wrote: 82 Points
Despite being six years old, this is still drinking young and rough. It displays every bit of its 14.6% alcohol, with a bit of a boozy character lingering in the finish. The nose of leather, smoke and dark berries is appealing, and there's plenty of acid (perhaps a bit too much) to balance out the juicy fruit up front. With less alcohol, and maybe more time to allow it to mellow out, this could be much better than the simply good that it is.
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8/18/2011 - woodwino wrote: 89 Points
- Crimsom color. It's somewhat balanced with a light/medium body with a medium finish.
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8/7/2011 - PIntag wrote: 87 Points
Tons of bold fruit. A little heat but an enjoyable wine with Burgers and Brats.
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7/3/2011 - ogres3 wrote:
Not a wine for the big bold zin loving Ridge fans - a little southern france taste that goes well with not overpowering foods. Had at the lake on the fourth.
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6/27/2011 - MCUBEB wrote: 89 Points
Nose of vanilla, red fruit and earth. On the palate there are candied cherries and cranberries followed by notes of stones and tobacco. The finishes with chewy with notes of flowers and leather.
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6/11/2011 - bjschmitt wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 30 minutes before pouring.
Medium Burgundy, no longer opaque.
Nice nose, wine not berry.
Dry, medium weight, very smooth, tannins integrated, and rich.
Nice wine.
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6/5/2011 - hubas wrote: 89 Points
Riktigt snyggt och välbalanserat vin med en hel del bär, både röda och mörkare. Finns även en tydlig örtighet med en snygg eftersmak av lakris
Riktigt bra
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6/3/2011 - kosinski wrote: 88 Points
Definitely opened up since my previous tasting in January. All the sharp notes are gone from both the nose and palate. Delicious plummy flavors with bacon fat and flowers. Very nice.
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5/3/2011 - marksfamily wrote: 84 Points
A delicate nose of florals, strawberry, watermelon; with some darker follow through plum, flint, a touch of tobacco. Taste is all rich, deep tobacco, leather, toasty oak. Medium body, medium finish.
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4/25/2011 - dransford Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good quality BBQ wine. Some depth and jamminess (but not too much). Nice tannic structure. May improve but plenty good now. Is it a bargain? No. Is it a good wine? YES.
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3/30/2011 - SearedAji wrote: 87 Points
While the notes on the bottle suggested that this one should be near its prime, it seemed like it might benefit from a couple more years. Well-rounded, with an even-tempered tartness. Lingers long and toasty.
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3/27/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Rhone Rangers 2011 (San Francisco): Intense nose, nice sweetness/ripeness, complex. Palate needs time. Good structure and fruit. 92-93
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3/26/2011 - missionpk wrote: 90 Points
My first pure Grenache. As a fan of Grenache-heavy Cotes du Rhone, though, this is right up my alley. Amazed when I opened it, as my first thought was "Yes, this is a Ridge". It must be the American Oak or the small field blend of Zinfandel or something. Either way, this is a fun, food-friendly wine.
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2/26/2011 - fredb Likes this wine:
Medium red color with medium transparency. Initially reserved nose of sweet olive, bay, garrigue, and a dusty red fruit. Palate shows sweet currant with a hint of garrigue and a medium finish. Sweetens and opens in the glass and is drinking well now. Drink or hold.
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1/7/2011 - kosinski wrote: 88 Points
Just barely ready to drink. Plummy magenta in color. Somewhat alcoholic nose with notes of moss and forest floor. Restrained red fruit flavors with notes of oak. Good food wine.
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