Deep red, on the nose I struck with classic LS notes of bramble fruit, wild cherry, mocha and cedar. Beautiful wine, it’s still alive and drinking so well now. Will last a few more years, but would not wait.
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From magnum. This might be at peak. Dark crimson color. Nose of blackberry and black raspberry, touch of bitter chocolate, some old wood, luxardo cherry and just the right amount of sweet toasty oak in the background. Similar flavors on the palate with ripe black fruits balanced with medium acidity and smooth, mostly resolved tannin. Smooth mouthfeel and long finish as well. Just a fantastic bottle of wine that is in a great spot.
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Who else makes Zinfandel blends like Ridge that you can cellar 10-15 years and have it emerge from the bottle with so much fruit, so fresh and so balanced? This was a superb 14 year old bottle that felt like it had years left in it. But why wait? Its drinking beautifully right now and unlikely to improve.
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Last bottle. Still full bodied and balanced, but a bit less intense than before. Rich, dark red and black fruits. A delight to drink. At a celebratory dinner with D&M.
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Short decant. Nose of plum, birch beer, and cedar plank. Smooth and polished palate of black raspberry, blueberry pie, vanilla beam, and a nice lift leading into the finish, which delivers a fine line of minerals and dried herbs before a plush finale of raspberry, milk chocolate, blue fruits, and a supple oak finale. Surprisingly fruit at this age and very balanced. Nothing like I recall from the other bottle last fall.
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Zinfandel "with friends-Petite Sirah and Carignane." This wine is slightly past it's peak but still a pleasure to drink. Black fruit and licorice on the nose and palate and a hint of smoke on the finish.
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Slow ox 3 hours. I was always expecting more from this wine, and I think the prodigious amount (23%) 0f petite sirah takes away from the Zin base more than it adds. Nonetheless still a high quality wine.
End of night pop and pour so I didn't take formal notes but this was rocking. Ripe, dark red fruits with just the right amount of oak. Smooth mouthfeel and finish.
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DAY1 Served with the Vinloq System 👀Youthful dark ruby 👃Big sweet fruit. Plum, blackberries, underbrush, anise, cloves, and spice. Fresh and vibrant 👅Plums & blackberries with tar and anise. Spicy & chalky. All in a silky package
Tannins are soft and minimally exposed. Oak is fully integrated. Long dark fruited finish. So well crafted
Great now and should be for some time as Ridge wines have a track record of excellent longevity. Could this improve? Not sure 🤔 It’s great now 👍
Bottle stored in fridge with Vinloq Preservation
DAY5 Shared with a friend. Same as DAY1
DAY21 The spice and cloves remained but softer & more restrained than DAY1 & 5. I preferred the intensity on those days
Full note available on Instagram @ "Vinloq.notes"
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I have not tried a bottle of this wine in over 5 years and it is still really good. Opened two hours before dinner and then recorked and brought along with us to one of the numerous BYOB's that are available in northern New Jersey. The nose is all fruit, the palate was dark berries, plums, green pepper, wood and spice. A nice long finish.
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Last magnum from the cellar and it’s perfect. Slight bricking around the rim, nose of damp earth and plums. The Bordeaux nuances are here (earth, leather, cigar box, garrigue). This is totally in the zone in large format, and will hold for many years. QPR on large bottles of Lytton and Geyserville is off the charts. Lovely foil to our delicious Thanksgiving lunch.
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Raisin laden nose, reminiscent of an older CdP bar the funk. The bouquet is definitely over the hill, but the wine appearance is vibrant and the flavors underneath are vibrant with spice, red candy, and vanilla. A very long, dry finish. This is not my thing, but its clearly in the zone for the zin gang. Drink
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very well balanced, and drinking well. The nose could stand to be more expressive....subtle fruit and earth flavors on the palate, medium finish. It may well go longer, I don't know if it will improve.
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A blend of Zinfandel (71%), Petite Sirah (23%) and Carignan (6%) from the Lytton Springs vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. The harvest started on 11th of September and ended on 4th of October. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 8 days. The wine was blended using 23 separate fermentation lots, selected from a total of 34 different ferments. Aged in American oak (18% new, 57% second, third or fourth use, 20% fifth or sixth use) for 14 months. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted in a mini-vertical of Lytton Springs 2015, 2014 and 2009.
Somewhat translucent yet rather deep and dark black cherry-red color. The nose feels a bit restrained for a Lytton Springs, but also showing good sense of harmony and integration, exhibiting lovely aromas of ripe raspberries and blackberries, some bilberry tones, a little bit of juicy cherry, light oaky notes of cloves and woody spice, a hint of dark plum and a sweeter, evolved touch of dried dark fruits. The overall impression is somewhat sweet-toned but also enjoyably fine-tuned and showing less oak than the younger vintages. The wine feels silky, ripe and somewhat sweetly-fruited on the palate with a full body and vibrant flavors of boysenberry jam and stewed dark plums, some bilberry tones, a little bit of mocha oak, light evolved notes of meaty umami, a hint of toasty wood spice and a faint floral touch of elderflower. The wine is enjoyably high in acidity with a moderately firm tannic backbone. The finish is ripe yet somewhat savory with moderate tannic grip and quite lengthy flavors of ripe bilberries and blackberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of evolved meaty character, light boysenberry tones, a floral hint of elderflower and a faint oaky touch of vanilla and cloves.
A wonderful, harmonious and enjoyably structured vintage of Lytton Springs that is slowly gliding into its optimum drinking window. Ridge often states that Lytton Springs will evolve for 10-15 years, but at 12 years of age this wine feels like it is only starting to hit its stride; it is exhibiting only its first evolved characteristics, the structure hasn't gone anywhere and there is still some oak that could integrate further with the fruit department - although I'm very happy how for the most part the oak has seemed to disappear into the background, when tasting this back-to-back with the 2014 and 2015 vintages. Although this wine is drinking mighty well right now, I'd say it will continue to improve for a good number of years more and probably will drink just fine for another 12-15 years, if not longer. While not as impressive as promising as the 2014 vintage, this doesn't really fall much behind. Smashing stuff, expect the score to slowly inch up as the wine ages.
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Ridge Dinner 22 November (Hawksmoor Guildhall): A little bit muted? Maybe it was the comparison, maybe it's a dumb phase, or maybe there's just something a little off with this bottle. Perfectly decent drink - but I wonder if this middle aged phase makes it hard for these wines to shine?
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Wow, dark, dark color (dark ruby), dark fruit (currant), dark aroma (tobacco)....but what a flavor, moderate acidity, smooth body, lasting finish (slight smoke and pepper). This Zin blend is one of the best I have had. Paired this with a bowl of chili - good match! Drinking perfect now, so why what. I personally will not risk holding this wine longer and will finish all my bottles in the next 6- 8 months...why mess with perfection
Part of huge extravagant dinner. Had this with the main of osso buco, and Chantrell risotto. After an 06 barbaresco, had this which sang with multiple layers of fruit and chocolate, long finish, then had ‘14 la Stella expressivo. Appies were local albacore sashimi and smoked sockeye with Perrier jouet grand brut, and a fois gras and chantrell crostini with 2015 sauternes (chateau armajan des ormes). Desert of French cheeses with a blackberry port and capped with the last of a bottle of 1960 marcel trépointe armagnac. What a night!!
Right from the beginning the nose is bursting with intense and pure blackberry fruit. Rarely experienced such distinct aroma in a wine. Then comes Swiss Ementaler cheese, pine, thyme and grilled meat. Outstanding nose! Taste followes the aromas from the nose, with finess, backbone, great acidity and blackberry fruit. This is in it’s prime window for me now and will hold for many more years. One of the most delicate bottles of LS I’ve had
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71% zinfandel, 23% petite sirah, 6% carignane. 14.5% abv.
Cork broke in half. Burgundy with some translucence at edges. Sediment on the bottle. Nose black cherry. Palate a little reserved, some vanilla initially, with time a mocha edge. Blackberry and cherry fruit. Wished for some more freshness but good for the style, still needs some air. 89 pts
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"Good stuff!" said my wife...and most will agree wholeheartedly, if you like black fruit, savory flavors, layers of structure and a dark experience. Still very much Bordeaux-like. Ever-so-slightly starting to lose energy, with the alcohol tamed and tannins fully integrated. Would no longer wait on this vintage.
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This was superb and true to its character. Sweet cherry with a briary fruit halo, some spice and milk chocolate aromatics. Palate is expansive, but never heavy; lots of ripe fruit balanced by plenty of acidity, good tannic structure. There is power, but a real sheen and celebration of the California sun in an elegant package. Just delicious and no rush to drink.
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Open about two hours before serving. Lots of sediment so be careful with the pour. Drinking very well. Still plenty of ripe Zin fruit with balanced acid. Also interesting secondary notes perhaps from the age: smoke, tobacco, briar etc. This is a CA classic and it drinks that way.
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So this wine is really good, and I did it no favors by opening about 30 minutes before dinner. It is quite opulent and structured and didn't start hitting its prime 'til significantly after the food was gone.
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Pop and pour. Dark garnet color. Just starting to show age. Dark fruit, vanilla, hint of cedar and cassis. Dark fruits on intro with some heat in the middle. Fine tannins. Good fruit with acidity to carry the wine. Slight heat was a deduction . Label states 14.5% abv. It shows.
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Consumed this with ham and scalloped potatoes on New Year's Day. This was the second of two bottles purchased in 2012. We had the first in 2013 and I guessed this bottle would age well. It was delicious and worth the wait. In its window, but could have gone a few more years without a problem. A stunningly good zin, alcohol, fruit, acidity all in great balance.
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Drinking beautifully. Had this with our Christmas dinner and didn't make any particular notes. Rich, balanced, and delicious. I have another bottle yay!
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Mixed Wines Virtually (Home): Very dark red color. PNP, poured into vessels for transport at 4:15pm and into glasses at 7pm. Drank a glass over 3.5 hours. 71% Zin, 23% PS, 6% Carig. Dark and decadent, full boded, sweet black fruits, cassis, plum, creme de cassis, glycerin, dried herbs. This really was singing the next day. I would not be at all shy about hanging onto these. 92+ to 93pts.
60 minute decant. Just the right amount of ripeness. Lovely black and red fruits, some Oak, a few dried herbs and touch of sour at the finish that seems to come from the Carginan. Very smooth.
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Just opened. The color is dark red with an orange rim. Lots of lush, dark red fruits, including bing cherries and raspberries, bramble, some garrique and forest floor. It’s drinking nicely and I think it will hold for a few more years.
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“Primary” is the word for this wine at this point. The color, the nose and palate are all primary. Brown sugar, molasses, zin funk, and boysenberry. Not a lot of tertiary flavors or development. Some heavy grains of sediment. 14.5% alc. With braised pork chops under mushrooms. 09.24.20. Recommended.
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Didn’t take notes and drank a couple of weeks back, just cleaning up CT. memories were of a very good and very enjoyable wine. Yes it’s still full of fruit, oak and tannins but very much drinking quite easily now. Will age very well so don’t feel there is urgency.
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Felt like it was in transition. The first day it was claret like and a bit pruney, by the third night that had blown off and it was smooth, balanced and more in line from what I have come to expect from a Lytton Springs with a bit of age.
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Still encumbered in thick, sweet oak. Candied red/dark red fruits. OK, for some on its own. Probably needs 15 years before I'd possibly be interested. NR
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Opened for Sadie's birthday. My last and best bottle of this, easily the most integration to date. That said, this is no longer a wine/style on my buy list. Goodbye Ridge, your oak treatments, while far from the worst in the business, will not be missed.
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Decanted and then had immediately. Initial impressions were an explosion of dark fruits and lingering finish. 20 minutes in, the fruit diminished and the wine a balanced delight. Excellent bottle.
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In a good place now. This needed a good 20-30 minutes to open. Even the wine neophytes noticed the big turn. It's in a sweet spot where the secondaries are adding subtleties while the fruit is still pretty fresh. Still very Zinberry in expression. The tannin and acidity keep it focused. Robust feel still. This could go quite a while but I'd say the next 3-5 years are looking really good. Very good.
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Initial slightly porty, raisiny notes blew off following 90 minute decant. Thereafter, a bit reserved on the nose, but muscular, earthy black fruits on the palate. An interesting finish - somewhat lean and tannic suggesting either the fruit is diminishing (doubtful in a L.S.) or the P.S. is driving the finish right now. 91+ from the eternal optimist for more improvement :)
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At age 10 it was time to pull my first bottle of this Zin blend (71% Zin., 23% Petite Sirah, 6% Carignange) that rarely disappoints. Deep plum on the rim and completely opaque at the core. The plum carries from color to nose to palate where rhubarb, cinnamon, bramble berry, Asian 5 spice and dark fruits abound. Come to think of it, the wine showed no brown sugar. The tannins are a bit angular just yet. But the back label suggests a a drinking window just opening next year. Holding this wine for a few more years won’t disappoint and that’s just what I’ll do. Some slight sediment. 14.5% alc. With oven roasted, grill finished pork ribs with okra fritters. Recommended.
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At its peak now. Color is still deep and dark, no brown edges. Intense fruit with a range of flavors. The petite sirah (23%) shows through the classic jammy zin fruit, and both have softened nicely. Significant back of mouth acid & pencil lead. Goes well with spicy barbecued shrimp, Korean spicy chicken, would go well with grilled meats, strong sausages, etc. Also nice to sip on its own, as the tannins have softened, the acid is tamed and there is just enough sweetness to make it pleasant overall. It may well deserve a higher score from others, depending on your taste preferences.
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We enjoyed this fine 2009 Lytton Springs with a nice steak dinner. What a treat! This wine was awesome. Upon opening, I was surprised that the color was still a bright purple color. The nose was rich and spicy. This wine is still young in some ways. The tannins are still there, providing a great backbone to the wine. There is fresh briary fruit, with some plum, anise, allspice, and a hint of molasses. The finish is still full and long. This wine may be 10 year old, and a treat to enjoy, but there is no hurry to pull this one. I think it easily has another 5 years if kept in proper storage conditions. What a great experience!
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This is my last bottle and it is absolutely stunning. The color is turning brown so I expected it to taste like it was on a downward trajectory. Boy, was I wrong. The 2009 packs incredible layers of fresh fruit flavors. Bramble fruit, cherry, lead pencil, and black pepper all seamlessly meld together. This is drinking beautifully but there is no rush if you have any remaining in the cellar.
This was just dynamite. Slight browning at the edges gives away its age, but the nose was just lovely, with plenty of the fresh cracked pepper and blackberry you'd expect from a zin, but with lovely earthy and mushroom tones that give it an almost Bordeaux-like flair. Silky, sweet, and effortless on the palate, but not without some sneaky structure (from the big petite sirah proportion in the blend?). Great with burgers off the grill; this bottle disappeared quickly. In a perfect spot, but could easily go on a few more years without losing its edge.
Tasted next to the champin 2007 so it was not helped, but it was really powerfull and impressive, black current, big fruit, palate is round, sweet, fruity and a great saltiness, gives it a special extra something... serious wine. Got a couple left, should age some more years, see what happens along the way... Thanks Paul Draper, #pioneer
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This was so good, could not wait anymore. This was thick and chewy just the way I like it, the balance was excellent between fruit and tannins. I decanted but may not need to, I recommend it be drunk now...no need to wait. I will let the other bottles in my cellar age a few more years to see if it changes. Overall I could take the dark berries, cherries, and some wild mushrooms almost truffle like. Give it try...no regrets.
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bo ssam with larry: Dark ruby with light separation/browning at the edges. Nose light vanilla, some dark fruits. Palate dark fruits with a burst of acidity; good depth on the palate, hint of tannins on the finish. Drinking well right now but could see it developing more yet. 91 pts
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Raspberries, black cherries, plums, blackberries, and currants in the nose with licorice and spice. Blackberries, currants, and cherries in the flavor. Well balanced zinfandel with nice complexity, and a long finish.
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Classic Lytton Springs flavor profile: ripe, plummy fruit and pencil lead with a distinctly tarry nose. First whiff proved to show some oak, but with a bit of air it rounded into form. Still youngish, this has some life ahead of it, but if you like the primary fruit of Zin you should probably think about drinking it up.
In a lovely place. The color has started to fade, there are some dried cherry and dark red fruits, and the tannins and alcohol are seamlessly integrated. A wine to woo Zinfandel skeptics.
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decanted 30 min. on the delightful tangent it has appeared to be promising to develop for several years & now feels like it is in that Lytton sweet spot we relish & enjoy; balanced, classic, the fruit is still wild, enough structure to be fine for a while.
Loads of character and still needs more time. Layers of red and black fruits with sweet Oak and a dry mouth feel. My first of 6. Will wait a year or two before trying again.
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I found this drank OK after 30 minutes open. I decanted the bottle for a short time. There was moderate tannin and some warm fruit. Acid is missing. A hot year, 2009! I've had much better Lytton Springs bottles. Half a bottle remained. I corked it and it was lacking any significant fruit the next morning. Not balanced. Not enough fruit. Drink now, or be sorry.....
This is a wonderful wine. It has matured beautifully and will hold at least 5 more years if not longer. Just a beautiful expression of zinfandel with a little added complexity from the petite sirah and carignane. 14.5% alcohol.
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Open for business and beautifully perfumed. Notes of sweet plum, black bitter cherries, blackberries, smoke, some sweet spices, tobacco leaf, also some leather. It‘s pretty full-bodied, but super elegant, has medium+ acidity and still medium+ tannin. It is particularly silky for Lytton Springs and the Petite Sirah that usually adds a lot of character but also some rusticity is nicely integrated. What a pretty wine and this is seriously as good as Zin-blend gets from my perspective. Also an excellent value... My personal taste has moved away from a lot of the new world wines but there is something so fascinating about Ridge‘s wines... This has still many years ahead...
clear, deep purple clean, profound aromas of dark spicy fruits dry, high acidity, high tannins, full body, rich dominant fresh-spicy fruits, fresh red plums, well balanced & harmonised, nicely structured, good complexity, sour plums finish and aftertaste
Pop and pour. Delivered from Ridge 10 days prior. Ruby purple with touch of bricking at edge. Nose - strawberry, cherries, leather, stewed fruit (ketchup?), pluminess very deep. Low acidity, tannins still evolving but softened, plums, tomato, leather, cedar, black pepper. Very nice wine!
Big bold Lytton Springs in full glory. Modest cloying nose opens on to big full bodied palate filled with balanced red fruit, smoked meats, tobacco, spice. This has great concentration but retains integration and focus with a medium to long finish. The tannins are still robust and the wine seems medium young so I think this will still be very good for at least the next ten years
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The 2009 Ridge Lytton Springs is delicious. The wine is smooth and silky on the tongue. Slightly sweet. The finish is dry, but not as mouthwatering dry as Ridge's Geysersville typically is. This is most likely due to the lower alcoholic content (14.5% in 2009) of the Lytton Springs. While easier to drink, the 2009 Lytton Springs is far less distinctive than the 2009 Geysersville. I would strongly recommend decanting as the wine opened up significantly after an hour.
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Je ne peux m'empêcher de considérer le prix dans mon appréciation. 42$ en 2012, maintenant 67$ en 2018. Rouge grenat dense. Nez réservé, mûre, cassis. En bouche, cassis, sensation d'équilibre, tanins soyeux, aucune lourdeur, malgré les 14,5% d'alcool. Persistance moyenne. Tout de même dispendieux.
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This wine needs about an hour of air to settle down then enjoy. The wine has the acidity and backbone to age well. Lots of brambly berry fruits. Delicious. Drink or hold
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Nose: bursting with mostly red fruits (red berries) and some black fruit, flowers, pepper and some vanilla. On the palate: medium body, medium acidity, red fruits, slightly sweet (but not jammy) finish with some integrated tannins and oak. Long finish. Great balance of fruit + tannins and acidity. 93 pt.
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A shame I've kind of turned my back on the Ridge Lytton/Geyserville family of zins (crowded out by Turley, Carlisle and Limerick Lane), but this is really nice drinking. Well balanced, lots of good flavors and no hard edges. Drink anytime.
Bottle was really good on opening, but after an hour it started to lose its flavor. The score is based on drinking it quickly, not sure if something was wrong with the bottle or not.
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This went really well with asn Asian dinner, deep but medium bodied fresh, not cloying at all. Blackish fruit, tannin well integrated, some spice. Decent acidity, not too alcoholic despite the ABV. Great with spicy food.
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Great nose of ripe fruit. Vanilla on the palate overwhelms everything else. Not expecting that! Alcohol in check, medium+ tannins but shy on palate penetrating depth. Mid palate shy but finish resonates for a good length.
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PopnPour, tasted over 3 hrs -nearly opaque dark red with purple tinge no bricking, stains the glass -overtly spicy, toasted grain, blackberry-ish fruit -med- acidity, med+ weight soft mouthfeel moderately complex lush purple and black fruit of enough depth to bury the heat, pronounced oak med tannins and good length -classic Ridge Lytton Springs balancing fruit bomb-ishness with structure and complexity, still very young
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About the same as a recent bottle - plenty of red and black raspberries. Vibrant, with a very pronounced citrus (?) edge on both the palate and the finish. Solid, but it was over-matched by a Bedrock Monte Rosso.
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-opaque dark purple black -exuberant juicy jammy black fruits -med/med- acidity, full bodied finessed black fruit licorice, med/med+ tannins and some heat and caramel oak on the finish -classic Ridge, deep and rich that somewhat hides the alcohol yet enough structure to age well
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No detailed notes as the bottle was consumed during our wine tasting club's food and wine pairing event. This wine was the winner in the best food and wine pairing category. It was paired with Jambalaya. Such a harmonious, food friendly wine with a very appealing black and red fruit, spice and savory character. Long finish!
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Bountiful nose of rose water, lavender, pomegranate, cranberries, cherries, dark cigar tobacco, zinc, graphite and funky mushrooms. The palate is full bodied and lush, but the acid remains strong and maintains a nice overall finesse. The fruit is full of red plums, prunes, dark cherries. There is tobacco, black pepper, and bitter edible Spring flower mix. This seems to be in a perfect place in it's evolution. It's definitely shed weight and found a svelte figure, but the tannins are still just robust enough to keep it well-framed. It delivers hedonism with a delicate touch. I wouldn't sit on this any longer.
Better than a bottle late last year. Same (red and black) raspberries on both the nose and the palate, but the fruit seemed more vibrant, and the wine was much more spicy and peppery. I need to remember that Ridge Zins need a couple more years of bottle age than most other Zins.
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Red and black raspberry dance with dusty spices and smoke. The petite Sirah adds weight and muscle, but nicely integrated. The carignane adds the spice and rustic touch to this very satisfying Zinfandel.
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Still fresh and exciting. Had with Tri-Tip steak and this was a perfect match. The Petite Sirah and Carignane provide a spicy tickle that enhances the Zinfandel. Got to restock this one.
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On the nose: Pepper, herbs, black currant, licorice, salvia and vanilla. On the palate: Sweet berries, oak, vanilla, red berries in conjuction with blueberries. Medium + oak finish
Well i do not drink Zinfandel often and I do not know what to think. A good wine but for one-dimensional and sweet fruit driven to be interesting.
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So good and showing no signs of decline at all - quite the opposite. Which is lucky for me since I still have 2 cases left! Lovely jammy character with some spice and smoke with nice acidity too. I am not claiming this is particularly complex but it just drinks so well and was perfect with lamb steak with a mint and rosemary rub
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Very nice at this stage - black fruit, bramble and jam with plenty of cedar, cigar box, and touch of vanilla both on nose and palate. Medium acid, medium minus tannin, medium plus to high alcohol - yet this wine is smooth, harmonious, and elegant as a California Zin could hope to be. Beautiful balance of fruit and tertiary notes. Drank from 375.
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This bottle was drinking quite nicely. Still good fruit, but pretty smooth and sufficient balancing acidity. There was just a tad to much vanilla/oak for my tastes, but it was not out of whack. Food friendly wine too. Good value.
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Had a glass of this at a holiday party (lots of wine open) and it surprised me with it's lite presence and elegance but almost a bit shy. There were nice dark fruit flavors combined with smoke and spice but the mouth feel was much lighter than I recall this had at it's youth, solid finish but overall a little underwhelming. About a quarter of a bottle left on counter without any preserver (just cork in bottle) and a very nice surprise 2 days later as this put on some additional weight and texture without notes of oxidation. Obviously this is built for the long haul. Note to self give it a long slow ox next time. Based on this bottle I would say it is in a bit of a dull phase but the best is yet to come.
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Deep and dark red with medium plus optical density and high reflectivity. Good intensity on the nose, with some nice complexity, showing dark brambly fruit (plum, blueberry), toffee-infuse armoatic character with sage, tea, and some dried forest flowers. Dense and opulent on the palate, but with an elegant medium plus weight. Medium acidity and rounded tannins yield a rich texture that supports a dry and elegant framework of rich fruit flavours. Really nice medium intensity with even better complexity of flavours here. The attack picks up some balsamic-coated mixed berries, with toffee and smoked forest floor filling in the midpalate, which stays rich and full. The finish is medium in length and while it falls off in intensity and complexity most here, it leaves an enjoyable sensation. Flavours of smoke and berries here.
This is a great wine, with a really nice aged character. Ready to drink now, it has picked up complexity and gained elegance. This is packed with fruit, but not over the top at all; instead, it gives a great sense of place and personality. This is wine how I tend to really like it- right up my alley and in an almost ideal window for me. Still enough freshness, yet evolved enough to show layers of secondary flavours. Really great value in a single vineyard wine that defines great California Zinfandel, at least for my palate!
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Drank from Magnum on Thanksgiving with family. Everyone enjoyed it. Dried fruit, smoke and licorice. Held up in an open bottle for over eight hours after opening. Very well balanced and just delicious.
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After 5 years of cellaring this has certainly mellowed. Lots of black fruit with moderate sweetness on the palate. Still well-structured and even after 3+ hours of decanting full of energy. Some tannic bite on the finish suggests this could only improve with more age.
Took to a party, so no detailed notes. About the same as a previous bottle. Decent, but still a little dull (and closed). Will wait until late 2017 before trying another one.
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Opened and drank 10/8, acquired via club shipment at release. Needed some time after opening. No strong fruit, seemed closed, but improved a bit. Slightly smoky? No sweetness. Not as memorable as I would expect.
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Popped and poured. This is a dark red wine with a nose of blueberry, blackberry, oak, spice, and a slight bit of sugar candy at the end – the nose is generally very nice. In the mouth, this wine is smooth yet spicy, with a solid acid structure and a fruit pie finish. Overall, this is a brambly field-blend of a wine, one that would be great for BBQs or similar events. Don’t think too hard; just enjoy. 90 points.
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Had in a rather chaotic setting with multiple other wines so a little hard to assess. It seemed typical of Lytton Springs; full, balanced and some complexity. Tannins integrated; nice acidity to balance the forward fruit. Fully mature but will, as so many Ridge wines do, last 5-10 years. I look forward to trying this again by itself.
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Deep purple-ruby with high optical density and slight browning at the rim. Big intensity on the nose, with dark fruit, balsamic, coffee bean, and toffee-infused earth. Bright acidity on the palate, with full body and a smooth texture showing firm backend tannins that stay smooth on the attack. Flavours of rich red and black fruits, earthy grilled fruit peels, and aromatic compounds from florals and a bit of tar. The midpalate shows a lot of stuffing, and overall, there is a lot of intensity and complexity of flavours here. Really nice wine that is fresh and easy-drinking, but intense and with some secondary notes coming in. Great balance with everything in the right place for an enjoyable wine that has a lot of character. Controlled wine that displays fresh, vibrant fruit, but with old-world character all the way. Seems to be in a really nice spot for drinking!
Gary's Mini BBQ Ribs Event (Judith's House, WI): I'm going with this was a flawed bottle here too. This had gotten about an hour and half of air. Nose has just a hint of fruit, obnoxious wood and alcohol. The palate is about identical, wood, oak, alcohol, very thin with a just a bit of black fruit lingering. There was no sign cork taint. The '09 Lytton was in the same vein. Disappointing. I don't have good explanation of what's up here. I have a couple of these myself and we'll revisit both of them at a BBQ next month and see if they're ok. Undrinkable.
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Dark, opaque color with blackberry, cherry, anise and vanilla on the nose. Full bodied but precise, mouth filling flavors of dark fruit couple with a touch of tar and smoke to make for a bewitching zin. Wonderfully crafted wine - nice structure and balance yielding ripe Sonoma fruit without being in any way over the top. Perhaps the finest California zin I've ever had, though Ridge zins never disappoint. Drinking wonderfully now but can easily live another 10 years in a cold cellar.
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I have not tried a bottle of this wine in over 4 years and wow what a difference. The nose is all fruit, the palate was dark berries, plums, green pepper, wood and spice. A nice long finish. Served alongside a roasted leg of lamb and it paired excellent.
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From magnum. Constructed with the backbone of a Bordeaux blend. Dark purple to the rim, medium legs. No discernible signs of age. Trademark Lytton pepper and spice, just ripe enough. Structured, with firm tannin. The 09 vintage is special, and in large format could easily be a 20 year wine. My other mag will remain in the cellar for quite a few years. Drinking well now, but definitely built for the standard Ridge long haul. Very enjoyable but will get better. Love the large formats of Lytton and Geyserville, as they have outstanding QPR and are excellent for the Thanksgiving table.
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55F open 30 minutes Deep purple. Fantastic nose with black fruit (berry) and pepper and licorice and musk. Clean and light on the palate after the nose with mineral and fruit roll up with smooth, minimal tannins. Extremely well put together. Seems young but still smooth and satisfying.
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Bad bottle? Maybe corked very subtly? No obvious musty corked character, but just not much to it. Bland. No real character. Not interesting. Very unusual for Ridge.
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Always enjoy Lytton and this one is no different. Nicely matured, light ripe cherry nose, velvety, smooth, silky texture, light cherries with a hint of cigar, medium finish. Lovely. A steal at this price point.
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Crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. Awesome nose of brambly black fruits, plums and white pepper. Medium to full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Rich, plush, mouth coating fruit. Blackberry compote, raspberry liqueur, vanilla bean and baking spices on the palate. The finish is long and supple with silky tannins. Absolutely delicious Zinfandel. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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A Ridge Lytton Spring Vertical and a few others (our home): Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is tight initially but opens up with air to show nice black raspberry fruit. Also some spice. On the palate, there are plenty of tannins here. Like many 09's though, it is also soft and accessible. Cherries, and dark cherries. Nice spice. This is very easy to drink yet has more complexity and depth than first imagined when tasted.
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From a 375ml bottle. A more mature version of the bottle I had 4 years ago. Much more mellow overall, though plenty of body and richness remain. The Carignan seems to stick out, unfortunately it makes the wine more stewy and syrupy, not my thing. Sediment evident in the bottle, probably peaking.
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This is in a much better spot right now than a few years ago. Dark red raspberry and ripe plums on the nose with some sweet spices, pepper and oak notes. Very nice. Dark and juicy red fruits on the palate with a nice balance of fruit and oak. Medium+ acid and medium tannins with a slightly peppery finish. Some zins can be heavy fruit and alcohol bombs and this is actually refreshing and enjoyable to drink with room to grow. Very good.
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Friday Afternoon; 1/22/2016-1/23/2016 (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red color. Decanted for roughly 20 minutes initially, then drank 2 glasses over 3 hours. se, showing a mix of fruits, starting off with blackcherry and plum, with hints of blackberry, gradually unfolding and becoming more red berry based with a light damp earthiness that really charms you. Subtle hints of mint late. Just a little green edge on the nose and palate which lends more character than distraction. The palate is tangy, medium bodied, at times the fruit impresses as plum and juicy, yet restrained enough, medium bodied, dark cherry, red berries, plum, pepper, long finish. Very nice and showing well as is.
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PnV. Nose of macerated cherry, tobacco and tar. A lot of depth with dried cherries, tar, spice and pepper. Very masculine a must with rich sauces. Served with garlic and goat cheese potatoes with ham.
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Score reflects how it's drinking now, not its potential. Opened (not poured or decanted) about two hours before drinking. Dark color, but not opaque. Plums, berries, and what I call Ridge earthiness on both the nose and the palate. Decent body and finish, but it struck me as kind of dull. I suspected that it needed more time in the bottle, and now I'm convinced.
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Medium-dark purple/ruby color. Pretty explosive notes of sweet plums, black cherries and blackberries, smoke, vanilla, some spices and tobacco. There is also some anise. It's medium-full bodied with medium tannin and medium acidity providing freshness. Good lemgth. A dense, complex Zin blend with structure, freshness and complexity. And it's starting to develop some secondary notes too.
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This seems to be just turning a corner. Transparent ruby in color, rich and smooth with dark fruit, smoky spice and some haunting earthy notes lurking in the background. The high percentage of petite sirah and (I think) the character of the 2009 vintage give it a somewhat darker, roasted fruit profile. This was our only bottle, but I certainly don't regret opening it when we did. Simply a gorgeous, aristocratic zin blend with several years of evolution ahead of it.
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parfymerad doft, vädligt flörtigt och lättdrucket vin, lätt att gilla, mörk härlig frukt, jäkligt gott. Konstigt att säga det om en zinfandel men så är det.
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This had lots of structure, and a nice earthiness that pushed the fruit to the background. Ridge Geyserville and Lytton Springs used to be a yearly purchase for me, but my attention has turned to other wines.
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Purple. Huge nose of spicy blackberry. The complex fruit, acidity and soft tannins are all in impeccable balance. This is drinking great now! Complemented the pizza enjoyed on the deck. My last bottle of 09 Lytton, and happily I have other 09 cuvées.
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This zin has really rounded out and filled in a nice flavor profile of dark berry and spice, with a richness that makes it a beautiful sipper. Ready to drink, don't let this go much longer.
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Very good! One of the best Zinfandel blend on the market. Sadly, the price increase a lot since a bought my bottle, so I don't think I will buy it again. Drink or hold.
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Dark red color with limited transparency. Aromas of red berry, blackberry, and some vanilla. Palate has dark fruited tones with black and blue berry notes, some hint of vanilla and spice on a medium finish. This is really well integrated and drinking very well for my tastes at this point. Wears its advertised alcohol well. Drink or hold.
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Welcome dinner for the Pierces - very nice Zindandel with a strong backbone that paired well with Jambalaya. Not overly complex on its own but pairs nicely with food.
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I'll go with the crowd on this one. More claret-like than the Turley's and Carlisles I usually drink. But very smooth, mellow and balanced. Good weeknight drinking.
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This is my kind of zin, maybe not as bombastic as some of the Turley's but poised, balanced, and with abv under 15%. Good match to pasta with meat sauce.
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A little funky at first from a PNP, evolved nicely in the glass showing ripe black & blue fruit, rich and concentrated with hints of chocolate and spice, tannins are fully integrated but there is a enough acidity to carry this LS for several more years. No perceivable heat detected from this bottle!
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I guess it has only been three years, but I am surprised how consistent my impressions of this wine are, especially given that I had no recollection of the note I wrote back in 2012 until I looked at it here.
At the time I wrote: This is very good for what it is. Heady nose with spice, bramble, and loads of dark fruit on the palate. Impressive, but I think this will convince me that I no longer really enjoy American Zin. This wan't jammy at all and the tannins are integrating nicely, but it was still tiring to drink. These days, I'm happier with a bottle of Fatalone Gioia delle Colle primitivo than I am with this.
I'd probably self edit the comment on U.S. Zin this time around, but not because my tastes have changed any. I found this surprisingly soft, lacking in tannin, and pretty hot. I have nothing but respect for Ridge, but tiring to drink is still the way I would describe this. Maybe I just don't understand Zin's aging curve, but I can't see holding on to my last bottle for very long.
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The wife and I took a break from our Italian wine binge to try something from CA for a change. This was a nice bottle. It was just a touch disjointed at first, but smoothed out some with 30+ minutes of air. Overall, this is well-made wine. The Petit Verdot really comes through as others have noted. Nice fruit and body with some subtle spice notes. I would have liked a bit more acidity but I would not say it was flabby (although it was compared to most Italian wines). First night we had this along with pesto pasta and grilled chicken/vegetables. The wine was too big for that meal and overpowered it. Second night, we had this with burgers on the grill and that was a nice match. Overall, this is drinking pretty well now but will probably improve a bit over the next 3-4 years. Will probably hold off on my other 2 bottles for awhile.
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Très beau vin avec un nez très charmeur. Rond, bien balancé, bonne complexité avec des aromes de petit fruit rouge, épice, chocolat, réglisse, fumé et boisé. Une fois décanter 1-2h, les tannins s'assouplisse et il se boit très bien. Parfait pour accompagner la viande.
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Pop and pour. 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane. Immediately presented an excellent bouquet of ripe red and black fruit along with hints of licorice and light floral notes. The attack was rich black cherry and raspberry fruit, with a mouth-coating unctuousness. Pepper and spices presented on the mid-palate, as well as during the moderately lingering finish. Velvety tannins are still present, so this finely structured wine could possibly last another 5-7 years with proper cellaring. Noticeably more elegant and restrained when compared to other popular zinfandels which can be characterized as "fruit bombs", the fruit was nonetheless well represented, and the wine was very well received at our zin-tasting dinner.
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Good, not great. Pro reviews were off. Parker gave this wine a 95. Not even close. Buy on sale, otherwise, can find much better at that price point. Drink now b/c she's heading south.
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agree with the rating that noted camphor on the nose - at least at first. This opened nicely within an hour and was well balanced - good red / black fruit, not jammy, some nice spice, long finish - quite elegant.
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With bbq pork ribs at dinner with Tedders and Martins. Decanted for 3 hrs prior to drinking. Nice strong red fruit flavors dominate. Light tannins underneath. Will probably continue to drink well.
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had with pizza -spicy sauce and moderately hot Italian sausage. Made more in a Cab style rather then an Amador Co Zin like wine. Love the balance, complex flavors and ability to stand up to moderately spiced foods that Ridge consistently pulls off. This was excellent when released and hasn't missed a beat since.
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A California zin built like a stiff Bordeaux. From a half bottle. Already has a complex nose evolving from black cherries to sweet fresh plums, showing a substantial amount of alcoholic heat; then followed by a taut coil spring of a medium weight body with solid fruits and a well balanced but strong acidity. On the finish first came baking spices and cinnamon, then dry tannins started to dominate, overpowering a good meat loaf. Very long, in any case. A lot of potential energy in this wine that could hit a stratospherically higher rating in a long time. I have made a promise to myself not to touch my remaining bottles until 5 and then 10 years from now. My rating is purely based on today's enjoyment of this wine, not its future potential.
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What a wonderful example of how much better wine can get in three years. Delightful, with complex honey notes on the palate. Excellent balance and structure. Very good and can easily cellar for a few more years. Buy more if possible.
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Such a joy to drink and a living proof that zinfandel can make wines that are serious as well as fun. Hint of spice, chocolate, and licorice wrapped around a solid core of black fruit. Tannins are soft. It's in a great place to drink now, although still mainly primary.
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Excellent structure with briary fruit, a solid core and nicely integrated oak. Hints of fennel or licorice, with gorgeous blackberry. Haven't had this in a couple of years and the extended cellaring has softened the tannins beautifully. Just a hint of heat at the beginning, that burned off after about 45 minutes. At the two hour mark (of course the final glass) it was singing. I have two left. I'm going to try and wait at least five years.
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Rich, delicious dark berry fruit with licorice and blackberry/bosenberry flavors, excellent structure, long finish, very fresh, seemed richer and more vibrant than the 2008
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Popped and poured and drank over three days. Awfully structured for a Zin blend. This wine showed best on day three. Dark pure California fruit and notes of leather. This is a great value and a wine that will age for 10 or even 20 years. I wish I had more. I would check in again in 2017.
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7th btl from our case, wish we had some more cases of this absolutely fabulous Ridge. Still not time to drink it in its prime, but it's just too damn delicious...
Med en amerikansk gäst bjuder man naturligtvis på ett riktigt bra amerikanskt vin. Rik, yppig och välkomnande doft av eleganta plommon (alltså en slags motvikt till sylt). Intrycket i munnen drar sig också mot det yppigt välkomnande. Som en kram. Har recenserat detta vin så mmånga ggr tidigare och önskar vi hade flera lådor till. Ett ypperligt vin från Ridge!
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Others liked this quite a bit more than I, and it had improved a bit by the time the wines were unveiled, and in looking at the rankings, those who voted later had this ranked higher.
My #6, Domino's #5 Group #2, 33 pts
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Regular dinner group (@ PZ): Still a purple color. In the bouquet red and dark berry fruits as well as some chocolate. On the palate cherry bonbons, herbs, elegant acidity and mild tannin. The alcohol shows a bit, but overall a very good wine. Early maturity now and probably still nice around 2020.
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Warm red color. Cherries, vanilla, redcurrant and an earthy note on the nose. Relatively powerful tannins still. But getting better after a couple of hours of air. Very good wine, has really come around since I tried it last time. Balanced and full. Very good!
50+5+13+15+8 (91p)
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Decanted 1hr, nice showing, blackberry, blueberry, hints of chocolate , some spice, still youthful, nice balance, fruit forward and balanced. Very smooth Lytton, with plenty of life ahead!
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p 'n p, a decant would've served well. purple-red; concentrated blackberry, brambly fruit aromas w/some iron & black pepper; med/+ weight; early on, the dense blackberry and red raspberry fruit commanded the profile (eliciting the "yum" response), w/a long, energetic iron ore, black loamy earth & mineral foundation. after several hours, the petite sirah/carignane component took the upper hand, showing more grip & structure. this will be a fun one to watch; third of 18.
6/25/14 despite my own advice, p 'n p again. virtual repeat of last bottle, not that there was any expectation of advancement in six months, worked great w/dinner. (91)
crispy duck confit w/braised romano beans, torpedo onions & guanciale, buttered red creamer potatoes w/chives & thyme
10/08/2015 decanted 30 min. still richly colored and amply perfumed, entering that magic middle window where it's still definitely zin, but multiple layers of spice cake, black pepper, boysenberry preserves & the wild herb & exotic spice of Lytton really shines. good length, so still some evolution before it moves into the mellow plateau. superb tonite (92)
grilled pork chop w/balsamic syrup; escarole w/garlic, lemon & 'nduja; grilled sourdough crostino w/avocado, chile & Maldon sea salt
red, magenta, in the color. raspberry, cherry, pepper, on the nose. earth, plum, spice, fig, sweet, oak, on the palate. medium acid, high tannins, on the finish.
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Paired with home made pizza. Excellent concentration and balance. Popped and poured. Generous nose. A pleasure to drink. On the palette notes of blueberries. Good acidity to keep a good grip.
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Ripe bramble/raspberry nose, with notes of toasted oak and floral aromas. Concentrated black fruit on the palate. Full and viscous with noticeable tannins that will ensure a long life. Long and spicy finish. Ridge's mastery of Zinfandel is once again evident in this fantastic blend. Very enjoyable now but will be even more rich and balanced with 3 - 5 more years in cellar.
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Ridge tasting at Allred's. This was in the zone last night. Blueberry nutmeg and spices in bouquet and palate. Tannins well integrated and all in harmony.
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Needed 1+ hours of decant. A stunning wine that had an awesome nose of flowers, dark berries and black cherry that following suit to a medium to full-bodied mouth. A great finish with smooth tannins and great intensity. It showed comfortably in between an classic/elegant wine and modern/ripe.
Upon opening, fruit bomb. Still a violet wine. 3 hrs of aeration did it well. Nose came out brash, broad and yet ... elegant. Some BIC ink, broad Zin and yet restrained. It also exhibits beautiful herbal notes. In the mouth this entertains like a great young wine with promise and posture. We are happy to hold 7 more btls of this rascal and don't expect a revisit before maybe 2016. Tonight was kind of like: Checking in on a friend. w/wife @ La Verdura (Yokohama). A night of pleasures more than dissection.
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Has some of the rustic spicy charm I normally expect from a zin, but it also has some very serious, powerful notes that I don't expect from a zin. Amazing weight, concentration and precision. Some leafy, vegetal notes - part of he wine's character, but not a shortcoming. Will show even better with age; would love to try this in 2016 - might peak by then.
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The forth time to taste this wine. I did not take notes. However, it was just about the same as my last extensive note on 10/4/2012. Good stuff - this time it paired well with BQ pork ribs.
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Decanted for half an hour. Allspice and red fruits on an opulent nose, body and palate leaner, the 14.5% alcohol totally hidden, medium finish with ample acidity. Definitely not hot or peppery. Enough tannins to wait at least another year or two. I really would mistake this zin for a good left bank Bordeaux if tasted blind!
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Deep garnet-crimson; blackberries, plums, cedar, dark chocolate; brambly berry, plummy, silky, full body, good balance, good acidity, ripe integrated tannins, lingering finish. Decanted 2 hrs. Ripe and brooding with integrated oak and chewy tannins. Always a beauty.
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GREEN - shows lots of green pepper, green olive and pine/sap flavors. Not much nose to speak of and kind of a tannic, brooding wine. Slightly hot on the finish. I have had much better vintages of this wine.
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Dark purple color. Really intense nose of buttery oak, dark chocolate, blackberry compote, vanilla. The strong butter smell blew off after a little bit of air and then the wine smelled more like a delicious blackberry pie. Similar flavors on the palate with the blackberry jam coming through along with grape juice and more of the oak notes. Medium+ acid and tannins with a nice, long finish. I enjoyed this wine a lot but it was a bit too primary for me at this stage. I have 2 more in the cellar and will then them both age for several more years before trying again since Ridge wines age so well. This wine could be really special down the road.
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Rich and full-bodied. Some forest floor and slightly pruney and cedar notes, but that's more of the expected style of the wine than anything else. Quite flamboyant and decadent. Not the polish or sophistication of some other blends, but a lively and engaging wine with very little to apologize for. I think another two or three years will allow it to bloom more.
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Tasted blind. Opened for 1 hour. Initially shows subtle red fruit flavors, mineral, earth and pepper. Evolved fantastically in glass, offering more ripe fruit flavors and mint. It's balanced, with correct acidity, good structure and a long finish. Tasted along with a Pallus Cab Franc (Chinon) and a Niepoort Redoma Douro), the Zin was hands down the WOTN.
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Very generous fruity nose. A little bit hot, but very enjoyable. Rich, smoky palate. From 375ml; Decanted for 1hr. UPDATE: Revisited the remaining of the bottle after 1 week (vacu-sealed) -- The heat has dissipated and the palate became much smoother. Some sweet flavors.
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This has both gained and lost something in its calming over the last 12 months. It's gained pleasure and polish though it may have lost some intensity and intrigue. Still, incredible depth, interest, and--believe it or not--balance. Fantasy finish that trails off with still more appeal and symmetry.
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This was amazing and one of the best QPR's anywhere. Drank from a Magnum. This is youthful with stellar balance. Dark blue/black color and beautiful nose that exploded when the first glass was poured. Bramblie berries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries and spice. Drink over the next 5+ years. I may have under-rated...AM
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Amazing vintage for this wine, one of our favorites - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackfruit, bramble, spice, plum and vanilla, excellent structure and balance, silky smooth on the palate with terrific length, very, very tasty! (94 Points).
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a complete wine. rich chocolate, rich black fruit, savory tannins, but still with acidity and minerals and without being explosive. powerful, intense wine that caresses the palate. gorgeous.
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Nez intense: moka, goudron, mine de crayon et quelques notes florales. Bouche dense, chaleureuse, présentant une certaine fraîcheur malgré la richesse du vin. Belle finale sur l'amertume.
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Opened for 20 min. Drank over 2 days. Day one with burgundy glass, day two with bordeaux glass. On day one it offers a spicy nose with black pepper, smoked meat along with a perfumed red mature fruit. On day 2 nose has green pepper, liquor cherries, mint, forrest floor, earth and fruit turning more ripe. On palate has a balanced acidiy and initially has a earthy flavor, meaty, red fresh fruit, with present tannins and some dryiness on mid palate. On day two, it becomes more mineral with graphite notes. Finish is long and made of red ripe fruit. (90-92)
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This is very good for what it is. Heady nose with spice, bramble, and loads of dark fruit on the palate. Impressive, but I think this will convince me that I no longer really enjoy American Zin. This wan't jammy at all and the tannins are integrating nicely, but it was still tiring to drink. These days, I'm happier with a bottle of Fatalone Gioia delle Colle primitivo than I am with this.
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This wine is near perfection. After a decant and 45 minute rest, it showed intense fruit and spice that was in perfect balance. There was no hint of alcohol at all. The not feel and persistence were equally impressive.
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May have to try again on its own. Had it on two different nights with several other reds and it didn't measure up. Great nose, even tasted good, but the finish was so overly dry as to leave a chalky mouth feel that detracted from all else.
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A nice solid bottle of terroir driven Zin. True to Ridge, this wine is a field blend that has a predominence of red and black on the nose and palate. Nice complexity and great balance which IMHO is what makes this particular vintage of Ridge wines, excellent across the board.
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I am in love with this wine. One of the greatest bangs for your buck I have ever seen. It truly drinks like a $100 wine. Just gorgeous. Seductive, Captivating, Sultry. Sheesh..... 93, no problem
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Not your average Zin. OK, it doesn't taste much like a Zin. Well not like the "in your face" Zins. Nice nose of raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, and spice. These are reflected on the palate with a nice touch of oak. Kind of a "Zin Meritage" of sorts with much better refinement and balance than your above average Zins. Sometimes you want a smash mouth Zin (ok, not often for me), and some times you don't. Lovely.
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Continuing to soften and drop the rougher of its remaining tannins. It's also gettng more balanced, especially as it picks up more acidity and becomes more delineated. Nice rich blueberry pie flavors that are starting to better express themselves along with the subtle spice undertones. Of the two bottles I've opened, this one was more rewarding, hopefully due to a longer time spent in the cellar.
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Dyp rød med mildt blåskjær. Generøs, sødmefull nese av bjørnebær, søte blåbær, treverk og julekrydder. Noe vanilje. Konsentrert, søtlig, mørk, lett krydret frukt med saftig og frisk syre. Noe nellik. Lett, tørr avslutning med noe sødme. 89-90 P
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Non-blind. Opened 6 hrs before serving at La Rochelle, Akasaka. Impression: Outstanding with trumpet fanfares For me, mainly like my previous notes, plus this has darkened substantially. This is sublime greatness in the making. My self discipline is having a hard time keeping this wine. Only 8 btls to go...
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Same as Prior TN's for me. A little time only increased the finesse and secondary flavors. The Zin was still prominent, but letting the host of secondary Varietals play their notes as well. Good fun, rich Jammy and lushious fruit. Just wonderful. This was our fifth and last bottle, and well worth the coin.
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Marvellous. Can only join my voice to the praise by D'artagnan below which describes it perfectly. My first impression is that this is defined by what it is not - namely, sweet, soft, jammy, alcohol-hot zin. I would have a hard time making the right call on the cepages here. Feels more like a ripe and full bodied, but very elegant, syrah. There's some vanilla allright, but this wine could last for many more years, and some time lying down would help integrate the oak even more; not that it bothers me today though.
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My wife brought some pizza home for dinner, so I broke out another 2009 Ridge Litton Springs (3rd tasting). This time, I get a complex nose and flavors of earth, brambly blackberry, black currant, blueberry, per my wife some black cherry, licorice, graphite, black pepper, spice and American oak. Rich, full bodied and concentrated fruit. A sumptuous feeling in the mouth. Again, it had a long spicy finish. It paired OK with the pizza, but I really enjoyed the wine more by itself. The wine has opened up much for the better from one year ago. Score 92-93.
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Very generous fruity nose. A little bit hot, but very enjoyable. Rich, smoky palate. I can see why so many people like that wine. I look forward to how this will evolve over time.
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Went to a split of this as a back up bottle to a disgusting wine from Garagiste. This was very good, but not as good as the last bottle that I had. The nose was a bit restrained, but offered dark fruits. The mouth feel was higher in acid and full of fruit. The finish was gripping. Seemed a bit closed. Last bottle. Will have to search for more.
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Damn does this wine bring the Yum. I mean Damn! The nose alone is fabulous and leaps from the glass. Ripe crushed blackberries, spice, brown sugar. I could drink this wine everyday and be totally cool with it. It's already integrated very well, and will cruise for a long time. Well done Mr. Draper, well done indeed. Love me some Ridge, especially Lytton Springs. 93+
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Wow! Enjoyed this bottling a lot more than the Geyserville of the same vintage. It's deep purple profile excudes crushed blackberry perfume that fills the palate with black/purple fruit. The wine is so well done and balanced. More specifically, it's quite sweet without being overwhelming or brooding....just what I have come to expect from Ridge. Really happy with this bottling and haven't enjoyed Zin this much since drinking Frank Family's 2007 (which was ethereal)! Cheers
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Never had a zin, petite syrah blend. Had the real easy to drink quality I’ve always found in a zin despite the high alcohol. Lots and lots of black fruit.
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Wonderful showing and fresh wine with floral, cherry, spice and blueberries. I love the floral quality on this wine and nice balance. Medium finish and really this is a drink now effort but I could see this wine going another five years. Decanted one hour.
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i was a big fan of the '08 Lytton Springs and this was my first bottle from a case of the '09. i was very impressed and the '09 is better than the '08 in my opinion. i don't know much about zinfandel but the blend with the syrah works so well. the fruit is beautifully integrated... both red and black. and the best bit is the price - good value in an age of inflated wine prices. excellent.
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Nothing wrong with this. Blueberries and black licorice on the nose. Same on the palate. Acidity is balanced by the tannins, it is a well-made wine. But I find it uninteresting. Maybe some time will add complexity.
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Minneapolis Wine Club: Cali Variety Pack with Ridge, Barnett, Pride Hobbs and more (Tracy's, Mpls): Very dark red-purple color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. Great and complex nose, roses, white flowers, blueberry, cassis, blackberry, carmel, creme brule, spice and light earth notes. The palate is velvety, full and rich, layers of black fruit, spices, mineral, good acid and a long finish. This is a fantastic wine and a killer QPR. My #2 WOTN and group's #1 WOTN.
Lovely. Won't repeat all the many tasting notes already on this wine but it has a beautiful backbone of cassis and some spice. Still very young and should develop much further - I do hope so since I have 3 cases of this wine! For me this was quite a bit nicer than the Geyserville with more going on.
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Whew. A big monter w a Cali Zin lurking underneath all that PS that hits hard night one. Day II this settles into a real nice wine. The tannins balance the big fruit, the american oak sweetens the whole thing nicely.
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Lots of dark fruit, black cherry, black berry, prune, spice, vanilla, slight pepper. Alcohol is high, but not out of balance. Sight grip, but texture is pretty smoothe. I picked up more of the pepper and spice on the second glass. Fruit forward. For the friends who dislike the earth forward Frenchies, I know they would love this. Very enjoyable.
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Haven't had Lytton Springs in some time. I joined the ATP program some years ago and have been drinking those Ridge Zins instead. Most of the ATP wines are very fruit forward. They are balanced, but they just don't have the Petite Sirah backbone of the Lytton and it was a wonderful contrast to those also delicious wines.
Day 1 I really noticed the structure of the wine and the fruit seemed a bit thinner than I was expecting. Day 2 this really came together and the fruit showed much better. Really an outstanding vintage for this wine which should age quite well - if you haven't had old Ridge Zinfandel, you are missing out.
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Decanted. Dark fruits seemed a bit hidden at the moment. May let this one sit longer to see if it comes around a little stronger given the higher professional reviews.
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This wine has opened quite a bit since I last tasted it about 10 months ago. I think soft tannin from the petite sirah may have contributed to it's not being so open when last tasted. On the nose, I now get brambly aromas of blackberry, some blueberry, earth, licorice, black pepper, graphite, spice and a jolt of American oak. There seems to be better richness and concentration of fruit in the mouth. On the palate, flavors of blackberry, blueberry, licorice and pepper. A terrifically long spicy finish. Paired quite well with barbeque pork chops. We consumed this, while watching the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals pre-season game on T.V.; glad football season is here again. This Ridge Lytton Springs was a real embellishing compliment to the evening. Score 92-93.
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Definitely more open and balanced then my last bottle as evidenced by the pop and pour and crowd response. Just a lovely, refined zinfandel blend. Amazing qpr.
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Deep and dark coloration. Surprised at how restrained the nose was despite several hours of decanting. A full, fruity palate of blackberries, accented with typical zinfandel spicy, peppery notes. Very smooth finish, more like a merlot than a zin. Not a ton of tannin. Nice wine, above average, but I am surprised at how favorable the professional reviews have been. Need to drink within the next few years.
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A Bunch of Zins ($20 to $40): My first time trying this vintage. Purple/ruby in color. Tight on opening. Sandalwood, some black raspberry. On the palate, slightly bitter with plums. Medium tannins. I was surprised when this was revealed. I did think it improved after that, but I wonder if that was because I gave it the benefit of the label, or the air helped it. In any event, I would have hoped for a better showing. I know AG raved about this wine so maybe it does need time. Its solid, but also the Ohio price is around $38, which is crazy.
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Berries on the nose, blueberries mostly. On the palate, more blueberries, blackberries and vanilla. Nice balance and length. Some fine tannins and plenty of fruit with a youthful nose points to some future development - I'd like to pick this up again in 2-3 years to see how it's getting on.
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Went great with grilled lamb chops. This bottle of wines shows you just how great Zinfandel can be. What impressed me most about this wine was it's balance. Rich dark fruits with enough acidity to make this wine lively, almost refreshing.
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Lots of blueberries with good weight and balance. Hints of heat from the apparent high alcohol content but still a very good wine. Interesting to see how it would develop over time.
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Nice proprietary blend, received as a gift but will buy back again for sure. Pleasent and even refreshing on the palate and can be enjoyed on its own easily.
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Poured into a decanter and drank with the cheese course - nice nose, medium body with blueberries, blackberries and a little menthol on the palate - held up well with the more pungent cheeses
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Crimson color with medium body. Nose is understated but sweet with hints of blueberry and oak - the nose is more like a cab than a zin. This bottle could have used more than an hour to breath. The mouth feel and acidity are medium. The palate begins quite structured with minerality, followed by cherries, plumbs and herb. The finishes sweat and meandering - my favorite part of this wine. Roberta was Abigail fan. 5+12+16+8=91
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Restaurantkøb i Boston. PnP hvilket bestemt ikke er optimalt for denne unge vin. Burde være iltet mindst 1 time så jeg sidder i stedet og svinger vinen rundt glasset for at få lidt ilt ind i vinen. Farven er meget mørkerød og duften er fin med toner af mørke bær. Smagen er behagelig, kraftig, balanceret og med en smule tanniner og en del syre som dog efter lidt tid i glasset forsvinder lidt ved iltningen. Jeg syntes vinen er bedst med mad og specielt sammen med en god fedtmarmoreret rib-eye således syren i vinen får lidt modspil. Drue mixet 71% Zinfandel, 23% Petite Sirah og 6% Carignane virker godt. Tror den vil være endnu bedre om 5-6 år eller længere.
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Let me preface that I am not a huge Zin fan, but this was a good effort and I enjoyed.
True garnet, medium plus body, high alcohol Lots of stewed dark fruit off the nose, vanilla, oak NEW WORLD!!!! Dry, lots of oak, round, long finish, sweet caramel, spiciness. Also too young too drink in my opinion.
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Poured into a decantor through an aerator even though it was a 375. Not that much of a nose but very fruit forward with spices and hints of vanilla. Medium finish but overall a very good wine which paired well with the wild boar i had for dinner.
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- Crimsom color with slow forming legs and aromas of raspberry, vanilla, oak and menthol. It's balanced and has flavours of fig and vanilla with a full body. Fleshy texture with a medium finish - Admittedly, I like the Lytton but I wholeheartedly prefer the Geyserville of the same vintage. Lytton still needs more time but won't stack up to the Geyserville.
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I don't understand the move The Matrix. Never have. This wine was like that for me. It was not what I expected (and I have had Ridge wines before, but they were Three Valleys). Maybe more sophisticated that I was ready for. but, just like The Matric, everyone was fascinated by it. I just stared at them glumly, and said "Really? Are you sure? I don't get it." It must be me. The score reflects the admission that I need to defer to others, especially when they are dinner guests who loved the wine. Who am I do contest that?
Je ne bois plus de Zinfandel depuis longtemps. Évidemment, ce n'est jamais un problème de faire mûrir le Zinfandel. Ce sont la surmaturité et l'alcool excessif qui posent parfois problème.
Hors celui-ci est un modèle, en demi-bouteille.
Un nez exubérant et complexe, d'épices sucrées et de cannelle (comme du vin chaud), avec fraises, caramel et raisins de Corinthe. L'attaque est bien mûre, le vin est dense, concentré, un brin sucrée, d'une texture visqueuse, avec une longueur impressionnante et surtout, une superbe finale équilibrée, ample et précise, sans chaleur.
Beaucoup de fruit, c'est gourmand bien sûr, mais il possède aussi une certaine finesse étonnante pour ce cépage, on est loin du style blockbuster de plusieurs Zins populaires auprès des critiques. Un vin réjouissant, authentique et savoureux, bon maintenant mais ses jolis tanins enfouis sous le fruit promettent un vieillissement intéressant.
Aux antipodes des Bourgogne ou Bordeaux, il faut aimer le Zin américain. Mais dans le style, c'est très difficile à battre. 93+ pts
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Awesome. Enjoyed on a beautiful, temperate, evening. Light cherries, blackberry, and a hint of pepper. Smooth as silk. Plenty of tannins remain, but integrating nicely. Great Ridge.
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Popped and poured out of a magnum. Aromas of fresh red fruits, cedar and vanilla. Flavors of red cherry, dusty, earthy cedar and a slight vanilla secondary characteristic. This seems very balanced and certainly enjoyable as we paired it with a variety of pate, bread, cheese and meats. A tremendous crowd pleaser and one of the best Ridge products I'm happy to be re-aquainted with.
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very nice wine, with no formal notes the short thin finish seemed to stand out for me. Perhaps more airtime would have helped this fill out. Still overall was a very nice well made wine and even with the finish I would buy and enjoy another bottle.. actually I have more bottles.
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Day 1 - Opened bottle for 90 minutes prior to drinking. Cherry, blackberry, pepper, earthy elements on the nose. Juicy mix of cherries and black raspberry on the palate. Finish is chewy and oaky. The tannins and acid are balanced, but the fruit needs time. Day 2 - comes together with complexity at the start, but mellow long tannins at the finish. This wine will be amazing in a few years, although it may be difficult not to drink it in the mean time!
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Decanted and drank slowly from decanter for 2hr. Started with brambly dark fruit/blackberry/black currants, smoke and pepper and then developed graphite and hints of cardamom over the 1.5hr. Initially slightly tannic but rounded out beautifully as it integrated (much sooner than anticipated!). Moderately long finish.
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Out of a 375 with 2 hr decant and drank over 3 hours. Nice balance of spice, smokiness, and cherry notes. Not too alcoholic or over the top, paired well with chorizo and red peppers sandwich. Probably will develop for a few more years if you can wait.
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served cold; good dark raspberry, plum, earth; more integrated than when last tasted, though still young; nice balance and could match with the heavy and lighter fare.
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This bottle tasted quite tight to me, with a lot of petite syrah cool blue fruit and structure. Despite this, great balance between the plums, rosemary, chocolate milk and the tannins and acidity. Definitely not to heavy or sweet. Get the impression that there is much more under there, so plenty of upside. I'll let these rest a couple of years.
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Day 3 review and much better now. Minerals, spice, blueberries, raspberries and floral notes. Full of flavor on the palate and plenty of spice. Medium finish and concentrated wine. Not an over the top wine but tons of flavor and very nice for the money. Well done.
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Oinorama Wine Fair 2012; 3/17/2012-3/18/2012: (tasted at oinorama) Zinfandel 71%, Petit Syrah 23%, Carignan 6%. This vintage has considerably lower percentage of Zinfandel and it clearly shows that. The color is full bright red . The nose is quite round, balanced, straightforward fruity character with sweet spiced in the background. Smooth mouthfeel, fruity, ripe and velvet-like tannins, high acidity, short to medium aftertaste of black ripe cherries. Without taking under consideration the fact that its much young than the other 2 (207, 2006) this one has a much more crowd pleasing character.
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By far the biggest and most structured of a tasting against two Napa (Venge Scouts Honor) Zins. Firm and still a bit tight, with forward black fruits, plum, a layer of tar, licorice, smoke and notes of pepper. This needs a couple more years to unwind and open and probably has a long life ahead. We knew that going in but wanted to try it as a benchmark against the vintage selections from 1998 and 2001, and also to determine if we should buy more since its currently available.
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Popped and let breathe in the glass for 30 - 45 minutes. Huge floral component on the nose with a heavy dose of blueberry. As it got more air time, the blueberry settled down. On the palate, blueberry pie, with some blackberry, baking spice, and white pepper. Definitely becomes more balanced with no component taking over as it got more air. This was not a favorite of mine as the blueberry was just over the top for me throughout most of my consumption. However, it was a very well made wine.
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Smell: At first a sweet delicious scent emerges from the glass which reminds me of delicious concentrated C9DP and Burgundy wines. Later this disappears, and you were left with blackcurrant and vanilla. Now it reminds me more of your "run of the mill" Cab Sauve. After 15-20 minutes in the glass is changed again, now pleasant and sweet, but not so intense as to begin with.
Taste: Blackcurrant in the beginning, some oak. This wine is definitely a future project! Rather aggressive tannins, medium concentration and not the world's longest ending. Still this wine is charming and good, but nothing special. Opens a bit up after an hour in the glass. Good with chocolate!
50+5+12+13+7
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This is about as outstanding as it gets for Ridge. Plenty of fruit without going over the top. Lytton Springs is usually one of my favorite from Ridge and I think this is the best so far.
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Wasn't looking forward to my annual tasting of this wine. It's been in decline for a number of years. Reversal. This wine is tremendous and back to form from the "old days". No over-extraction here. Bold black and blue fruit, however not weighty. Long finish.
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From 375. Didn't find this as well-balanced as I typically find Lytton Springs. Lowish acid and a bit too much in the way of chocolaty notes for my tastes. Missed the herbals I usually get.
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Same here, pdemaio, and from 800 miles away!: expecting to be disappointed and again being thrilled with the 09 Lytton springs. Dessert is a great time to pour this, but that doesn't mean it's not balanced, beautiful, and involved.
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Everytime I open one of these I expect to be disappointed, and yet I never am. Lovely nose and boy what integration and smoothness onthe body. Big fruit, but not overpowering. Just such a nice balance between nose with great secondary flavors (perhaps a touch of good VA) and spice and the smooth but full body which rolls gently into a long finish with the slightest ramp in intensity until if begins to fade. Still tight, I've got to try not to drink all of these in the next year to see how it develops. PDQ94
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When this baby sheds some baby fat it is going to be amazing. Tastes alongside the 09 GVille, the Lytton was darker, richer, but more aromatically subdued. Decanted for 2 hours. Perfect match for a fat cap seared rare tri tip. Gorgeous wine. Loads of Dark Fruits and spice. 92+++
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Visit to Ridge's Montebello Vineyard and Tasting: We heard it at Grgich's cellar, too (unsurprisingly): the very 9 vines outside of a church, very similar to Plavac Mali, dating back to the 1800's on the Dalmation Coast, are now definitively considered by UC Davis as the origin of Zinfandel. I thought this was just very interesting, and I was stunned to what extent this reminded me of Frappato--and, holy shit, if a Zinfandel blend can remind me of a fresh, carefree Frappato, that's quite an accomplishment in my book. Wondering if I will edge towards Lytton in the eternal "Geyserville vs Lytton" debate. Great acid, plush velvety raspberry character and aroma.
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Extremely good, solid structure, just a hint of spicyness covering a solid core of fruit though not in a typical zin sort of way. At this young age, I can only imagine this Lytton Springs will evolve for the better and merit a higher score. Another solid Ridge offering.
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Pours deep ruby purple with strong aromatics. I smell caramel and cocoa with ripe red fruit and dates. Medium full body with strong balance of tannin and acid making up a bold backbone. Ladled blackberry sauce, ripe plum and cherry, a bit of blue berry with milk chocolate, crushed rock, and sour cranberry. This wine is beastly. There is some exceptional complexity here. Decant for 30 min.
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Delicius zin. Layers of dark fruit, peber, liquorice and hints of vanilla from the oak. Quite elegant for a blockbuster wine and has the freshness to keep it balanced. For me this was surpricelingly good
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Purple, bright edges; vanilla oak, fruity; blackberry, cherry, forest floor, american oak, acidity. This is one of the best Lytton's I have had in years. The acid should allow it to cellar for many years. Drinking nicely now with 1+ hour decant. (First visit for my son to Ridge MB)
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On the nose big blackberry/raspberry jam, almost like a fruit roll-up. Very rich in fruit and smells almost over the top. On the palate that same big fruit and deliciousness, but enough acid and tannin to make it far from tiring. A touch of vanilla towards the tail-end and an incredibly long finish of that same blackberry. This is very young and delicious. Definitely has the stuffing to age for a while. And though I'm not as high on this as Antonio Galloni, it's a very nice drink.
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Out of 375. Drank following an 09 geyesrville. Outstanding structure and balance. Drinks very well right now and will be fun to follow over the years. Very dark fruits with some spice on the finish. As good of a Lytton as I have had
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Great fruit of dark fruits, great balancing acidity. Decanted four hours, drunk over next four hours. Last glass was the best. Does not show relatively high alcohol, and has all of the components to age gracefully, an excellent young wine that should improve over the next few years.
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On the nose, it's very young (!) and jammy enough to make me think I mis-bought a whole case of this. But, per os this comes around nicely: showing some restraint, smallish cathedral gonnabe, fine acids, good density and attractive fruit. Tannins and oak character are much lower than expected. Really looking forward to bottle #2 in 2016. We have very high hopes for it!
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No detailed notes, but concentrated restrained style. Strong oak but integrated with time. had a little blackberry liquor, lush fruit flavors. I really like this style of zin.
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Old Vine Sonoma Zinfandels (Vin Vino Wine, Palo Alto, CA): Ripe berry fruit and a touch of vanilla on the nose. Medium bodied with low acidity. Ripe mixed berry fruit and vanilla on the palate. Drinking very well now but a bit oaky for me. I imagine I will enjoy it more when the oak integrates but the low acidity concerns me a little.
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from the Enomatic at Max's Wine Dive. Initially, some dusty, dark, chocolatey flavors, almost tasting a bit old. But after 15 minutes in the glass it freshened up with juicy berry fruit, some american oak that was not overpowering. Very good, but not up to typical Lytton springs, though to be fair I will retaste a fresh bottle. this only ***+
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From a half at a restaurant alongside Roger Perrin's 2008 CdP. I told my wife that this was my favorite to win the new world / old world battle, but I was wrong. The Ridge was everything I thought it would be - rich fruit combined with impeccable freshness and delivered in a glossy smooth package. Just about everything I look forward when I am in the mood for a Cali wine, but tonight the Ridge was the simpler of the two wines at the table and the CdP was long gong by the time we finished up the last of the Ridge. This is the ultimate crowd-pleaser, but left me looking for a tad more.
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Popped and ran through vinturi. Blackberry, campfire, wood on the nose. Juicy mix of cherries and black raspberry on the palate. Oak prominent on the finish. The tannins and acid seem to be in balance with each other, but the fruit needs time. Day 2 - comes together with complex licorice and rich P.S. fruit that transitions to sour red fruit on the finish. Let it rest for couple years - day 2 showed its potential. Buy up while you can for $30.
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First day was very muted, mineral, with a little zin spice, almost no sweetness. Second day, fruit came out on the nose and palette. Nice wine, but not the knockout I was expecting.
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Is this a good tasting wine? Yes, it it. BUT... and this is a big one: you can hardly feel the thing. It is so understated. It also lacks the tannins. I don't understand why one would expect this to get any better with age. I know Parker has given it 94 points and I usually agree with him. Is this the one he got wrong. At least for me, he has.
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While this big-boy zin wasn't as deep as I had hoped it to be, it did provide some decent drinking pleasure: Big fruits (black cherry, plum and faint rubhard) went along quite well with an interesting melange of spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) and a black licorice, peppery finish. If only the midpalate could have lived up to the initial mouth feel and that the finish could have lingered. I agree that the petite bodes well for the future aging of this newbie. Had it with prime rib and thought it matched up well considering the tannins were noticable yet already starting to soften.
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Not as big and rich as the Geyserville, which makes it more food friendly, but just as well made. Great nose of brambly red and black fruits, some creosote and chocolate notes. So smooth going down the hatch, with a lingering finish that again, doesn't match the Geyserville, but still a steal for the price.
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Brilliant! Very much in line with prior tasting notes. Dark crimson garnet in color. Jammy rustic berry on the nose, with hints of spice and very light oak. The tannins are very short and fine on the palate. Such a flexible fruit driven wine, that appeals to many. For us, we find this a very approachable Zinfindel blend, that suits our palate just right!. Glad we have more bottles of the Lytton!!
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Dark purple colour. The nose is powerful, filled with ripe raspberry fruit, liquorice and a touch of cigar smoke. Velvety smooth with spicy black fruits, great refreshing acidity and a long densely flavoured finish. Very good.
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Out-Standing!!! Even better the secon night. This has some serious power in fruit, spice, and vanilla. But so much better the second day, which leads me to believe this has 3-5 years of life in the bottle...easy! This can carry itself with some strong flabors (Filet/Min), broccoli, and the fixins. It's got all that, and more. The frontal attack has storng berry push, but the tannins are really mellow, and the finish has nice longevity. This is a really well made Zin/Petite Sirah blend, and well worth the coin.
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Pretty good stuff. Raspberry, and rhubarb and mocha flavors. Medium acidity and tannin. The label says this should age 10-15 years but I think it is probably at its best now.
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Youthful purple with a maroon rim. Brambly fruit dominates the nose with some strawberry thrown in. Full bodied, but in beautiful balance. This delivers layers of black and red fruit along with some spice and fig. Good acidity keeps this bright and dare I say refreshing. Beautifully textured with chewy, grippy tannins. The finish goes and goes.
This is a shining example of a youthful, full bodied new world wine which shows complexity and elegance along with power and opulence. "Cult" producers could do well to take note of wines like this.
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Bright joyous fruit on the nose. big smooth mouthfeel with great acid and balance. Really easy to drink, but lots to think about it you want to. Or don't and just enjoy the hedonism of it.
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This has a nice weight and great balance but it seems to border on jammy. I liked it with pizza tonight but I think I can do almost as well with a $12 Spanish Garnacha for over 1/2 the price. I have a feeling I may prefer a less ripe vintage of this wine but $30 seems like a lot for Zin to me.
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Deep dark garnet body. Dusty, earthy, brambly, blackberry nose, along with a lot of black pencil lead. The wine seems like it may be a bit closed to me, hidden by soft tannin. Very nice, but not overly concentrated fruit in the mouth. A long spicy finish of 25+ seconds. I don't know whether the petit sirah really helps the zinfandel grapes here - time will only tell. But, the wine pairs nicely with a homemade pizza with lots of mushrooms, cheese and beef. Next time I order Mexican food, I'll open another bottle.
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I liked this and my wife loved it. Actually a little understated. Berry, graphite, and a mineral component that many have commented on. No tannin to speak of but great lift from the acidity. It didn't come across as hot or ripe. Great out of the bottle with minimal change over the course of the night. From prior experience with the Lytton Springs, there's no hurry with this.
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Zinfandel Tasting: 2009 Ridge, Biale, Bogle (Winestreets): Very dark red purple color. The nose is lush here too, ripe blueberry and blackberry, herbal, mineral. The palate shows great structure, very deep, full bodied, firm tannins, cassis, blackberry , mineral, and earth. This is big and young. Looking forward to this in a couple of years.
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I'm with Baggio & FieldingYost on this one - well put. The only thing I can add is how good it tastes straight from the bottle. I wonder where it will go in 5 years? Has the stuffing to last.
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The nose showed red wild berries, a dusting of cinnamon sugar, hints of minerals and herbs, and a whiff of dark baker’s chocolate. On the palate, it was beautifully balanced and elegant with a firm start and juicy finish. Ripe red and blue fruits went from sweet to tart as it flowed across the palate. The finish was long and spicy.
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A Visit to Ridge Lytton Springs Estate: Inky purple-crimson colors. Aromas of black fruit, pepper, mint and herbs. Turns florally and perfumed with violets, lavender and licorice aromas. Full-bodied with firm, but approachable tannins with terrific dark fruit flavors and good underlying acidity. 14.5% abv and $35/bottle. 93+ pts.
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Fruit restrained at first, with oak and moderate tannins prominent. Good acid. Aromas of fruit got much better as we worked through the bottle during and after dinner. Lovely wine with BBQ salmon.
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Graphite, smoke, black licorice on a nose that is totally secondary, only a bit of black fruit peaking through. Tremendous structure here, with earth and black licorice, quite some depth, and not very much fruit to speak of at present. This drinks more like a cabernet, grown in the old world, than an American zinfandel, with a thirty second finish. In need of time.
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Quite the iconoclastic wine. All earth and minerals with almost no detectable fruit. Like drinking liquid graphite. One of the deepest, most layered wines I've had this year. It'll be interesting to watch the fruit emerge...presumably!
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Ridge Fall Release Celebration (Ridge Monte Bello Vineyard): A bit closed now, but shows great promise. Complex jammy black fruit is in the background right now, but there's lots of structure and good acidity. Should be a good food wine once it opens up.
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Sweet red and blackcurrants on the nose, not jammy but a little confected. Notes of caramel creams on the finish. Good purity of fruit although a bit too much of a sweety for my palate. According to Eric Baugher the magic age for Ridge's zins is 10 years. I've never had any long enough to find out if he's right but I may have to try now...
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3/5/2024 - wirelesswine wrote: 93 Points
Stunning at almost 15 years of age
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1/22/2024 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Remains delicious. Should have bought 5 cases.
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11/17/2023 - kronfeld wrote:
Still delicious but fading. Drink up.
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8/9/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opulent and structured. Very much agree. Drinking well.
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7/8/2023 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Deep red, on the nose I struck with classic LS notes of bramble fruit, wild cherry, mocha and cedar. Beautiful wine, it’s still alive and drinking so well now. Will last a few more years, but would not wait.
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7/4/2023 - Rich S Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. This might be at peak. Dark crimson color. Nose of blackberry and black raspberry, touch of bitter chocolate, some old wood, luxardo cherry and just the right amount of sweet toasty oak in the background. Similar flavors on the palate with ripe black fruits balanced with medium acidity and smooth, mostly resolved tannin. Smooth mouthfeel and long finish as well. Just a fantastic bottle of wine that is in a great spot.
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7/1/2023 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep ruby color persists with black fruit and licorice on the nose and palate. Some smoke on the finnish.
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4/23/2023 - spode Likes this wine: 94 Points
Who else makes Zinfandel blends like Ridge that you can cellar 10-15 years and have it emerge from the bottle with so much fruit, so fresh and so balanced? This was a superb 14 year old bottle that felt like it had years left in it. But why wait? Its drinking beautifully right now and unlikely to improve.
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3/26/2023 - LightDancer wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle. Still full bodied and balanced, but a bit less intense than before. Rich, dark red and black fruits. A delight to drink. At a celebratory dinner with D&M.
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3/23/2023 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 93 Points
Short decant. Nose of plum, birch beer, and cedar plank. Smooth and polished palate of black raspberry, blueberry pie, vanilla beam, and a nice lift leading into the finish, which delivers a fine line of minerals and dried herbs before a plush finale of raspberry, milk chocolate, blue fruits, and a supple oak finale. Surprisingly fruit at this age and very balanced. Nothing like I recall from the other bottle last fall.
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2/9/2023 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Zinfandel "with friends-Petite Sirah and Carignane." This wine is slightly past it's peak but still a pleasure to drink. Black fruit and licorice on the nose and palate and a hint of smoke on the finish.
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1/10/2023 - jgh123 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Remains rich with some complexity. Should hold another 5 years but no reason to wait.
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11/26/2022 - VAGenius wrote:
PnP at Jeff's firepit after Michigan victory over Ohio State. No detailed notes but it was quite dry and perhaps a bit tired. Drink up!
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10/31/2022 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Slow ox 3 hours. I was always expecting more from this wine, and I think the prodigious amount (23%) 0f petite sirah takes away from the Zin base more than it adds. Nonetheless still a high quality wine.
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9/4/2022 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
End of night pop and pour so I didn't take formal notes but this was rocking. Ripe, dark red fruits with just the right amount of oak. Smooth mouthfeel and finish.
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4/12/2022 - byzero Likes this wine: 94 Points
Zinfandel, petite syrah, & carignane
DAY1
Served with the Vinloq System
👀Youthful dark ruby
👃Big sweet fruit. Plum, blackberries, underbrush, anise, cloves, and spice. Fresh and vibrant
👅Plums & blackberries with tar and anise. Spicy & chalky. All in a silky package
Tannins are soft and minimally exposed. Oak is fully integrated. Long dark fruited finish. So well crafted
Great now and should be for some time as Ridge wines have a track record of excellent longevity. Could this improve? Not sure 🤔 It’s great now 👍
Bottle stored in fridge with Vinloq Preservation
DAY5
Shared with a friend. Same as DAY1
DAY21
The spice and cloves remained but softer & more restrained than DAY1 & 5. I preferred the intensity on those days
Full note available on Instagram @ "Vinloq.notes"
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4/6/2022 - jpkelleher1 wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic long finish
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3/2/2022 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
I have not tried a bottle of this wine in over 5 years and it is still really good. Opened two hours before dinner and then recorked and brought along with us to one of the numerous BYOB's that are available in northern New Jersey. The nose is all fruit, the palate was dark berries, plums, green pepper, wood and spice. A nice long finish.
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2/14/2022 - Lord Marc Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is getting better with age. If you have some try it now...so good.
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12/4/2021 - markydecker Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last magnum from the cellar and it’s perfect. Slight bricking around the rim, nose of damp earth and plums. The Bordeaux nuances are here (earth, leather, cigar box, garrigue). This is totally in the zone in large format, and will hold for many years. QPR on large bottles of Lytton and Geyserville is off the charts. Lovely foil to our delicious Thanksgiving lunch.
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12/3/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
Raisin laden nose, reminiscent of an older CdP bar the funk. The bouquet is definitely over the hill, but the wine appearance is vibrant and the flavors underneath are vibrant with spice, red candy, and vanilla. A very long, dry finish. This is not my thing, but its clearly in the zone for the zin gang. Drink
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11/29/2021 - thalver wrote:
very well balanced, and drinking well. The nose could stand to be more expressive....subtle fruit and earth flavors on the palate, medium finish. It may well go longer, I don't know if it will improve.
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11/27/2021 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points
A blend of Zinfandel (71%), Petite Sirah (23%) and Carignan (6%) from the Lytton Springs vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. The harvest started on 11th of September and ended on 4th of October. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 8 days. The wine was blended using 23 separate fermentation lots, selected from a total of 34 different ferments. Aged in American oak (18% new, 57% second, third or fourth use, 20% fifth or sixth use) for 14 months. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted in a mini-vertical of Lytton Springs 2015, 2014 and 2009.
Somewhat translucent yet rather deep and dark black cherry-red color. The nose feels a bit restrained for a Lytton Springs, but also showing good sense of harmony and integration, exhibiting lovely aromas of ripe raspberries and blackberries, some bilberry tones, a little bit of juicy cherry, light oaky notes of cloves and woody spice, a hint of dark plum and a sweeter, evolved touch of dried dark fruits. The overall impression is somewhat sweet-toned but also enjoyably fine-tuned and showing less oak than the younger vintages. The wine feels silky, ripe and somewhat sweetly-fruited on the palate with a full body and vibrant flavors of boysenberry jam and stewed dark plums, some bilberry tones, a little bit of mocha oak, light evolved notes of meaty umami, a hint of toasty wood spice and a faint floral touch of elderflower. The wine is enjoyably high in acidity with a moderately firm tannic backbone. The finish is ripe yet somewhat savory with moderate tannic grip and quite lengthy flavors of ripe bilberries and blackberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of evolved meaty character, light boysenberry tones, a floral hint of elderflower and a faint oaky touch of vanilla and cloves.
A wonderful, harmonious and enjoyably structured vintage of Lytton Springs that is slowly gliding into its optimum drinking window. Ridge often states that Lytton Springs will evolve for 10-15 years, but at 12 years of age this wine feels like it is only starting to hit its stride; it is exhibiting only its first evolved characteristics, the structure hasn't gone anywhere and there is still some oak that could integrate further with the fruit department - although I'm very happy how for the most part the oak has seemed to disappear into the background, when tasting this back-to-back with the 2014 and 2015 vintages. Although this wine is drinking mighty well right now, I'd say it will continue to improve for a good number of years more and probably will drink just fine for another 12-15 years, if not longer. While not as impressive as promising as the 2014 vintage, this doesn't really fall much behind. Smashing stuff, expect the score to slowly inch up as the wine ages.
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11/23/2021 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Ridge Dinner 22 November (Hawksmoor Guildhall): A little bit muted? Maybe it was the comparison, maybe it's a dumb phase, or maybe there's just something a little off with this bottle. Perfectly decent drink - but I wonder if this middle aged phase makes it hard for these wines to shine?
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11/20/2021 - Mortgage92 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, dark, dark color (dark ruby), dark fruit (currant), dark aroma (tobacco)....but what a flavor, moderate acidity, smooth body, lasting finish (slight smoke and pepper). This Zin blend is one of the best I have had. Paired this with a bowl of chili - good match! Drinking perfect now, so why what. I personally will not risk holding this wine longer and will finish all my bottles in the next 6- 8 months...why mess with perfection
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10/24/2021 - nanoose wrote:
Part of huge extravagant dinner. Had this with the main of osso buco, and Chantrell risotto. After an 06 barbaresco, had this which sang with multiple layers of fruit and chocolate, long finish, then had ‘14 la Stella expressivo. Appies were local albacore sashimi and smoked sockeye with Perrier jouet grand brut, and a fois gras and chantrell crostini with 2015 sauternes (chateau armajan des ormes). Desert of French cheeses with a blackberry port and capped with the last of a bottle of 1960 marcel trépointe armagnac. What a night!!
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10/19/2021 - moxielady wrote: 92 Points
Smooth tannin, a bit oak on the finish. Drinking very well now, would probably keep for a few more years.
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10/16/2021 - askoje wrote: 93 Points
Right from the beginning the nose is bursting with intense and pure blackberry fruit. Rarely experienced such distinct aroma in a wine. Then comes Swiss Ementaler cheese, pine, thyme and grilled meat. Outstanding nose! Taste followes the aromas from the nose, with finess, backbone, great acidity and blackberry fruit. This is in it’s prime window for me now and will hold for many more years. One of the most delicate bottles of LS I’ve had
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9/27/2021 - fred o. Likes this wine:
71% zinfandel, 23% petite sirah, 6% carignane.
14.5% abv.
Cork broke in half.
Burgundy with some translucence at edges. Sediment on the bottle.
Nose black cherry.
Palate a little reserved, some vanilla initially, with time a mocha edge. Blackberry and cherry fruit. Wished for some more freshness but good for the style, still needs some air. 89 pts
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8/27/2021 - Zoomin Z Likes this wine: 93 Points
"Good stuff!" said my wife...and most will agree wholeheartedly, if you like black fruit, savory flavors, layers of structure and a dark experience. Still very much Bordeaux-like. Ever-so-slightly starting to lose energy, with the alcohol tamed and tannins fully integrated. Would no longer wait on this vintage.
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7/6/2021 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was superb and true to its character. Sweet cherry with a briary fruit halo, some spice and milk chocolate aromatics. Palate is expansive, but never heavy; lots of ripe fruit balanced by plenty of acidity, good tannic structure. There is power, but a real sheen and celebration of the California sun in an elegant package. Just delicious and no rush to drink.
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5/31/2021 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 93 Points
dark fruits, blackberry, cherry notes, briary notes, leather, well integrated tannins, solid structure, long finish
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5/9/2021 - Doblk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Open about two hours before serving. Lots of sediment so be careful with the pour. Drinking very well. Still plenty of ripe Zin fruit with balanced acid. Also interesting secondary notes perhaps from the age: smoke, tobacco, briar etc. This is a CA classic and it drinks that way.
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2/3/2021 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
So this wine is really good, and I did it no favors by opening about 30 minutes before dinner. It is quite opulent and structured and didn't start hitting its prime 'til significantly after the food was gone.
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1/15/2021 - t_moderne wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour.
Dark garnet color. Just starting to show age.
Dark fruit, vanilla, hint of cedar and cassis.
Dark fruits on intro with some heat in the middle. Fine tannins. Good fruit with acidity to carry the wine. Slight heat was a deduction
.
Label states 14.5% abv.
It shows.
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1/1/2021 - winespine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consumed this with ham and scalloped potatoes on New Year's Day. This was the second of two bottles purchased in 2012. We had the first in 2013 and I guessed this bottle would age well. It was delicious and worth the wait. In its window, but could have gone a few more years without a problem. A stunningly good zin, alcohol, fruit, acidity all in great balance.
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12/25/2020 - Vandiner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully. Had this with our Christmas dinner and didn't make any particular notes. Rich, balanced, and delicious. I have another bottle yay!
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12/12/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Mixed Wines Virtually (Home): Very dark red color. PNP, poured into vessels for transport at 4:15pm and into glasses at 7pm. Drank a glass over 3.5 hours. 71% Zin, 23% PS, 6% Carig. Dark and decadent, full boded, sweet black fruits, cassis, plum, creme de cassis, glycerin, dried herbs. This really was singing the next day. I would not be at all shy about hanging onto these. 92+ to 93pts.
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11/28/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
60 minute decant. Just the right amount of ripeness. Lovely black and red fruits, some Oak, a few dried herbs and touch of sour at the finish that seems to come from the Carginan. Very smooth.
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10/27/2020 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice with bramble, dark red fruits and forest floor. It is very mature, but should be ok for a few more years.
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10/11/2020 - runts wrote:
2025
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10/3/2020 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just opened. The color is dark red with an orange rim. Lots of lush, dark red fruits, including bing cherries and raspberries, bramble, some garrique and forest floor. It’s drinking nicely and I think it will hold for a few more years.
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9/24/2020 - timewithwine wrote:
“Primary” is the word for this wine at this point. The color, the nose and palate are all primary. Brown sugar, molasses, zin funk, and boysenberry. Not a lot of tertiary flavors or development. Some heavy grains of sediment. 14.5% alc. With braised pork chops under mushrooms. 09.24.20. Recommended.
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9/11/2020 - Mbad77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Didn’t take notes and drank a couple of weeks back, just cleaning up CT. memories were of a very good and very enjoyable wine. Yes it’s still full of fruit, oak and tannins but very much drinking quite easily now.
Will age very well so don’t feel there is urgency.
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8/31/2020 - ogres3 wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well and quite delicious. Very happy to have more and all the vintages in between.
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8/3/2020 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blew away the '09 Quilceda cab we also popped. Nice nose, lush complex dark fruit, quite smooth, big finish. Drank with duck. Very nice wine.
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6/26/2020 - MrD Likes this wine:
DELICIOUS!
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6/8/2020 - beekeeper wrote: 91 Points
Felt like it was in transition. The first day it was claret like and a bit pruney, by the third night that had blown off and it was smooth, balanced and more in line from what I have come to expect from a Lytton Springs with a bit of age.
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5/27/2020 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Still encumbered in thick, sweet oak. Candied red/dark red fruits. OK, for some on its own. Probably needs 15 years before I'd possibly be interested. NR
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4/20/2020 - Enfant sauvage wrote:
Opened for Sadie's birthday. My last and best bottle of this, easily the most integration to date. That said, this is no longer a wine/style on my buy list. Goodbye Ridge, your oak treatments, while far from the worst in the business, will not be missed.
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1/24/2020 - LightDancer wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and then had immediately. Initial impressions were an explosion of dark fruits and lingering finish. 20 minutes in, the fruit diminished and the wine a balanced delight. Excellent bottle.
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1/19/2020 - WetRock wrote:
In a good place now. This needed a good 20-30 minutes to open. Even the wine neophytes noticed the big turn. It's in a sweet spot where the secondaries are adding subtleties while the fruit is still pretty fresh. Still very Zinberry in expression. The tannin and acidity keep it focused. Robust feel still. This could go quite a while but I'd say the next 3-5 years are looking really good. Very good.
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1/19/2020 - BHRH Likes this wine: 91 Points
Initial slightly porty, raisiny notes blew off following 90 minute decant. Thereafter, a bit reserved on the nose, but muscular, earthy black fruits on the palate. An interesting finish - somewhat lean and tannic suggesting either the fruit is diminishing (doubtful in a L.S.) or the P.S. is driving the finish right now. 91+ from the eternal optimist for more improvement :)
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12/21/2019 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Still drinking well with black fruit, smooth and tasty!
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11/28/2019 - megropolis wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well
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8/19/2019 - matage Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big and bold without getting brash. Would decant at least 90 minutes before consuming as the glass development was significant
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8/18/2019 - pgm wrote: 90 Points
No detailed notes taken. Enjoyable, but at the end of the plateau. Drink in the near term.
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8/10/2019 - timewithwine wrote:
At age 10 it was time to pull my first bottle of this Zin blend (71% Zin., 23% Petite Sirah, 6% Carignange) that rarely disappoints. Deep plum on the rim and completely opaque at the core. The plum carries from color to nose to palate where rhubarb, cinnamon, bramble berry, Asian 5 spice and dark fruits abound. Come to think of it, the wine showed no brown sugar. The tannins are a bit angular just yet. But the back label suggests a a drinking window just opening next year. Holding this wine for a few more years won’t disappoint and that’s just what I’ll do. Some slight sediment. 14.5% alc. With oven roasted, grill finished pork ribs with okra fritters. Recommended.
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8/1/2019 - Eric.S Likes this wine:
Drinking fantastic at this stage. Better day 1 for me. No formal notes.
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6/15/2019 - mac-eye Likes this wine: 91 Points
At its peak now. Color is still deep and dark, no brown edges. Intense fruit with a range of flavors. The petite sirah (23%) shows through the classic jammy zin fruit, and both have softened nicely. Significant back of mouth acid & pencil lead. Goes well with spicy barbecued shrimp, Korean spicy chicken, would go well with grilled meats, strong sausages, etc. Also nice to sip on its own, as the tannins have softened, the acid is tamed and there is just enough sweetness to make it pleasant overall. It may well deserve a higher score from others, depending on your taste preferences.
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6/13/2019 - guitar guy Likes this wine: 93 Points
We enjoyed this fine 2009 Lytton Springs with a nice steak dinner. What a treat! This wine was awesome. Upon opening, I was surprised that the color was still a bright purple color. The nose was rich and spicy. This wine is still young in some ways. The tannins are still there, providing a great backbone to the wine. There is fresh briary fruit, with some plum, anise, allspice, and a hint of molasses. The finish is still full and long. This wine may be 10 year old, and a treat to enjoy, but there is no hurry to pull this one. I think it easily has another 5 years if kept in proper storage conditions. What a great experience!
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5/26/2019 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
41st Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2014s (R&Ds): Plum and bramble with just a hint of raisin. Brambly red fruit and pepper on the palate. Just a bit more raisin than I would like.
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5/20/2019 - jgreco Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is my last bottle and it is absolutely stunning. The color is turning brown so I expected it to taste like it was on a downward trajectory. Boy, was I wrong. The 2009 packs incredible layers of fresh fruit flavors. Bramble fruit, cherry, lead pencil, and black pepper all seamlessly meld together. This is drinking beautifully but there is no rush if you have any remaining in the cellar.
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4/22/2019 - Billigan Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was just dynamite. Slight browning at the edges gives away its age, but the nose was just lovely, with plenty of the fresh cracked pepper and blackberry you'd expect from a zin, but with lovely earthy and mushroom tones that give it an almost Bordeaux-like flair. Silky, sweet, and effortless on the palate, but not without some sneaky structure (from the big petite sirah proportion in the blend?). Great with burgers off the grill; this bottle disappeared quickly. In a perfect spot, but could easily go on a few more years without losing its edge.
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4/21/2019 - Stanrocks Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted next to the champin 2007 so it was not helped, but it was really powerfull and impressive, black current, big fruit, palate is round, sweet, fruity and a great saltiness, gives it a special extra something... serious wine. Got a couple left, should age some more years, see what happens along the way... Thanks Paul Draper, #pioneer
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4/20/2019 - Lord Marc wrote: 91 Points
This was so good, could not wait anymore. This was thick and chewy just the way I like it, the balance was excellent between fruit and tannins. I decanted but may not need to, I recommend it be drunk now...no need to wait. I will let the other bottles in my cellar age a few more years to see if it changes. Overall I could take the dark berries, cherries, and some wild mushrooms almost truffle like. Give it try...no regrets.
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4/6/2019 - fred o. Likes this wine:
bo ssam with larry: Dark ruby with light separation/browning at the edges. Nose light vanilla, some dark fruits. Palate dark fruits with a burst of acidity; good depth on the palate, hint of tannins on the finish. Drinking well right now but could see it developing more yet. 91 pts
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4/5/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Raspberries, black cherries, plums, blackberries, and currants in the nose with licorice and spice. Blackberries, currants, and cherries in the flavor. Well balanced zinfandel with nice complexity, and a long finish.
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3/28/2019 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
Improved significantly on day 2 (88-90 pts)
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3/4/2019 - td1836 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big and delicious, still showing primary ripe fruit flavors. This has tons of life ahead of it.
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3/3/2019 - MLipton wrote:
Classic Lytton Springs flavor profile: ripe, plummy fruit and pencil lead with a distinctly tarry nose. First whiff proved to show some oak, but with a bit of air it rounded into form. Still youngish, this has some life ahead of it, but if you like the primary fruit of Zin you should probably think about drinking it up.
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1/5/2019 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 92 Points
In a lovely place. The color has started to fade, there are some dried cherry and dark red fruits, and the tannins and alcohol are seamlessly integrated. A wine to woo Zinfandel skeptics.
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12/22/2018 - ClaytonDave Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great zin. Ready now but not fading.
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12/21/2018 - pigdaddy wrote: 91 Points
decanted 30 min. on the delightful tangent it has appeared to be promising to develop for several years & now feels like it is in that Lytton sweet spot we relish & enjoy; balanced, classic, the fruit is still wild, enough structure to be fine for a while.
soft polenta w/fontina, pork shoulder w/escarole, garlic, Calabrian chilies, poached egg
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11/24/2018 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Delicious zin. Fruity, well integrated. This wine has a bright future for those who enjoy mature zin. Drink or hold.
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11/2/2018 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Loads of character and still needs more time. Layers of red and black fruits with sweet Oak and a dry mouth feel. My first of 6. Will wait a year or two before trying again.
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10/27/2018 - tak4 wrote:
Consistent with prior notes. Nice wine with Lamb ragù.
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9/26/2018 - wynnewood500 Likes this wine:
Delicious - no detailed notes.
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9/16/2018 - edjBoca wrote: 90 Points
I found this drank OK after 30 minutes open. I decanted the bottle for a short time. There was moderate tannin and some warm fruit. Acid is missing. A hot year, 2009! I've had much better Lytton Springs bottles. Half a bottle remained. I corked it and it was lacking any significant fruit the next morning. Not balanced. Not enough fruit. Drink now, or be sorry.....
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9/3/2018 - levinml wrote: 90 Points
Seemed to be fading a bit, which is strange given I really liked same cuvee six months earlier. Maybe it's me, but I wouldn't wait on this one.
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9/1/2018 - jgh123 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a wonderful wine. It has matured beautifully and will hold at least 5 more years if not longer. Just a beautiful expression of zinfandel with a little added complexity from the petite sirah and carignane. 14.5% alcohol.
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8/18/2018 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Open for business and beautifully perfumed. Notes of sweet plum, black bitter cherries, blackberries, smoke, some sweet spices, tobacco leaf, also some leather. It‘s pretty full-bodied, but super elegant, has medium+ acidity and still medium+ tannin. It is particularly silky for Lytton Springs and the Petite Sirah that usually adds a lot of character but also some rusticity is nicely integrated. What a pretty wine and this is seriously as good as Zin-blend gets from my perspective. Also an excellent value... My personal taste has moved away from a lot of the new world wines but there is something so fascinating about Ridge‘s wines... This has still many years ahead...
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8/5/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really hitting its stride. Gave it some air. Dark full bodied wine - complex fruit, integrated but not overly smooth. Nice finish.
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7/26/2018 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
clear, deep purple
clean, profound aromas of dark spicy fruits
dry, high acidity, high tannins, full body, rich dominant fresh-spicy fruits, fresh red plums, well balanced & harmonised, nicely structured, good complexity, sour plums finish and aftertaste
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7/5/2018 - BGK810 wrote: 92 Points
Excellent zin. Briary red fruit flavors, well integrated oak and a medium length finish.
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6/10/2018 - tak4 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pop and pour. Delivered from Ridge 10 days prior. Ruby purple with touch of bricking at edge. Nose - strawberry, cherries, leather, stewed fruit (ketchup?), pluminess very deep. Low acidity, tannins still evolving but softened, plums, tomato, leather, cedar, black pepper. Very nice wine!
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6/9/2018 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big bold Lytton Springs in full glory. Modest cloying nose opens on to big full bodied palate filled with balanced red fruit, smoked meats, tobacco, spice. This has great concentration but retains integration and focus with a medium to long finish. The tannins are still robust and the wine seems medium young so I think this will still be very good for at least the next ten years
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6/3/2018 - jgreco Likes this wine: 91 Points
The 2009 Ridge Lytton Springs is delicious. The wine is smooth and silky on the tongue. Slightly sweet. The finish is dry, but not as mouthwatering dry as Ridge's Geysersville typically is. This is most likely due to the lower alcoholic content (14.5% in 2009) of the Lytton Springs. While easier to drink, the 2009 Lytton Springs is far less distinctive than the 2009 Geysersville. I would strongly recommend decanting as the wine opened up significantly after an hour.
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5/28/2018 - YoRi wrote: 90 Points
Je ne peux m'empêcher de considérer le prix dans mon appréciation. 42$ en 2012, maintenant 67$ en 2018.
Rouge grenat dense. Nez réservé, mûre, cassis.
En bouche, cassis, sensation d'équilibre, tanins soyeux, aucune lourdeur, malgré les 14,5% d'alcool. Persistance moyenne.
Tout de même dispendieux.
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5/13/2018 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine needs about an hour of air to settle down then enjoy. The wine has the acidity and backbone to age well. Lots of brambly berry fruits. Delicious. Drink or hold
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4/22/2018 - aknot13 wrote: 93 Points
Nose: bursting with mostly red fruits (red berries) and some black fruit, flowers, pepper and some vanilla. On the palate: medium body, medium acidity, red fruits, slightly sweet (but not jammy) finish with some integrated tannins and oak. Long finish. Great balance of fruit + tannins and acidity. 93 pt.
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4/21/2018 - moxielady wrote: 94 Points
A very nice pour. Lots of fruit on the nose with excellent balance of fruit/tannin/acid. A Ridge zin in its prime; drink at will.
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4/2/2018 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
A shame I've kind of turned my back on the Ridge Lytton/Geyserville family of zins (crowded out by Turley, Carlisle and Limerick Lane), but this is really nice drinking. Well balanced, lots of good flavors and no hard edges. Drink anytime.
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12/28/2017 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just love Ridge wines!! Very age worthy and excellent values. We have NEVER had one we didn't like and we have had a lot of them.
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12/18/2017 - radumas wrote: 95 Points
Still young. Opens up to a rich bramble dark fruit vanilla long finish.
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12/7/2017 - Hargate Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bottle was really good on opening, but after an hour it started to lose its flavor. The score is based on drinking it quickly, not sure if something was wrong with the bottle or not.
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11/25/2017 - mark_m_owen wrote: 90 Points
This went really well with asn Asian dinner, deep but medium bodied fresh, not cloying at all. Blackish fruit, tannin well integrated, some spice. Decent acidity, not too alcoholic despite the ABV. Great with spicy food.
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11/2/2017 - ephorn wrote: 90 Points
Great nose of ripe fruit. Vanilla on the palate overwhelms everything else. Not expecting that! Alcohol in check, medium+ tannins but shy on palate penetrating depth. Mid palate shy but finish resonates for a good length.
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8/12/2017 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 3 hrs
-nearly opaque dark red with purple tinge no bricking, stains the glass
-overtly spicy, toasted grain, blackberry-ish fruit
-med- acidity, med+ weight soft mouthfeel moderately complex lush purple and black fruit of enough depth to bury the heat, pronounced oak med tannins and good length
-classic Ridge Lytton Springs balancing fruit bomb-ishness with structure and complexity, still very young
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7/29/2017 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Great with grilled steak. in balance, dark fruits and tobacco and herbs on a full palate, nice nose, clean and long on the finish.
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6/24/2017 - Night Train Likes this wine: 90 Points
About the same as a recent bottle - plenty of red and black raspberries. Vibrant, with a very pronounced citrus (?) edge on both the palate and the finish. Solid, but it was over-matched by a Bedrock Monte Rosso.
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5/28/2017 - Cote d'Or wrote:
-opaque dark purple black
-exuberant juicy jammy black fruits
-med/med- acidity, full bodied finessed black fruit licorice, med/med+ tannins and some heat and caramel oak on the finish
-classic Ridge, deep and rich that somewhat hides the alcohol yet enough structure to age well
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5/26/2017 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 92 Points
No detailed notes as the bottle was consumed during our wine tasting club's food and wine pairing event. This wine was the winner in the best food and wine pairing category. It was paired with Jambalaya. Such a harmonious, food friendly wine with a very appealing black and red fruit, spice and savory character. Long finish!
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4/27/2017 - goodvitis.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bountiful nose of rose water, lavender, pomegranate, cranberries, cherries, dark cigar tobacco, zinc, graphite and funky mushrooms. The palate is full bodied and lush, but the acid remains strong and maintains a nice overall finesse. The fruit is full of red plums, prunes, dark cherries. There is tobacco, black pepper, and bitter edible Spring flower mix. This seems to be in a perfect place in it's evolution. It's definitely shed weight and found a svelte figure, but the tannins are still just robust enough to keep it well-framed. It delivers hedonism with a delicate touch. I wouldn't sit on this any longer.
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4/23/2017 - Night Train Likes this wine: 90 Points
Better than a bottle late last year. Same (red and black) raspberries on both the nose and the palate, but the fruit seemed more vibrant, and the wine was much more spicy and peppery. I need to remember that Ridge Zins need a couple more years of bottle age than most other Zins.
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4/4/2017 - Oldmanzin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red and black raspberry dance with dusty spices and smoke. The petite Sirah adds weight and muscle, but nicely integrated. The carignane adds the spice and rustic touch to this very satisfying Zinfandel.
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3/27/2017 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still fresh and exciting. Had with Tri-Tip steak and this was a perfect match. The Petite Sirah and Carignane provide a spicy tickle that enhances the Zinfandel. Got to restock this one.
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3/23/2017 - Patrik H wrote: 89 Points
On the nose: Pepper, herbs, black currant, licorice, salvia and vanilla.
On the palate: Sweet berries, oak, vanilla, red berries in conjuction with blueberries.
Medium + oak finish
Well i do not drink Zinfandel often and I do not know what to think. A good wine but for one-dimensional and sweet fruit driven to be interesting.
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3/19/2017 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid wine. Nice blend. Tannins still have some firmness. Wish I had bought more.
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2/27/2017 - DonDon Likes this wine: 92 Points
So good and showing no signs of decline at all - quite the opposite. Which is lucky for me since I still have 2 cases left! Lovely jammy character with some spice and smoke with nice acidity too. I am not claiming this is particularly complex but it just drinks so well and was perfect with lamb steak with a mint and rosemary rub
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2/20/2017 - Bozekt wrote: 91 Points
Very nice at this stage - black fruit, bramble and jam with plenty of cedar, cigar box, and touch of vanilla both on nose and palate. Medium acid, medium minus tannin, medium plus to high alcohol - yet this wine is smooth, harmonious, and elegant as a California Zin could hope to be. Beautiful balance of fruit and tertiary notes. Drank from 375.
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2/17/2017 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle was drinking quite nicely. Still good fruit, but pretty smooth and sufficient balancing acidity. There was just a tad to much vanilla/oak for my tastes, but it was not out of whack. Food friendly wine too. Good value.
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1/16/2017 - silton Likes this wine: 93 Points
A great wine in its prime, singing my black framboise Zinfandel tune.
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12/18/2016 - bon vivant wrote:
Had a glass of this at a holiday party (lots of wine open) and it surprised me with it's lite presence and elegance but almost a bit shy. There were nice dark fruit flavors combined with smoke and spice but the mouth feel was much lighter than I recall this had at it's youth, solid finish but overall a little underwhelming. About a quarter of a bottle left on counter without any preserver (just cork in bottle) and a very nice surprise 2 days later as this put on some additional weight and texture without notes of oxidation. Obviously this is built for the long haul. Note to self give it a long slow ox next time. Based on this bottle I would say it is in a bit of a dull phase but the best is yet to come.
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12/17/2016 - ajbergren wrote: 95 Points
Deep and dark red with medium plus optical density and high reflectivity. Good intensity on the nose, with some nice complexity, showing dark brambly fruit (plum, blueberry), toffee-infuse armoatic character with sage, tea, and some dried forest flowers. Dense and opulent on the palate, but with an elegant medium plus weight. Medium acidity and rounded tannins yield a rich texture that supports a dry and elegant framework of rich fruit flavours. Really nice medium intensity with even better complexity of flavours here. The attack picks up some balsamic-coated mixed berries, with toffee and smoked forest floor filling in the midpalate, which stays rich and full. The finish is medium in length and while it falls off in intensity and complexity most here, it leaves an enjoyable sensation. Flavours of smoke and berries here.
This is a great wine, with a really nice aged character. Ready to drink now, it has picked up complexity and gained elegance. This is packed with fruit, but not over the top at all; instead, it gives a great sense of place and personality. This is wine how I tend to really like it- right up my alley and in an almost ideal window for me. Still enough freshness, yet evolved enough to show layers of secondary flavours. Really great value in a single vineyard wine that defines great California Zinfandel, at least for my palate!
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11/24/2016 - hawkeye54 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank from Magnum on Thanksgiving with family. Everyone enjoyed it. Dried fruit, smoke and licorice. Held up in an open bottle for over eight hours after opening. Very well balanced and just delicious.
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11/4/2016 - Slaz Likes this wine: 92 Points
After 5 years of cellaring this has certainly mellowed. Lots of black fruit with moderate sweetness on the palate. Still well-structured and even after 3+ hours of decanting full of energy. Some tannic bite on the finish suggests this could only improve with more age.
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11/4/2016 - Night Train Likes this wine: 88 Points
Took to a party, so no detailed notes. About the same as a previous bottle. Decent, but still a little dull (and closed). Will wait until late 2017 before trying another one.
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10/8/2016 - JM_IS Likes this wine: 88 Points
Opened and drank 10/8, acquired via club shipment at release. Needed some time after opening. No strong fruit, seemed closed, but improved a bit. Slightly smoky? No sweetness. Not as memorable as I would expect.
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9/20/2016 - BrunelloBob wrote: 90 Points
Smooth, gentle for a Zin blend. Charcoal, blackberry, a hint of chassis. Pretty nose.
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9/20/2016 - jamie24 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good midweek drinker although not developing as much as I'd hoped. Dominant vanilla. May still improve.
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8/27/2016 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. This is a dark red wine with a nose of blueberry, blackberry, oak, spice, and a slight bit of sugar candy at the end – the nose is generally very nice. In the mouth, this wine is smooth yet spicy, with a solid acid structure and a fruit pie finish. Overall, this is a brambly field-blend of a wine, one that would be great for BBQs or similar events. Don’t think too hard; just enjoy. 90 points.
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8/14/2016 - ruth3 wrote:
bright acid, smooooth tannins, tons of complexity. drinking beautifully
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8/13/2016 - jgh123 wrote: 91 Points
Had in a rather chaotic setting with multiple other wines so a little hard to assess. It seemed typical of Lytton Springs; full, balanced and some complexity. Tannins integrated; nice acidity to balance the forward fruit. Fully mature but will, as so many Ridge wines do, last 5-10 years. I look forward to trying this again by itself.
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8/8/2016 - ajbergren wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple-ruby with high optical density and slight browning at the rim. Big intensity on the nose, with dark fruit, balsamic, coffee bean, and toffee-infused earth. Bright acidity on the palate, with full body and a smooth texture showing firm backend tannins that stay smooth on the attack. Flavours of rich red and black fruits, earthy grilled fruit peels, and aromatic compounds from florals and a bit of tar. The midpalate shows a lot of stuffing, and overall, there is a lot of intensity and complexity of flavours here. Really nice wine that is fresh and easy-drinking, but intense and with some secondary notes coming in. Great balance with everything in the right place for an enjoyable wine that has a lot of character. Controlled wine that displays fresh, vibrant fruit, but with old-world character all the way. Seems to be in a really nice spot for drinking!
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7/23/2016 - rocknroller wrote: flawed
Gary's Mini BBQ Ribs Event (Judith's House, WI): I'm going with this was a flawed bottle here too. This had gotten about an hour and half of air. Nose has just a hint of fruit, obnoxious wood and alcohol. The palate is about identical, wood, oak, alcohol, very thin with a just a bit of black fruit lingering. There was no sign cork taint. The '09 Lytton was in the same vein. Disappointing. I don't have good explanation of what's up here. I have a couple of these myself and we'll revisit both of them at a BBQ next month and see if they're ok. Undrinkable.
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7/22/2016 - Vino_Veritas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark, opaque color with blackberry, cherry, anise and vanilla on the nose. Full bodied but precise, mouth filling flavors of dark fruit couple with a touch of tar and smoke to make for a bewitching zin. Wonderfully crafted wine - nice structure and balance yielding ripe Sonoma fruit without being in any way over the top. Perhaps the finest California zin I've ever had, though Ridge zins never disappoint. Drinking wonderfully now but can easily live another 10 years in a cold cellar.
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7/7/2016 - FandL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still got lots of life in this vintage. Deep opaque red. Leather and plum nose. Lots of fruit to balance the tannin and acidity.
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5/14/2016 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
I have not tried a bottle of this wine in over 4 years and wow what a difference. The nose is all fruit, the palate was dark berries, plums, green pepper, wood and spice. A nice long finish. Served alongside a roasted leg of lamb and it paired excellent.
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4/25/2016 - nm10 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A zin with some additional depth. Nice with bbq.
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4/3/2016 - markydecker Likes this wine: 94 Points
From magnum. Constructed with the backbone of a Bordeaux blend. Dark purple to the rim, medium legs. No discernible signs of age. Trademark Lytton pepper and spice, just ripe enough. Structured, with firm tannin. The 09 vintage is special, and in large format could easily be a 20 year wine. My other mag will remain in the cellar for quite a few years. Drinking well now, but definitely built for the standard Ridge long haul. Very enjoyable but will get better. Love the large formats of Lytton and Geyserville, as they have outstanding QPR and are excellent for the Thanksgiving table.
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4/2/2016 - chifred Likes this wine: 92 Points
55F open 30 minutes Deep purple. Fantastic nose with black fruit (berry) and pepper and licorice and musk. Clean and light on the palate after the nose with mineral and fruit roll up with smooth, minimal tannins. Extremely well put together. Seems young but still smooth and satisfying.
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3/23/2016 - silbakor wrote: 87 Points
Bad bottle? Maybe corked very subtly? No obvious musty corked character, but just not much to it. Bland. No real character. Not interesting. Very unusual for Ridge.
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3/19/2016 - aknot13 wrote: 94 Points
Stunning Zinfandel!
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3/19/2016 - bluedog Likes this wine: 94 Points
Always enjoy Lytton and this one is no different. Nicely matured, light ripe cherry nose, velvety, smooth, silky texture, light cherries with a hint of cigar, medium finish. Lovely. A steal at this price point.
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3/16/2016 - tomlee wrote: 93 Points
Crimson in color. 14.5% ABV. Awesome nose of brambly black fruits, plums and white pepper. Medium to full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Rich, plush, mouth coating fruit. Blackberry compote, raspberry liqueur, vanilla bean and baking spices on the palate. The finish is long and supple with silky tannins. Absolutely delicious Zinfandel. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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3/10/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
A Ridge Lytton Spring Vertical and a few others (our home): Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is tight initially but opens up with air to show nice black raspberry fruit. Also some spice. On the palate, there are plenty of tannins here. Like many 09's though, it is also soft and accessible. Cherries, and dark cherries. Nice spice. This is very easy to drink yet has more complexity and depth than first imagined when tasted.
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2/22/2016 - Chariot1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle.
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2/21/2016 - msh305 Likes this wine: 91 Points
nicely balanced zin blend. polishing off my last of 10 bottles tonight and it's still improving with age.
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2/13/2016 - vinomex wrote: 90 Points
From a 375ml bottle. A more mature version of the bottle I had 4 years ago. Much more mellow overall, though plenty of body and richness remain. The Carignan seems to stick out, unfortunately it makes the wine more stewy and syrupy, not my thing. Sediment evident in the bottle, probably peaking.
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2/5/2016 - Rich S Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is in a much better spot right now than a few years ago. Dark red raspberry and ripe plums on the nose with some sweet spices, pepper and oak notes. Very nice. Dark and juicy red fruits on the palate with a nice balance of fruit and oak. Medium+ acid and medium tannins with a slightly peppery finish. Some zins can be heavy fruit and alcohol bombs and this is actually refreshing and enjoyable to drink with room to grow. Very good.
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1/22/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Friday Afternoon; 1/22/2016-1/23/2016 (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red color. Decanted for roughly 20 minutes initially, then drank 2 glasses over 3 hours. se, showing a mix of fruits, starting off with blackcherry and plum, with hints of blackberry, gradually unfolding and becoming more red berry based with a light damp earthiness that really charms you. Subtle hints of mint late. Just a little green edge on the nose and palate which lends more character than distraction. The palate is tangy, medium bodied, at times the fruit impresses as plum and juicy, yet restrained enough, medium bodied, dark cherry, red berries, plum, pepper, long finish. Very nice and showing well as is.
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12/28/2015 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Follow-on to the '09 Geyserville. Ridge just plain makes great wines. Wife and I have NEVER had one we didn't like. Perfect with our Christmas ham.
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12/19/2015 - bkrup Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnV. Nose of macerated cherry, tobacco and tar. A lot of depth with dried cherries, tar, spice and pepper. Very masculine a must with rich sauces. Served with garlic and goat cheese potatoes with ham.
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12/16/2015 - themki wrote: 94 Points
Rich blend of dark fruit, cherry, dill, and cedar. Entering its prime drinking window.
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11/28/2015 - Night Train Likes this wine: 88 Points
Score reflects how it's drinking now, not its potential. Opened (not poured or decanted) about two hours before drinking. Dark color, but not opaque. Plums, berries, and what I call Ridge earthiness on both the nose and the palate. Decent body and finish, but it struck me as kind of dull. I suspected that it needed more time in the bottle, and now I'm convinced.
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11/27/2015 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium-dark purple/ruby color. Pretty explosive notes of sweet plums, black cherries and blackberries, smoke, vanilla, some spices and tobacco. There is also some anise. It's medium-full bodied with medium tannin and medium acidity providing freshness. Good lemgth. A dense, complex Zin blend with structure, freshness and complexity. And it's starting to develop some secondary notes too.
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11/26/2015 - MrD Likes this wine:
Had with Thanksgiving along with a Pinot Noir. This one was the star.
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11/26/2015 - Rechrom wrote:
At a large thanksgiving, so no detailed notes, but excellent and the clear crowd favorite. Balanced, great fruit, great bottle with room to improve.
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11/24/2015 - Moorsie wrote: 91 Points
Very good, but I think it needs a bit more time or decant for 1-2 hours to show its true greatness.
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10/2/2015 - stubbie999 wrote:
Solid. Doesn't disappoint, though for my tastes there's still a few years yet before it's fully integrated. Easy crowd pleaser.
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9/24/2015 - redz wrote: 91 Points
improving from last years notes. Velvety smooth, medium fruit.
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9/21/2015 - PNIELSEN Likes this wine: 94 Points
This seems to be just turning a corner. Transparent ruby in color, rich and smooth with dark fruit, smoky spice and some haunting earthy notes lurking in the background. The high percentage of petite sirah and (I think) the character of the 2009 vintage give it a somewhat darker, roasted fruit profile. This was our only bottle, but I certainly don't regret opening it when we did. Simply a gorgeous, aristocratic zin blend with several years of evolution ahead of it.
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9/16/2015 - MWiking wrote: 91 Points
parfymerad doft, vädligt flörtigt och lättdrucket vin, lätt att gilla, mörk härlig frukt, jäkligt gott. Konstigt att säga det om en zinfandel men så är det.
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9/13/2015 - ruth3 wrote:
Gorgeous red fruit with some darker undertones and bright acidity.
Popped and poured but lovely straight away. stood up well to chili
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9/13/2015 - Diane (LI) wrote:
This had lots of structure, and a nice earthiness that pushed the fruit to the background. Ridge Geyserville and Lytton Springs used to be a yearly purchase for me, but my attention has turned to other wines.
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9/12/2015 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purple. Huge nose of spicy blackberry. The complex fruit, acidity and soft tannins are all in impeccable balance. This is drinking great now! Complemented the pizza enjoyed on the deck. My last bottle of 09 Lytton, and happily I have other 09 cuvées.
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9/9/2015 - MRichman wrote:
Firm, smooth & silky. Lovely. In a great place between young forward fruit and nice mellowing structure. This is really nice. Typically wonderful.
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9/8/2015 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 92 Points
This zin has really rounded out and filled in a nice flavor profile of dark berry and spice, with a richness that makes it a beautiful sipper. Ready to drink, don't let this go much longer.
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8/11/2015 - sct1000 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A pleasure and continually evolving.
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8/8/2015 - levinml wrote:
Drank while I had a cold, so probably can't/shouldn't accurately comment..
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8/7/2015 - Goodjob! Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good! One of the best Zinfandel blend on the market. Sadly, the price increase a lot since a bought my bottle, so I don't think I will buy it again. Drink or hold.
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7/15/2015 - Korolev_mv Likes this wine: 92 Points
Неожиданно впечатлило.
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7/13/2015 - fredb Likes this wine:
Dark red color with limited transparency. Aromas of red berry, blackberry, and some vanilla. Palate has dark fruited tones with black and blue berry notes, some hint of vanilla and spice on a medium finish. This is really well integrated and drinking very well for my tastes at this point. Wears its advertised alcohol well. Drink or hold.
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7/7/2015 - Nealefisher Likes this wine: 91 Points
Welcome dinner for the Pierces - very nice Zindandel with a strong backbone that paired well with Jambalaya. Not overly complex on its own but pairs nicely with food.
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7/4/2015 - Silveradoup wrote: 95 Points
From magnum, amazing with smoked brisket!
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6/24/2015 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
I'll go with the crowd on this one. More claret-like than the Turley's and Carlisles I usually drink. But very smooth, mellow and balanced. Good weeknight drinking.
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6/17/2015 - megropolis wrote: 92 Points
This is my kind of zin, maybe not as bombastic as some of the Turley's but poised, balanced, and with abv under 15%. Good match to pasta with meat sauce.
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5/2/2015 - wineshaman wrote: 91 Points
A little funky at first from a PNP, evolved nicely in the glass showing ripe black & blue fruit, rich and concentrated with hints of chocolate and spice, tannins are fully integrated but there is a enough acidity to carry this LS for several more years. No perceivable heat detected from this bottle!
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4/30/2015 - Enfant sauvage wrote:
I guess it has only been three years, but I am surprised how consistent my impressions of this wine are, especially given that I had no recollection of the note I wrote back in 2012 until I looked at it here.
At the time I wrote: This is very good for what it is. Heady nose with spice, bramble, and loads of dark fruit on the palate. Impressive, but I think this will convince me that I no longer really enjoy American Zin. This wan't jammy at all and the tannins are integrating nicely, but it was still tiring to drink. These days, I'm happier with a bottle of Fatalone Gioia delle Colle primitivo than I am with this.
I'd probably self edit the comment on U.S. Zin this time around, but not because my tastes have changed any. I found this surprisingly soft, lacking in tannin, and pretty hot. I have nothing but respect for Ridge, but tiring to drink is still the way I would describe this. Maybe I just don't understand Zin's aging curve, but I can't see holding on to my last bottle for very long.
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4/27/2015 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wife and I took a break from our Italian wine binge to try something from CA for a change. This was a nice bottle. It was just a touch disjointed at first, but smoothed out some with 30+ minutes of air. Overall, this is well-made wine. The Petit Verdot really comes through as others have noted. Nice fruit and body with some subtle spice notes. I would have liked a bit more acidity but I would not say it was flabby (although it was compared to most Italian wines). First night we had this along with pesto pasta and grilled chicken/vegetables. The wine was too big for that meal and overpowered it. Second night, we had this with burgers on the grill and that was a nice match. Overall, this is drinking pretty well now but will probably improve a bit over the next 3-4 years. Will probably hold off on my other 2 bottles for awhile.
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4/11/2015 - flussier Likes this wine: 93 Points
Très beau vin avec un nez très charmeur. Rond, bien balancé, bonne complexité avec des aromes de petit fruit rouge, épice, chocolat, réglisse, fumé et boisé. Une fois décanter 1-2h, les tannins s'assouplisse et il se boit très bien. Parfait pour accompagner la viande.
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2/22/2015 - karenlynnvincent wrote: 95 Points
Perfectly balanced. Great with prime rib, mac n cheese dinner. Nice smokey savory texture. Restrained fruit and beautiful finish.
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2/22/2015 - ianwesley Likes this wine: 90 Points
First bottle from our case; absolutely lovely and now perfectly ready to drink but with long life ahead
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2/15/2015 - aidyl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop and pour. 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane. Immediately presented an excellent bouquet of ripe red and black fruit along with hints of licorice and light floral notes. The attack was rich black cherry and raspberry fruit, with a mouth-coating unctuousness. Pepper and spices presented on the mid-palate, as well as during the moderately lingering finish. Velvety tannins are still present, so this finely structured wine could possibly last another 5-7 years with proper cellaring. Noticeably more elegant and restrained when compared to other popular zinfandels which can be characterized as "fruit bombs", the fruit was nonetheless well represented, and the wine was very well received at our zin-tasting dinner.
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2/4/2015 - kingboo wrote: 87 Points
Good, not great. Pro reviews were off. Parker gave this wine a 95. Not even close. Buy on sale, otherwise, can find much better at that price point. Drink now b/c she's heading south.
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2/1/2015 - ClaytonDave Likes this wine: 93 Points
A fine, spicy zin. PnP. Could use a brief decant but fine without. Red currant on the pallate with a smooth finish.
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1/22/2015 - heythatslife wrote: 92 Points
Just as delicious as the first bottle. I should have bought a case of this.
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1/19/2015 - gordoyflaca wrote: 88 Points
sweet and smooth, too much oak.
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1/18/2015 - Kayaklady Likes this wine: 93 Points
agree with the rating that noted camphor on the nose - at least at first. This opened nicely within an hour and was well balanced - good red / black fruit, not jammy, some nice spice, long finish - quite elegant.
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1/10/2015 - Nealefisher Likes this wine: 92 Points
With bbq pork ribs at dinner with Tedders and Martins. Decanted for 3 hrs prior to drinking. Nice strong red fruit flavors dominate. Light tannins underneath. Will probably continue to drink well.
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1/7/2015 - skp88 wrote: 95 Points
One of the best zins I've ever had.
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1/6/2015 - RichardP wrote: 93 Points
Prune and camphor on the nose. On the palate, black and red berry fruit with black pepper and savory spice. Excellent.
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12/21/2014 - Jamie List Likes this wine: 92 Points
excellent. Paired well with antipasti
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11/23/2014 - wirelesswine wrote:
So impressive yet seems a bit closed for business right now. Will hold remaining bottle a few years for sure.
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11/16/2014 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
had with pizza -spicy sauce and moderately hot Italian sausage. Made more in a Cab style rather then an Amador Co Zin like wine. Love the balance, complex flavors and ability to stand up to moderately spiced foods that Ridge consistently pulls off. This was excellent when released and hasn't missed a beat since.
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11/5/2014 - Zoomin Z Likes this wine: 92 Points
A California zin built like a stiff Bordeaux. From a half bottle. Already has a complex nose evolving from black cherries to sweet fresh plums, showing a substantial amount of alcoholic heat; then followed by a taut coil spring of a medium weight body with solid fruits and a well balanced but strong acidity. On the finish first came baking spices and cinnamon, then dry tannins started to dominate, overpowering a good meat loaf. Very long, in any case. A lot of potential energy in this wine that could hit a stratospherically higher rating in a long time. I have made a promise to myself not to touch my remaining bottles until 5 and then 10 years from now. My rating is purely based on today's enjoyment of this wine, not its future potential.
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11/5/2014 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Smooth black fruit, plum flavors, rich but elegant. Very tasty.
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11/1/2014 - Slaz Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a wonderful example of how much better wine can get in three years. Delightful, with complex honey notes on the palate. Excellent balance and structure. Very good and can easily cellar for a few more years. Buy more if possible.
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11/1/2014 - Marcosolow wrote: 90 Points
Blackberry and boisenberry fruit. Very nice Zin.
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10/13/2014 - heythatslife Likes this wine: 92 Points
Such a joy to drink and a living proof that zinfandel can make wines that are serious as well as fun. Hint of spice, chocolate, and licorice wrapped around a solid core of black fruit. Tannins are soft. It's in a great place to drink now, although still mainly primary.
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10/4/2014 - redz wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple, went well with spicy ribs.
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9/30/2014 - mhewitt wrote: 92 Points
This is an excellent examply of this wine. I think it will be much better in 3-5 years and last another 8.
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9/18/2014 - pauljr1121 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent structure with briary fruit, a solid core and nicely integrated oak. Hints of fennel or licorice, with gorgeous blackberry. Haven't had this in a couple of years and the extended cellaring has softened the tannins beautifully. Just a hint of heat at the beginning, that burned off after about 45 minutes. At the two hour mark (of course the final glass) it was singing. I have two left. I'm going to try and wait at least five years.
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9/1/2014 - Neecies Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP'd. Black fruity with licorice and herbs in the nose, but the palate's asleep, showing little but some jam--that will change, so HOLD.
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8/31/2014 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Rich, delicious dark berry fruit with licorice and blackberry/bosenberry flavors, excellent structure, long finish, very fresh, seemed richer and more vibrant than the 2008
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8/26/2014 - AG Lavoie wrote: 92 Points
Sophistique, but avec Aurore et ses parents.
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8/16/2014 - lewisrise wrote: 91 Points
Great QPR
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8/13/2014 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured and drank over three days. Awfully structured for a Zin blend. This wine showed best on day three. Dark pure California fruit and notes of leather. This is a great value and a wine that will age for 10 or even 20 years. I wish I had more. I would check in again in 2017.
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7/13/2014 - themki wrote: 92 Points
Vanilla, cherries, rich but red and black currant still a little too tart - hold
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7/3/2014 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 94 Points
7th btl from our case, wish we had some more cases of this absolutely fabulous Ridge. Still not time to drink it in its prime, but it's just too damn delicious...
Med en amerikansk gäst bjuder man naturligtvis på ett riktigt bra amerikanskt vin.
Rik, yppig och välkomnande doft av eleganta plommon (alltså en slags motvikt till sylt).
Intrycket i munnen drar sig också mot det yppigt välkomnande. Som en kram. Har recenserat detta vin så mmånga ggr tidigare och önskar vi hade flera lådor till. Ett ypperligt vin från Ridge!
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5/31/2014 - John McCabe wrote: 89 Points
Useful at the price, though a bit rustic.
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5/25/2014 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
36th Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2009s (Rich & Dana's): A little funky at first, with an odd cheesy/sweaty note. Red fruit- raspberry, currants- spice and pepper on the palate.
Others liked this quite a bit more than I, and it had improved a bit by the time the wines were unveiled, and in looking at the rankings, those who voted later had this ranked higher.
My #6, Domino's #5
Group #2, 33 pts
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5/3/2014 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Regular dinner group (@ PZ): Still a purple color. In the bouquet red and dark berry fruits as well as some chocolate. On the palate cherry bonbons, herbs, elegant acidity and mild tannin. The alcohol shows a bit, but overall a very good wine. Early maturity now and probably still nice around 2020.
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4/21/2014 - John McCabe wrote: 91 Points
A bit vegetal to start with, but it soon opens up and presents a richer, more extended flavor profile.
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4/16/2014 - Michael Moore Likes this wine: 95 Points
we have consumed over the past year with friends, everyone agrees......great wine
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2/24/2014 - EMTAME wrote: 90 Points
From 375ml. Not showing as exuberantly as my previous bottles (375 or 750ml). Still, a very tasty zin blend with lots of life ahead of it.
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2/24/2014 - Shiaxonna wrote: 91 Points
Warm red color. Cherries, vanilla, redcurrant and an earthy note on the nose. Relatively powerful tannins still. But getting better after a couple of hours of air. Very good wine, has really come around since I tried it last time. Balanced and full. Very good!
50+5+13+15+8 (91p)
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2/21/2014 - mainpoint Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic fruit and balance. Still very young. The best Lytton Springs ever tasted. (Decanted two hours)
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2/15/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1hr, nice showing, blackberry, blueberry, hints of chocolate , some spice, still youthful, nice balance, fruit forward and balanced. Very smooth Lytton, with plenty of life ahead!
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2/10/2014 - tshahar wrote: 92 Points
Great wine, night get better with time yet drinking well now.
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1/19/2014 - BrianMc wrote: 89 Points
Was expecting a bit more structure or delineation in flavors and fruit but I was disappointed. Seemed closed and dominated by the Petite Syrah .
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1/14/2014 - pigdaddy wrote: 91 Points
p 'n p, a decant would've served well. purple-red; concentrated blackberry, brambly fruit aromas w/some iron & black pepper; med/+ weight; early on, the dense blackberry and red raspberry fruit commanded the profile (eliciting the "yum" response), w/a long, energetic iron ore, black loamy earth & mineral foundation. after several hours, the petite sirah/carignane component took the upper hand, showing more grip & structure. this will be a fun one to watch; third of 18.
duck "stew" w/ oysters, sweet potatoes, oyster mushrooms & pickled okra
6/25/14 despite my own advice, p 'n p again. virtual repeat of last bottle, not that there was any expectation of advancement in six months, worked great w/dinner. (91)
crispy duck confit w/braised romano beans, torpedo onions & guanciale, buttered red creamer potatoes w/chives & thyme
10/08/2015 decanted 30 min. still richly colored and amply perfumed, entering that magic middle window where it's still definitely zin, but multiple layers of spice cake, black pepper, boysenberry preserves & the wild herb & exotic spice of Lytton really shines. good length, so still some evolution before it moves into the mellow plateau. superb tonite (92)
grilled pork chop w/balsamic syrup; escarole w/garlic, lemon & 'nduja; grilled sourdough crostino w/avocado, chile & Maldon sea salt
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1/11/2014 - JPPeterson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted and drank just wonderfully! I know this has years ahead of it but it is so good right now.
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1/9/2014 - EMTAME wrote: 93 Points
Young but excellent. Such a smooth, delicious wine. May be my favorite vintage of Lytton Springs.
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1/6/2014 - affordableCollector wrote: 88 Points
red, magenta, in the color. raspberry, cherry, pepper, on the nose. earth, plum, spice, fig, sweet, oak, on the palate. medium acid, high tannins, on the finish.
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1/4/2014 - DecaturDan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Extremely well-balanced, delicious wine. Paired perfectly with pork loin and applesauce.
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1/2/2014 - djdaqm wrote: 92 Points
Paired with home made pizza. Excellent concentration and balance. Popped and poured. Generous nose. A pleasure to drink. On the palette notes of blueberries. Good acidity to keep a good grip.
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1/1/2014 - Saint-Exupéry Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ripe bramble/raspberry nose, with notes of toasted oak and floral aromas. Concentrated black fruit on the palate. Full and viscous with noticeable tannins that will ensure a long life. Long and spicy finish. Ridge's mastery of Zinfandel is once again evident in this fantastic blend. Very enjoyable now but will be even more rich and balanced with 3 - 5 more years in cellar.
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12/4/2013 - mgottberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich. Incredibly earthy. Smooth finish. Very satisfying. Great value.
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12/4/2013 - mgottberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich. Incredibly earthy. With a smooth finish. Very satisfying.
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11/7/2013 - Tom Ricks Likes this wine: 92 Points
This one is ready to drink. Bright red fruits and smooth tannins on the finish.
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11/3/2013 - BrunelloBob wrote: 90 Points
The petite sirah helps here. Nice wine with honey barbeque wings. No rushto drink.
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11/1/2013 - AllRed wrote:
Ridge Vineyards Virtual Winemaker Tasting of the Fall Releases (Our house): Lush, ripe red and blue fruits, spice and dried herbs. Has some tannins to shed, but there is loads of ripe fruit along with pepper and sage qualities. Excellent.
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11/1/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 94 Points
Ridge tasting at Allred's. This was in the zone last night. Blueberry nutmeg and spices in bouquet and palate. Tannins well integrated and all in harmony.
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9/16/2013 - CRAUBER4242 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needed 1+ hours of decant. A stunning wine that had an awesome nose of flowers, dark berries and black cherry that following suit to a medium to full-bodied mouth. A great finish with smooth tannins and great intensity. It showed comfortably in between an classic/elegant wine and modern/ripe.
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9/2/2013 - FandL Likes this wine: 94 Points
great structure, fruity but not jammy, sightly earthy, some tannin at the end.
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8/16/2013 - EMTAME wrote: 93 Points
Really attractive, fruity nose and palate without ever coming across as jammy. Very smooth, with no signs of heat. Fantastic!
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8/13/2013 - firstgrowth wrote: 90 Points
Spicy peppery Zin tasting but lighter- great wine blend
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8/4/2013 - StefanAkiko wrote: 93 Points
Upon opening, fruit bomb.
Still a violet wine.
3 hrs of aeration did it well.
Nose came out brash, broad and yet ... elegant. Some BIC ink, broad Zin and yet restrained. It also exhibits beautiful herbal notes.
In the mouth this entertains like a great young wine with promise and posture.
We are happy to hold 7 more btls of this rascal and don't expect a revisit before maybe 2016. Tonight was kind of like: Checking in on a friend.
w/wife @ La Verdura (Yokohama).
A night of pleasures more than dissection.
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7/31/2013 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Has some of the rustic spicy charm I normally expect from a zin, but it also has some very serious, powerful notes that I don't expect from a zin. Amazing weight, concentration and precision. Some leafy, vegetal notes - part of he wine's character, but not a shortcoming. Will show even better with age; would love to try this in 2016 - might peak by then.
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7/23/2013 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
The forth time to taste this wine. I did not take notes. However, it was just about the same as my last extensive note on 10/4/2012. Good stuff - this time it paired well with BQ pork ribs.
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7/22/2013 - winejnky wrote: 89 Points
Brambly, blackberry, smokey, some green character, but a mellower bottle than last note, alcohol/finish not an issue with this bottle either.
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7/18/2013 - Rktekt3 wrote: 89 Points
This is about as good as it is going to get. Good but not great. No depth.
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7/18/2013 - ksde wrote: 91 Points
This will only get better but I could not wait.
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7/17/2013 - Zoomin Z Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for half an hour. Allspice and red fruits on an opulent nose, body and palate leaner, the 14.5% alcohol totally hidden, medium finish with ample acidity. Definitely not hot or peppery. Enough tannins to wait at least another year or two. I really would mistake this zin for a good left bank Bordeaux if tasted blind!
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6/18/2013 - WDSteers wrote: 90 Points
dark berry, coffee and some spice. good with pork BBQ
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6/7/2013 - CaliRice wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well now, but I am planning to revisit this wine in about 5 years.
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6/4/2013 - wiscgrad wrote: 91 Points
classic ridge zin. delicious
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5/15/2013 - ColinR wrote: 93 Points
Deep garnet-crimson; blackberries, plums, cedar, dark chocolate; brambly berry, plummy, silky, full body, good balance, good acidity, ripe integrated tannins, lingering finish.
Decanted 2 hrs. Ripe and brooding with integrated oak and chewy tannins. Always a beauty.
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5/13/2013 - pdemaio wrote: 93 Points
Nice balanced and enjoyable. On the bigger side but easy to drink. Good acid and smooth round tannins. Solid fruit.
PDQ92+
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4/22/2013 - winejnky wrote: 87 Points
GREEN - shows lots of green pepper, green olive and pine/sap flavors. Not much nose to speak of and kind of a tannic, brooding wine. Slightly hot on the finish. I have had much better vintages of this wine.
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4/14/2013 - chbeaumont wrote: 93 Points
Classical Ridge Zinf, bursting with briary fruit but all in proportion. Can be drunk now but as some tannin remains should benefit from 12+ months.
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3/26/2013 - chanote44 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Brooding dark Zin fruit mixed with Petite sirah makes a great combo. This really comes alive afer 1/2 hour in the glass. Excellent.
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3/23/2013 - Isalasdad Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP. It is smooth, well balanced and full of fruit. I love the Ridge Lytton Springs.
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3/22/2013 - fitchbuck wrote: 90 Points
Saved this for some spicy thai take out. Don't see what all the fuss was about..
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3/8/2013 - Rich S Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark purple color. Really intense nose of buttery oak, dark chocolate, blackberry compote, vanilla. The strong butter smell blew off after a little bit of air and then the wine smelled more like a delicious blackberry pie. Similar flavors on the palate with the blackberry jam coming through along with grape juice and more of the oak notes. Medium+ acid and tannins with a nice, long finish. I enjoyed this wine a lot but it was a bit too primary for me at this stage. I have 2 more in the cellar and will then them both age for several more years before trying again since Ridge wines age so well. This wine could be really special down the road.
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3/3/2013 - Cadby Likes this wine: 91 Points
2009 Ridge Lytton Springs ++++ $35
14.5 spirit/warmth. Typical LS elegance with heft. Young
http://8wordsonwine.blogspot.com/2013/03/2009-ridge-lytton-springs-35.html
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2/20/2013 - slippytoad wrote: 91 Points
Still young but opens up nicely after a few hours.
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2/10/2013 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Rich and full-bodied. Some forest floor and slightly pruney and cedar notes, but that's more of the expected style of the wine than anything else. Quite flamboyant and decadent. Not the polish or sophistication of some other blends, but a lively and engaging wine with very little to apologize for. I think another two or three years will allow it to bloom more.
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2/8/2013 - Periko Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted blind. Opened for 1 hour. Initially shows subtle red fruit flavors, mineral, earth and pepper. Evolved fantastically in glass, offering more ripe fruit flavors and mint. It's balanced, with correct acidity, good structure and a long finish. Tasted along with a Pallus Cab Franc (Chinon) and a Niepoort Redoma Douro), the Zin was hands down the WOTN.
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1/30/2013 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Very generous fruity nose. A little bit hot, but very enjoyable. Rich, smoky palate. From 375ml; Decanted for 1hr. UPDATE: Revisited the remaining of the bottle after 1 week (vacu-sealed) -- The heat has dissipated and the palate became much smoother. Some sweet flavors.
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1/23/2013 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
This has both gained and lost something in its calming over the last 12 months. It's gained pleasure and polish though it may have lost some intensity and intrigue. Still, incredible depth, interest, and--believe it or not--balance. Fantasy finish that trails off with still more appeal and symmetry.
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1/22/2013 - AMM3RD wrote: 93 Points
This was amazing and one of the best QPR's anywhere. Drank from a Magnum. This is youthful with stellar balance. Dark blue/black color and beautiful nose that exploded when the first glass was poured. Bramblie berries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries and spice. Drink over the next 5+ years. I may have under-rated...AM
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1/20/2013 - patsox wrote: 92 Points
Typical full bodied, well balanced Ridge triumph.
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1/17/2013 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just always really tasty and well balanced. Again the Ridge delivers.
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1/13/2013 - Tarrant wrote: 94 Points
Amazing vintage for this wine, one of our favorites - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackfruit, bramble, spice, plum and vanilla, excellent structure and balance, silky smooth on the palate with terrific length, very, very tasty! (94 Points).
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12/25/2012 - WineScoundrel wrote:
Shutting down. Wait a few years.
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12/24/2012 - cos82 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth and balanced very nice Zin. Tasted slightly sweeter than last tried. Nice combination of cherry and earthiness. Drinking beautifully.
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12/15/2012 - Necowine Likes this wine: 94 Points
a complete wine. rich chocolate, rich black fruit, savory tannins, but still with acidity and minerals and without being explosive. powerful, intense wine that caresses the palate. gorgeous.
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12/15/2012 - mnor wrote:
Hallon, björnbär, peppar, syltig(!). En god zin som helt klart kan drickas nu.
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12/9/2012 - ludwigbpm wrote: 91 Points
Nez intense: moka, goudron, mine de crayon et quelques notes florales. Bouche dense, chaleureuse, présentant une certaine fraîcheur malgré la richesse du vin. Belle finale sur l'amertume.
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12/4/2012 - kronfeld wrote: 91 Points
Huge, sinus-filling plum/fig aroma and taste. Mouth-coating texture, hint of tartness.
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11/30/2012 - Periko Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened for 20 min. Drank over 2 days. Day one with burgundy glass, day two with bordeaux glass. On day one it offers a spicy nose with black pepper, smoked meat along with a perfumed red mature fruit. On day 2 nose has green pepper, liquor cherries, mint, forrest floor, earth and fruit turning more ripe. On palate has a balanced acidiy and initially has a earthy flavor, meaty, red fresh fruit, with present tannins and some dryiness on mid palate. On day two, it becomes more mineral with graphite notes. Finish is long and made of red ripe fruit. (90-92)
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11/23/2012 - Enfant sauvage wrote:
This is very good for what it is. Heady nose with spice, bramble, and loads of dark fruit on the palate. Impressive, but I think this will convince me that I no longer really enjoy American Zin. This wan't jammy at all and the tannins are integrating nicely, but it was still tiring to drink. These days, I'm happier with a bottle of Fatalone Gioia delle Colle primitivo than I am with this.
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11/22/2012 - cos82 wrote: 91 Points
Ready to drink earthy brambly wine on the nose and palate. Sophisticated balanced zin. Very well made.
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11/17/2012 - lewisrise wrote: 92 Points
Nose of black cherry and Asian spice. Dark fruits with a hint of maple syrup and cedar. Well balanced.
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11/11/2012 - lvjohn wrote: 95 Points
This wine is near perfection. After a decant and 45 minute rest, it showed intense fruit and spice that was in perfect balance. There was no hint of alcohol at all. The not feel and persistence were equally impressive.
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11/8/2012 - jhieb wrote: 90 Points
Buckets of spice, blueberries, maple syrup, and dough on the nose. Still a little tight, and almost cabernetlike in its structure.
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11/6/2012 - Fred44 wrote: 91 Points
Can't believe that this wine is too young to drink.
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11/4/2012 - millerarner wrote: 88 Points
May have to try again on its own. Had it on two different nights with several other reds and it didn't measure up. Great nose, even tasted good, but the finish was so overly dry as to leave a chalky mouth feel that detracted from all else.
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11/2/2012 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nice solid bottle of terroir driven Zin. True to Ridge, this wine is a field blend that has a predominence of red and black on the nose and palate. Nice complexity and great balance which IMHO is what makes this particular vintage of Ridge wines, excellent across the board.
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11/2/2012 - phillyboyP wrote: 93 Points
I am in love with this wine. One of the greatest bangs for your buck I have ever seen. It truly drinks like a $100 wine. Just gorgeous. Seductive, Captivating, Sultry. Sheesh..... 93, no problem
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10/30/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Just delicious.. Such depth of flavors. As someone said, not your average Zin. Just lovely at present
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10/27/2012 - Grinner wrote: 91 Points
Not your average Zin. OK, it doesn't taste much like a Zin. Well not like the "in your face" Zins. Nice nose of raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, and spice. These are reflected on the palate with a nice touch of oak. Kind of a "Zin Meritage" of sorts with much better refinement and balance than your above average Zins. Sometimes you want a smash mouth Zin (ok, not often for me), and some times you don't. Lovely.
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10/20/2012 - Mr.Overhill wrote: 92 Points
Continuing to soften and drop the rougher of its remaining tannins. It's also gettng more balanced, especially as it picks up more acidity and becomes more delineated. Nice rich blueberry pie flavors that are starting to better express themselves along with the subtle spice undertones. Of the two bottles I've opened, this one was more rewarding, hopefully due to a longer time spent in the cellar.
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10/18/2012 - -E- wrote: 90 Points
Dyp rød med mildt blåskjær. Generøs, sødmefull nese av bjørnebær, søte blåbær, treverk og julekrydder. Noe vanilje. Konsentrert, søtlig, mørk, lett krydret frukt med saftig og frisk syre. Noe nellik. Lett, tørr avslutning med noe sødme. 89-90 P
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10/18/2012 - StefanAkiko wrote: 94 Points
Non-blind. Opened 6 hrs before serving at La Rochelle, Akasaka.
Impression: Outstanding with trumpet fanfares
For me, mainly like my previous notes, plus this has darkened substantially. This is sublime greatness in the making.
My self discipline is having a hard time keeping this wine. Only 8 btls to go...
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10/13/2012 - mpricher wrote: 92 Points
Same as Prior TN's for me. A little time only increased the finesse and secondary flavors. The Zin was still prominent, but letting the host of secondary Varietals play their notes as well. Good fun, rich Jammy and lushious fruit. Just wonderful. This was our fifth and last bottle, and well worth the coin.
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10/6/2012 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 94 Points
Marvellous. Can only join my voice to the praise by D'artagnan below which describes it perfectly. My first impression is that this is defined by what it is not - namely, sweet, soft, jammy, alcohol-hot zin. I would have a hard time making the right call on the cepages here. Feels more like a ripe and full bodied, but very elegant, syrah. There's some vanilla allright, but this wine could last for many more years, and some time lying down would help integrate the oak even more; not that it bothers me today though.
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10/4/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
My wife brought some pizza home for dinner, so I broke out another 2009 Ridge Litton Springs (3rd tasting). This time, I get a complex nose and flavors of earth, brambly blackberry, black currant, blueberry, per my wife some black cherry, licorice, graphite, black pepper, spice and American oak. Rich, full bodied and concentrated fruit. A sumptuous feeling in the mouth. Again, it had a long spicy finish. It paired OK with the pizza, but I really enjoyed the wine more by itself. The wine has opened up much for the better from one year ago. Score 92-93.
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10/2/2012 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Very generous fruity nose. A little bit hot, but very enjoyable. Rich, smoky palate. I can see why so many people like that wine. I look forward to how this will evolve over time.
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10/1/2012 - drdecanto wrote: 91 Points
Went to a split of this as a back up bottle to a disgusting wine from Garagiste. This was very good, but not as good as the last bottle that I had. The nose was a bit restrained, but offered dark fruits. The mouth feel was higher in acid and full of fruit. The finish was gripping. Seemed a bit closed. Last bottle. Will have to search for more.
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10/1/2012 - phillyboyP wrote: 93 Points
Damn does this wine bring the Yum. I mean Damn! The nose alone is fabulous and leaps from the glass. Ripe crushed blackberries, spice, brown sugar. I could drink this wine everyday and be totally cool with it. It's already integrated very well, and will cruise for a long time. Well done Mr. Draper, well done indeed. Love me some Ridge, especially Lytton Springs. 93+
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9/30/2012 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 92 Points
Wow! Enjoyed this bottling a lot more than the Geyserville of the same vintage. It's deep purple profile excudes crushed blackberry perfume that fills the palate with black/purple fruit. The wine is so well done and balanced. More specifically, it's quite sweet without being overwhelming or brooding....just what I have come to expect from Ridge. Really happy with this bottling and haven't enjoyed Zin this much since drinking Frank Family's 2007 (which was ethereal)! Cheers
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9/24/2012 - Fur in the glass wrote:
Never had a zin, petite syrah blend. Had the real easy to drink quality I’ve always found in a zin despite the high alcohol. Lots and lots of black fruit.
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9/23/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful showing and fresh wine with floral, cherry, spice and blueberries. I love the floral quality on this wine and nice balance. Medium finish and really this is a drink now effort but I could see this wine going another five years. Decanted one hour.
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9/17/2012 - jamie24 Likes this wine: 94 Points
i was a big fan of the '08 Lytton Springs and this was my first bottle from a case of the '09. i was very impressed and the '09 is better than the '08 in my opinion. i don't know much about zinfandel but the blend with the syrah works so well. the fruit is beautifully integrated... both red and black. and the best bit is the price - good value in an age of inflated wine prices. excellent.
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9/16/2012 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Nothing wrong with this. Blueberries and black licorice on the nose. Same on the palate. Acidity is balanced by the tannins, it is a well-made wine. But I find it uninteresting. Maybe some time will add complexity.
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9/15/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club: Cali Variety Pack with Ridge, Barnett, Pride Hobbs and more (Tracy's, Mpls): Very dark red-purple color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. Great and complex nose, roses, white flowers, blueberry, cassis, blackberry, carmel, creme brule, spice and light earth notes. The palate is velvety, full and rich, layers of black fruit, spices, mineral, good acid and a long finish. This is a fantastic wine and a killer QPR. My #2 WOTN and group's #1 WOTN.
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9/14/2012 - DonDon wrote: 91 Points
Lovely. Won't repeat all the many tasting notes already on this wine but it has a beautiful backbone of cassis and some spice. Still very young and should develop much further - I do hope so since I have 3 cases of this wine! For me this was quite a bit nicer than the Geyserville with more going on.
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9/1/2012 - tplskylrk wrote:
Whew. A big monter w a Cali Zin lurking underneath all that PS that hits hard night one. Day II this settles into a real nice wine. The tannins balance the big fruit, the american oak sweetens the whole thing nicely.
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8/28/2012 - CFA1 wrote: 89 Points
Lots of dark fruit, black cherry, black berry, prune, spice, vanilla, slight pepper. Alcohol is high, but not out of balance. Sight grip, but texture is pretty smoothe. I picked up more of the pepper and spice on the second glass. Fruit forward. For the friends who dislike the earth forward Frenchies, I know they would love this. Very enjoyable.
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8/17/2012 - MusignyBlanc wrote:
Haven't had Lytton Springs in some time. I joined the ATP program some years ago and have been drinking those Ridge Zins instead. Most of the ATP wines are very fruit forward. They are balanced, but they just don't have the Petite Sirah backbone of the Lytton and it was a wonderful contrast to those also delicious wines.
Day 1 I really noticed the structure of the wine and the fruit seemed a bit thinner than I was expecting. Day 2 this really came together and the fruit showed much better. Really an outstanding vintage for this wine which should age quite well - if you haven't had old Ridge Zinfandel, you are missing out.
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8/14/2012 - flea wrote: 90 Points
Decanted. Dark fruits seemed a bit hidden at the moment. May let this one sit longer to see if it comes around a little stronger given the higher professional reviews.
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8/12/2012 - drdecanto wrote: 93 Points
One of the best reds I've had in awhile. Dark red fruits. Briar, dust and spice.Yummy!
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8/11/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
This wine has opened quite a bit since I last tasted it about 10 months ago. I think soft tannin from the petite sirah may have contributed to it's not being so open when last tasted. On the nose, I now get brambly aromas of blackberry, some blueberry, earth, licorice, black pepper, graphite, spice and a jolt of American oak. There seems to be better richness and concentration of fruit in the mouth. On the palate, flavors of blackberry, blueberry, licorice and pepper. A terrifically long spicy finish. Paired quite well with barbeque pork chops. We consumed this, while watching the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals pre-season game on T.V.; glad football season is here again. This Ridge Lytton Springs was a real embellishing compliment to the evening. Score 92-93.
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7/29/2012 - pete s. wrote: 91 Points
Definitely more open and balanced then my last bottle as evidenced by the pop and pour and crowd response. Just a lovely, refined zinfandel blend. Amazing qpr.
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7/26/2012 - NineteenEightyTwo wrote: 88 Points
Deep and dark coloration. Surprised at how restrained the nose was despite several hours of decanting. A full, fruity palate of blackberries, accented with typical zinfandel spicy, peppery notes. Very smooth finish, more like a merlot than a zin. Not a ton of tannin. Nice wine, above average, but I am surprised at how favorable the professional reviews have been. Need to drink within the next few years.
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7/25/2012 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 89 Points
A Bunch of Zins ($20 to $40): My first time trying this vintage. Purple/ruby in color. Tight on opening. Sandalwood, some black raspberry. On the palate, slightly bitter with plums. Medium tannins. I was surprised when this was revealed. I did think it improved after that, but I wonder if that was because I gave it the benefit of the label, or the air helped it. In any event, I would have hoped for a better showing. I know AG raved about this wine so maybe it does need time. Its solid, but also the Ohio price is around $38, which is crazy.
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7/23/2012 - twjtaylor wrote:
Berries on the nose, blueberries mostly. On the palate, more blueberries, blackberries and vanilla. Nice balance and length. Some fine tannins and plenty of fruit with a youthful nose points to some future development - I'd like to pick this up again in 2-3 years to see how it's getting on.
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7/19/2012 - Snelson1154 wrote: 92 Points
Went great with grilled lamb chops. This bottle of wines shows you just how great Zinfandel can be. What impressed me most about this wine was it's balance. Rich dark fruits with enough acidity to make this wine lively, almost refreshing.
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7/18/2012 - astroman wrote: 92 Points
Lots of blueberries with good weight and balance. Hints of heat from the apparent high alcohol content but still a very good wine. Interesting to see how it would develop over time.
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7/18/2012 - vsirvanci wrote: 90 Points
Nice proprietary blend, received as a gift but will buy back again for sure. Pleasent and even refreshing on the palate and can be enjoyed on its own easily.
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7/16/2012 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking well. As previously reviewed.
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7/12/2012 - markcic wrote: 90 Points
Poured into a decanter and drank with the cheese course - nice nose, medium body with blueberries, blackberries and a little menthol on the palate - held up well with the more pungent cheeses
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7/8/2012 - Delli Likes this wine: 91 Points
Crimson color with medium body. Nose is understated but sweet with hints of blueberry and oak - the nose is more like a cab than a zin. This bottle could have used more than an hour to breath. The mouth feel and acidity are medium. The palate begins quite structured with minerality, followed by cherries, plumbs and herb. The finishes sweat and meandering - my favorite part of this wine. Roberta was Abigail fan. 5+12+16+8=91
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7/7/2012 - Engelund wrote: 90 Points
Restaurantkøb i Boston. PnP hvilket bestemt ikke er optimalt for denne unge vin. Burde være iltet mindst 1 time så jeg sidder i stedet og svinger vinen rundt glasset for at få lidt ilt ind i vinen. Farven er meget mørkerød og duften er fin med toner af mørke bær. Smagen er behagelig, kraftig, balanceret og med en smule tanniner og en del syre som dog efter lidt tid i glasset forsvinder lidt ved iltningen. Jeg syntes vinen er bedst med mad og specielt sammen med en god fedtmarmoreret rib-eye således syren i vinen får lidt modspil. Drue mixet 71% Zinfandel, 23% Petite Sirah og 6% Carignane virker godt. Tror den vil være endnu bedre om 5-6 år eller længere.
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7/3/2012 - Genghis88 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Let me preface that I am not a huge Zin fan, but this was a good effort and I enjoyed.
True garnet, medium plus body, high alcohol
Lots of stewed dark fruit off the nose, vanilla, oak NEW WORLD!!!!
Dry, lots of oak, round, long finish, sweet caramel, spiciness. Also too young too drink in my opinion.
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6/24/2012 - markcic wrote: 88 Points
Poured into a decantor through an aerator even though it was a 375. Not that much of a nose but very fruit forward with spices and hints of vanilla. Medium finish but overall a very good wine which paired well with the wild boar i had for dinner.
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6/17/2012 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 91 Points
- Crimsom color with slow forming legs and aromas of raspberry, vanilla, oak and menthol. It's balanced and has flavours of fig and vanilla with a full body. Fleshy texture with a medium finish - Admittedly, I like the Lytton but I wholeheartedly prefer the Geyserville of the same vintage. Lytton still needs more time but won't stack up to the Geyserville.
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6/1/2012 - tanninbomb wrote: 92 Points
I don't understand the move The Matrix. Never have. This wine was like that for me. It was not what I expected (and I have had Ridge wines before, but they were Three Valleys). Maybe more sophisticated that I was ready for. but, just like The Matric, everyone was fascinated by it. I just stared at them glumly, and said "Really? Are you sure? I don't get it." It must be me. The score reflects the admission that I need to defer to others, especially when they are dinner guests who loved the wine. Who am I do contest that?
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5/31/2012 - Mike Dildine wrote: 93 Points
The 09 is an excellent Lytton.
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5/30/2012 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Je ne bois plus de Zinfandel depuis longtemps. Évidemment, ce n'est jamais un problème de faire mûrir le Zinfandel. Ce sont la surmaturité et l'alcool excessif qui posent parfois problème.
Hors celui-ci est un modèle, en demi-bouteille.
Un nez exubérant et complexe, d'épices sucrées et de cannelle (comme du vin chaud), avec fraises, caramel et raisins de Corinthe. L'attaque est bien mûre, le vin est dense, concentré, un brin sucrée, d'une texture visqueuse, avec une longueur impressionnante et surtout, une superbe finale équilibrée, ample et précise, sans chaleur.
Beaucoup de fruit, c'est gourmand bien sûr, mais il possède aussi une certaine finesse étonnante pour ce cépage, on est loin du style blockbuster de plusieurs Zins populaires auprès des critiques. Un vin réjouissant, authentique et savoureux, bon maintenant mais ses jolis tanins enfouis sous le fruit promettent un vieillissement intéressant.
Aux antipodes des Bourgogne ou Bordeaux, il faut aimer le Zin américain. Mais dans le style, c'est très difficile à battre.
93+ pts
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5/30/2012 - bluedog wrote: 93 Points
Awesome. Enjoyed on a beautiful, temperate, evening. Light cherries, blackberry, and a hint of pepper. Smooth as silk. Plenty of tannins remain, but integrating nicely. Great Ridge.
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5/22/2012 - joshbrooklyn wrote: 93 Points
Went wonderfully with Fajitas. Big and full and rich.
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4/29/2012 - daveste wrote: 91 Points
One fine Zin, decanted about an hour. Full rich fruit, alcohol nose, long finish.
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4/26/2012 - stantheman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright, fruit-forward, with a nice smooth finish. Drinking well, but can use a little air at first.
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4/16/2012 - rwstorer wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured out of a magnum. Aromas of fresh red fruits, cedar and vanilla. Flavors of red cherry, dusty, earthy cedar and a slight vanilla secondary characteristic. This seems very balanced and certainly enjoyable as we paired it with a variety of pate, bread, cheese and meats. A tremendous crowd pleaser and one of the best Ridge products I'm happy to be re-aquainted with.
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4/15/2012 - kahuna75 wrote: 89 Points
very nice wine, with no formal notes the short thin finish seemed to stand out for me. Perhaps more airtime would have helped this fill out. Still overall was a very nice well made wine and even with the finish I would buy and enjoy another bottle.. actually I have more bottles.
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4/13/2012 - mpricher wrote: 92 Points
Similar to prior TN's
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4/11/2012 - csillabu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Day 1 - Opened bottle for 90 minutes prior to drinking. Cherry, blackberry, pepper, earthy elements on the nose. Juicy mix of cherries and black raspberry on the palate. Finish is chewy and oaky. The tannins and acid are balanced, but the fruit needs time. Day 2 - comes together with complexity at the start, but mellow long tannins at the finish. This wine will be amazing in a few years, although it may be difficult not to drink it in the mean time!
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4/4/2012 - yossarian.livez wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and drank slowly from decanter for 2hr. Started with brambly dark fruit/blackberry/black currants, smoke and pepper and then developed graphite and hints of cardamom over the 1.5hr. Initially slightly tannic but rounded out beautifully as it integrated (much sooner than anticipated!). Moderately long finish.
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4/3/2012 - Mike Dildine wrote: 92 Points
I think this is a really good Lytton.
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4/2/2012 - Vstalam wrote: 89 Points
Out of a 375 with 2 hr decant and drank over 3 hours. Nice balance of spice, smokiness, and cherry notes. Not too alcoholic or over the top, paired well with chorizo and red peppers sandwich. Probably will develop for a few more years if you can wait.
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3/30/2012 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Terrific, always good, get more in the future.
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3/29/2012 - StefanAkiko wrote: 94 Points
Non-blind. 3 hrs decanting 4 hrs slow-ox.
As previous note plus reduced raspberries and a longer finish.
This is one helluva PHAT wine!
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3/29/2012 - gjv115 wrote:
From a .375. Pop and pour. I've had this at the winery and was impressed. This wine was tight and needed more time to breath than I gave it.
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3/27/2012 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
served cold; good dark raspberry, plum, earth; more integrated than when last tasted, though still young; nice balance and could match with the heavy and lighter fare.
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3/22/2012 - Erik R. wrote: 89 Points
This bottle tasted quite tight to me, with a lot of petite syrah cool blue fruit and structure. Despite this, great balance between the plums, rosemary, chocolate milk and the tannins and acidity. Definitely not to heavy or sweet. Get the impression that there is much more under there, so plenty of upside. I'll let these rest a couple of years.
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3/21/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Day 3 review and much better now. Minerals, spice, blueberries, raspberries and floral notes. Full of flavor on the palate and plenty of spice. Medium finish and concentrated wine. Not an over the top wine but tons of flavor and very nice for the money. Well done.
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3/18/2012 - kostaslonis wrote:
Oinorama Wine Fair 2012; 3/17/2012-3/18/2012: (tasted at oinorama) Zinfandel 71%, Petit Syrah 23%, Carignan 6%. This vintage has considerably lower percentage of Zinfandel and it clearly shows that. The color is full bright red . The nose is quite round, balanced, straightforward fruity character with sweet spiced in the background. Smooth mouthfeel, fruity, ripe and velvet-like tannins, high acidity, short to medium aftertaste of black ripe cherries. Without taking under consideration the fact that its much young than the other 2 (207, 2006) this one has a much more crowd pleasing character.
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3/17/2012 - rmcnees wrote: 90 Points
By far the biggest and most structured of a tasting against two Napa (Venge Scouts Honor) Zins. Firm and still a bit tight, with forward black fruits, plum, a layer of tar, licorice, smoke and notes of pepper. This needs a couple more years to unwind and open and probably has a long life ahead. We knew that going in but wanted to try it as a benchmark against the vintage selections from 1998 and 2001, and also to determine if we should buy more since its currently available.
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3/17/2012 - flwinos wrote: 90 Points
Popped and let breathe in the glass for 30 - 45 minutes. Huge floral component on the nose with a heavy dose of blueberry. As it got more air time, the blueberry settled down. On the palate, blueberry pie, with some blackberry, baking spice, and white pepper. Definitely becomes more balanced with no component taking over as it got more air. This was not a favorite of mine as the blueberry was just over the top for me throughout most of my consumption. However, it was a very well made wine.
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3/15/2012 - Shiaxonna wrote: 87 Points
Ridge Lytton Springs 2009:
Smell: At first a sweet delicious scent emerges from the glass which reminds me of delicious concentrated C9DP and Burgundy wines. Later this disappears, and you were left with blackcurrant and vanilla. Now it reminds me more of your "run of the mill" Cab Sauve. After 15-20 minutes in the glass is changed again, now pleasant and sweet, but not so intense as to begin with.
Taste: Blackcurrant in the beginning, some oak. This wine is definitely a future project! Rather aggressive tannins, medium concentration and not the world's longest ending. Still this wine is charming and good, but nothing special. Opens a bit up after an hour in the glass. Good with chocolate!
50+5+12+13+7
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3/10/2012 - Drankthewholebottle wrote: 95 Points
This is about as outstanding as it gets for Ridge. Plenty of fruit without going over the top. Lytton Springs is usually one of my favorite from Ridge and I think this is the best so far.
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3/6/2012 - jtinto Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wasn't looking forward to my annual tasting of this wine. It's been in decline for a number of years. Reversal. This wine is tremendous and back to form from the "old days". No over-extraction here. Bold black and blue fruit, however not weighty. Long finish.
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3/4/2012 - cartime wrote: 89 Points
From 375. Didn't find this as well-balanced as I typically find Lytton Springs. Lowish acid and a bit too much in the way of chocolaty notes for my tastes. Missed the herbals I usually get.
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3/3/2012 - twoamps wrote: 90 Points
great new lytton springs.
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3/3/2012 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Same here, pdemaio, and from 800 miles away!: expecting to be disappointed and again being thrilled with the 09 Lytton springs. Dessert is a great time to pour this, but that doesn't mean it's not balanced, beautiful, and involved.
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3/3/2012 - pdemaio wrote: 94 Points
Everytime I open one of these I expect to be disappointed, and yet I never am. Lovely nose and boy what integration and smoothness onthe body. Big fruit, but not overpowering. Just such a nice balance between nose with great secondary flavors (perhaps a touch of good VA) and spice and the smooth but full body which rolls gently into a long finish with the slightest ramp in intensity until if begins to fade. Still tight, I've got to try not to drink all of these in the next year to see how it develops. PDQ94
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2/27/2012 - phillyboyP wrote: 92 Points
When this baby sheds some baby fat it is going to be amazing. Tastes alongside the 09 GVille, the Lytton was darker, richer, but more aromatically subdued. Decanted for 2 hours. Perfect match for a fat cap seared rare tri tip. Gorgeous wine. Loads of Dark Fruits and spice. 92+++
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2/21/2012 - Gargantua wrote: 91 Points
Visit to Ridge's Montebello Vineyard and Tasting: We heard it at Grgich's cellar, too (unsurprisingly): the very 9 vines outside of a church, very similar to Plavac Mali, dating back to the 1800's on the Dalmation Coast, are now definitively considered by UC Davis as the origin of Zinfandel. I thought this was just very interesting, and I was stunned to what extent this reminded me of Frappato--and, holy shit, if a Zinfandel blend can remind me of a fresh, carefree Frappato, that's quite an accomplishment in my book. Wondering if I will edge towards Lytton in the eternal "Geyserville vs Lytton" debate. Great acid, plush velvety raspberry character and aroma.
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2/18/2012 - vinomex wrote: 90 Points
Extremely good, solid structure, just a hint of spicyness covering a solid core of fruit though not in a typical zin sort of way. At this young age, I can only imagine this Lytton Springs will evolve for the better and merit a higher score. Another solid Ridge offering.
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2/13/2012 - GreatLibations wrote: 91 Points
Pours deep ruby purple with strong aromatics. I smell caramel and cocoa with ripe red fruit and dates. Medium full body with strong balance of tannin and acid making up a bold backbone. Ladled blackberry sauce, ripe plum and cherry, a bit of blue berry with milk chocolate, crushed rock, and sour cranberry. This wine is beastly. There is some exceptional complexity here. Decant for 30 min.
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2/7/2012 - fanglangzhe Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very fruit forward. But good balance.
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2/6/2012 - defnefferson wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic bottle of wine. Drinking great now, but nonetheless I'd love to check in on this in a year or two.
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2/5/2012 - slippytoad wrote: 88 Points
The last glass impressed but up till that point it wasn't showing well at all. Way too young.
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2/4/2012 - dg1 wrote: 91 Points
Gorgeous bottle, rich, flavorful, no heat, drinking very well
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2/1/2012 - boodra wrote: 90 Points
Delicius zin. Layers of dark fruit, peber, liquorice and hints of vanilla from the oak. Quite elegant for a blockbuster wine and has the freshness to keep it balanced. For me this was surpricelingly good
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1/28/2012 - affordableCollector Likes this wine: 88 Points
dark red with purple hues in the color. spice, dark fruit, pepper on the nose. black berry, sweet, raspberry, spice on the palate. enjoyable finish.
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1/28/2012 - thatrick wrote: 92 Points
DRod on 1/14/2012 nailed the description of this wine for me. (See his note)
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1/15/2012 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purple, bright edges; vanilla oak, fruity; blackberry, cherry, forest floor, american oak, acidity. This is one of the best Lytton's I have had in years. The acid should allow it to cellar for many years. Drinking nicely now with 1+ hour decant. (First visit for my son to Ridge MB)
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1/14/2012 - DRod wrote:
On the nose big blackberry/raspberry jam, almost like a fruit roll-up. Very rich in fruit and smells almost over the top. On the palate that same big fruit and deliciousness, but enough acid and tannin to make it far from tiring. A touch of vanilla towards the tail-end and an incredibly long finish of that same blackberry. This is very young and delicious. Definitely has the stuffing to age for a while. And though I'm not as high on this as Antonio Galloni, it's a very nice drink.
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1/13/2012 - Porchino wrote: 86 Points
lost badly to lesser name 02 bordeaux
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1/13/2012 - WineBarrique wrote: 90 Points
Although a blend I didnt get the typical zin taste. Still nice but not sure its worth the $44
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1/6/2012 - miller3324 wrote:
Out of 375. Drank following an 09 geyesrville. Outstanding structure and balance. Drinks very well right now and will be fun to follow over the years. Very dark fruits with some spice on the finish. As good of a Lytton as I have had
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1/3/2012 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Great fruit of dark fruits, great balancing acidity. Decanted four hours, drunk over next four hours. Last glass was the best. Does not show relatively high alcohol, and has all of the components to age gracefully, an excellent young wine that should improve over the next few years.
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1/2/2012 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
ripe black cherry, plum, black raspberry with mocha, toast and barrel sample reminiscence; lots of good stuff tho not yet fully integrated
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1/1/2012 - twelch wrote: 92 Points
Nice, Even better on day 2. Has a long live ahead. Nice fruit and spice with lovely chalky almost earlthy tannins
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1/1/2012 - Mike Dildine wrote: 93 Points
One of the best Ridge Lyttons in several years - and that is saying alot.
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12/29/2011 - pdemaio wrote: 93 Points
Big ripe fruit with great balance and wonderful integration. Smooth and pretty. Dark berry fruit. Spice. Long finish. PDQ93
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12/28/2011 - StefanAkiko wrote: 94 Points
On the nose, it's very young (!) and jammy enough to make me think I mis-bought a whole case of this. But, per os this comes around nicely: showing some restraint, smallish cathedral gonnabe, fine acids, good density and attractive fruit. Tannins and oak character are much lower than expected. Really looking forward to bottle #2 in 2016. We have very high hopes for it!
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12/23/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
No detailed notes, but concentrated restrained style. Strong oak but integrated with time. had a little blackberry liquor, lush fruit flavors. I really like this style of zin.
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12/20/2011 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 88 Points
Old Vine Sonoma Zinfandels (Vin Vino Wine, Palo Alto, CA): Ripe berry fruit and a touch of vanilla on the nose. Medium bodied with low acidity. Ripe mixed berry fruit and vanilla on the palate. Drinking very well now but a bit oaky for me. I imagine I will enjoy it more when the oak integrates but the low acidity concerns me a little.
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12/20/2011 - cos65 wrote:
from the Enomatic at Max's Wine Dive. Initially, some dusty, dark, chocolatey flavors, almost tasting a bit old. But after 15 minutes in the glass it freshened up with juicy berry fruit, some american oak that was not overpowering. Very good, but not up to typical Lytton springs, though to be fair I will retaste a fresh bottle. this only ***+
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12/17/2011 - Carolus81 wrote: 91 Points
Fin mörk, lätt syltig eller kanske snarare söt frukt i munnen. I avslutning dyker ekvaniljen upp men utan att kännas sliskig. Riktigt gott.
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12/8/2011 - dmatley wrote:
seemed pretty closed down. corked?
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12/4/2011 - pifcho wrote: 90 Points
From a half at a restaurant alongside Roger Perrin's 2008 CdP. I told my wife that this was my favorite to win the new world / old world battle, but I was wrong. The Ridge was everything I thought it would be - rich fruit combined with impeccable freshness and delivered in a glossy smooth package. Just about everything I look forward when I am in the mood for a Cali wine, but tonight the Ridge was the simpler of the two wines at the table and the CdP was long gong by the time we finished up the last of the Ridge. This is the ultimate crowd-pleaser, but left me looking for a tad more.
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12/3/2011 - mpricher wrote: 93 Points
TN's similar to prior. Really enjoying this bottle, and the weight of the wine. The fruit combination provides a great match with food of all types.
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12/1/2011 - pete s. wrote:
Popped and ran through vinturi. Blackberry, campfire, wood on the nose. Juicy mix of cherries and black raspberry on the palate. Oak prominent on the finish. The tannins and acid seem to be in balance with each other, but the fruit needs time. Day 2 - comes together with complex licorice and rich P.S. fruit that transitions to sour red fruit on the finish. Let it rest for couple years - day 2 showed its potential. Buy up while you can for $30.
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11/29/2011 - MrD wrote: 89 Points
Had as backup wine for Thanksgiving. Very Fruity and enjoyed by all.
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11/28/2011 - daniel.jay wrote: 90 Points
First day was very muted, mineral, with a little zin spice, almost no sweetness. Second day, fruit came out on the nose and palette. Nice wine, but not the knockout I was expecting.
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11/27/2011 - Geoque wrote: 90 Points
Is this a good tasting wine? Yes, it it. BUT... and this is a big one: you can hardly feel the thing. It is so understated. It also lacks the tannins. I don't understand why one would expect this to get any better with age.
I know Parker has given it 94 points and I usually agree with him. Is this the one he got wrong. At least for me, he has.
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11/27/2011 - cmr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice, gushing with fruit and depth but still a little young in regards to it's tannins. A year or 2 I would expect this to really begin shining.
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11/26/2011 - Mr.Overhill wrote: 92 Points
While this big-boy zin wasn't as deep as I had hoped it to be, it did provide some decent drinking pleasure: Big fruits (black cherry, plum and faint rubhard) went along quite well with an interesting melange of spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) and a black licorice, peppery finish. If only the midpalate could have lived up to the initial mouth feel and that the finish could have lingered. I agree that the petite bodes well for the future aging of this newbie. Had it with prime rib and thought it matched up well considering the tannins were noticable yet already starting to soften.
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11/25/2011 - Stefanos T. wrote: 93 Points
Black fruit, tar and licorice, also smoke and vanilla. Very intense and full bodied wine with a long sweet finish with notes of figs.
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11/24/2011 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
I love lytton springs -- that said, I'm not so sure this is heads and shoulders above typical vintages
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11/23/2011 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not as big and rich as the Geyserville, which makes it more food friendly, but just as well made. Great nose of brambly red and black fruits, some creosote and chocolate notes. So smooth going down the hatch, with a lingering finish that again, doesn't match the Geyserville, but still a steal for the price.
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11/20/2011 - mpricher wrote: 93 Points
Brilliant! Very much in line with prior tasting notes. Dark crimson garnet in color. Jammy rustic berry on the nose, with hints of spice and very light oak. The tannins are very short and fine on the palate. Such a flexible fruit driven wine, that appeals to many. For us, we find this a very approachable Zinfindel blend, that suits our palate just right!. Glad we have more bottles of the Lytton!!
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11/19/2011 - Biggsy wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple colour. The nose is powerful, filled with ripe raspberry fruit, liquorice and a touch of cigar smoke. Velvety smooth with spicy black fruits, great refreshing acidity and a long densely flavoured finish. Very good.
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11/13/2011 - mpricher wrote: 94 Points
Out-Standing!!! Even better the secon night. This has some serious power in fruit, spice, and vanilla. But so much better the second day, which leads me to believe this has 3-5 years of life in the bottle...easy! This can carry itself with some strong flabors (Filet/Min), broccoli, and the fixins. It's got all that, and more. The frontal attack has storng berry push, but the tannins are really mellow, and the finish has nice longevity. This is a really well made Zin/Petite Sirah blend, and well worth the coin.
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11/5/2011 - Patches wrote: 91 Points
Pretty good stuff. Raspberry, and rhubarb and mocha flavors. Medium acidity and tannin. The label says this should age 10-15 years but I think it is probably at its best now.
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11/4/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Youthful purple with a maroon rim. Brambly fruit dominates the nose with some strawberry thrown in. Full bodied, but in beautiful balance. This delivers layers of black and red fruit along with some spice and fig. Good acidity keeps this bright and dare I say refreshing. Beautifully textured with chewy, grippy tannins. The finish goes and goes.
This is a shining example of a youthful, full bodied new world wine which shows complexity and elegance along with power and opulence. "Cult" producers could do well to take note of wines like this.
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11/1/2011 - pdemaio wrote: 94 Points
Bright joyous fruit on the nose. big smooth mouthfeel with great acid and balance. Really easy to drink, but lots to think about it you want to. Or don't and just enjoy the hedonism of it.
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10/30/2011 - chablis28 wrote: 90 Points
This has a nice weight and great balance but it seems to border on jammy. I liked it with pizza tonight but I think I can do almost as well with a $12 Spanish Garnacha for over 1/2 the price. I have a feeling I may prefer a less ripe vintage of this wine but $30 seems like a lot for Zin to me.
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10/27/2011 - Chainthroer wrote: 91 Points
Deep dark garnet body. Dusty, earthy, brambly, blackberry nose, along with a lot of black pencil lead. The wine seems like it may be a bit closed to me, hidden by soft tannin. Very nice, but not overly concentrated fruit in the mouth. A long spicy finish of 25+ seconds. I don't know whether the petit sirah really helps the zinfandel grapes here - time will only tell. But, the wine pairs nicely with a homemade pizza with lots of mushrooms, cheese and beef. Next time I order Mexican food, I'll open another bottle.
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10/25/2011 - suthersm wrote: 90 Points
I liked this and my wife loved it. Actually a little understated. Berry, graphite, and a mineral component that many have commented on. No tannin to speak of but great lift from the acidity. It didn't come across as hot or ripe. Great out of the bottle with minimal change over the course of the night. From prior experience with the Lytton Springs, there's no hurry with this.
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10/24/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Zinfandel Tasting: 2009 Ridge, Biale, Bogle (Winestreets): Very dark red purple color. The nose is lush here too, ripe blueberry and blackberry, herbal, mineral. The palate shows great structure, very deep, full bodied, firm tannins, cassis, blackberry , mineral, and earth. This is big and young. Looking forward to this in a couple of years.
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10/15/2011 - paulmase wrote: 91 Points
Ripe fruit mixed with earth on the nose. Berries, flint & a hint of oak on the palate. Nice wine 91pts drink now or hold.
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10/14/2011 - vino vidi vici wrote: 93 Points
I'm with Baggio & FieldingYost on this one - well put. The only thing I can add is how good it tastes straight from the bottle. I wonder where it will go in 5 years? Has the stuffing to last.
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10/9/2011 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose showed red wild berries, a dusting of cinnamon sugar, hints of minerals and herbs, and a whiff of dark baker’s chocolate. On the palate, it was beautifully balanced and elegant with a firm start and juicy finish. Ripe red and blue fruits went from sweet to tart as it flowed across the palate. The finish was long and spicy.
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10/8/2011 - maxmanx wrote: 88 Points
Very refined and ready to drink. J found it a little sweet; I found it monotonous.
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10/5/2011 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
A Visit to Ridge Lytton Springs Estate: Inky purple-crimson colors. Aromas of black fruit, pepper, mint and herbs. Turns florally and perfumed with violets, lavender and licorice aromas. Full-bodied with firm, but approachable tannins with terrific dark fruit flavors and good underlying acidity. 14.5% abv and $35/bottle. 93+ pts.
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10/3/2011 - AlexHop wrote: 93 Points
Gorgeous candy nose. Intense flavor with green pepper, plum (some said blackberries), but totally dry. Long finish.
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9/23/2011 - daveste wrote: 91 Points
Fruit restrained at first, with oak and moderate tannins prominent. Good acid. Aromas of fruit got much better as we worked through the bottle during and after dinner. Lovely wine with BBQ salmon.
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9/16/2011 - FieldingYost wrote: 93 Points
Graphite, smoke, black licorice on a nose that is totally secondary, only a bit of black fruit peaking through. Tremendous structure here, with earth and black licorice, quite some depth, and not very much fruit to speak of at present. This drinks more like a cabernet, grown in the old world, than an American zinfandel, with a thirty second finish. In need of time.
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9/15/2011 - Baggio wrote: 93 Points
Quite the iconoclastic wine. All earth and minerals with almost no detectable fruit. Like drinking liquid graphite. One of the deepest, most layered wines I've had this year. It'll be interesting to watch the fruit emerge...presumably!
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9/3/2011 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
Ridge Fall Release Party (Monte Bello Vineyard): Sleeker and more leathery goodness and dark chocolate next to the York, from the syrah. Inkier dark, lots o' ripe plum and dark fruit.
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9/3/2011 - kosinski wrote:
Ridge Fall Release Celebration (Ridge Monte Bello Vineyard): A bit closed now, but shows great promise. Complex jammy black fruit is in the background right now, but there's lots of structure and good acidity. Should be a good food wine once it opens up.
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5/25/2011 - xtian wrote: 88 Points
Yummy, juicy, fruity zinlicious.
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3/26/2011 - Khamen wrote: 88 Points
Sweet red and blackcurrants on the nose, not jammy but a little confected. Notes of caramel creams on the finish. Good purity of fruit although a bit too much of a sweety for my palate. According to Eric Baugher the magic age for Ridge's zins is 10 years. I've never had any long enough to find out if he's right but I may have to try now...
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3/22/2011 - pjaines wrote:
Ridge Montebello Tasting & subsequent drinks; 3/22/2011-3/24/2011 (Berry Brothers, London): Caramel nose, confected palate but there is good acidity and freshness on the palate which gives balance. Long finish. Decent, but a little sweet at times.
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