Cork broke in half during extraction. Lovely deep garnet color with hints of browning. Lovely bouquet of ripe black cherry and spice. Lots of spicy ripe fruit on palate with oxidation evident. Just starting to fade but really nice and complex so drink up!
For the love of deep dark fruit with good character that is not over-extracted. Smooth soft tannins, yet a good earthy foundation to support the fruit & carry a nice long finish. Thankfully drank more like a 14.5 than a 15.2% alc.
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9.1.2020: last bottle, cork came out perfectly Dark berries, sweet, warm and alcoholic, wood and tannins, med-long finish, dark chocolate, after 1h aromas comparable with an Amarone, good but not great, after 2h decent mints and fresh herbs.
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Nice bramble and red berry fruit with some sweet spice. A bit hot/overly alcoholic (at 15.2%!) on open. With air, the alcohol integrates. Very little (sweet, mellow) tannin. Medium(-minus) acid. Good.
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Very dark, deep ruby in color, this wine had nice legs and hints of blackberry, cassis, and cherry. Very nice Zin. A smooth textured, full bodied wine that pairs well with strong European cheeses. A nice combo on Christmas Eve.
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With home made sausage pizza. Clean, dark (almost purple) to the eye, a touch of sparkle. Wonderful nose - raspberry/blueberry, maybe a touch of fennel. Medium body, dry, very balanced (this is a high alcohol wine which doesn't burn!), nice finish. Drinking very well right now.
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Full bodied and jammy. Consistent with prior notes. Nose of black cherry and plum. Enough acidity to hold things together and accommodate food. Drink now.
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The wine has a velvet red color. The tannins and alcohol are well integrated. It is very rich with notes of baked (as in a slight sweetness) dark red fruits, spicy plums, bramble and chaparral. Very easy drinking.
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The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like raspberry, red currant, black currant (cassis) and orange blossom. Sweet begins-ins with a full fruit boom. The body is light/medium. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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Jammy dark red fruit. More sweetness than usual with this particular bottling. Full bodied with spice on the finish. More reminiscent of a Rosenblum Zin than a Ridge bottling. But still very good. Drink now-2016.
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Up front the alcohol is quite apparent with your nose near the glass and not in a good way. After a little time in the glass, it opens up a bit and smooths out. Nice ripe, dark fruited berries are there with a solid balance of acidity. Not a tannic wine at all at this time. Solid wine.
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Dark purple-red color. Ripe aromas of blueberry, blackberry, and cherry with vanilla and cinnamon notes. Palate is ripe and rich with fresh pie filling notes of blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry with some vanilla sweetness that comes into a medium finish. There's some gritty tannins still present, but this is drinking well enough now. Wears its alcohol adequately, but packs a punch. Drink or hold for short term integration of tannins.
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No apologies. The Old School intentionally uses the ripest Geyserville grapes and that leads to a quite tasty wine. With the Carignan and the Petite Sirah, Ridge balances it out with some good acidity and tannins as well and expertly hides the 15.2% alc. Only marking it down because it is just too ripe for my taste. Have one bottle left and will be curious to see how it tastes once the fruit matures a bit.
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Well constructed Zinfandel, very drinkable now but with structure for further development. Sweet tannin, blueberry and blackberry fruits, tangy acidity, and in balance. Very nice drink, in the tradition of excellent single vineyard Zins from Ridge
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Hot-high alcohol wine. It needs some time in the glass to mellow. Once it has been open the classic zin flavors of jammy ripe dark fruits come forward. Not super spicy, but a nice wine with good pure fruit flavors. The 14% Carignane helps it from being too over the top. I would decant but don't know that I would age it--despite the 8% PS you don't get a lot of tannin. Medium weight.
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Subdued nose of soy sauce with a touch of raspberry. Smooth and mouth-coating flavors of sweet raspberry jam and a bit of spice. Lots of structure and tannins that could use some mellowing and integration. Finishes a bit hot, showing its 15%+ ABV. Can drink now for the fruit, but I'd prefer to let it age and develop more complexity.
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10/9/2023 - bsmall Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking great...mellow spicy, really nice finish--and still some berry fruit/zing--had with braised spicy beef shortribs---STELLAR!
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1/17/2022 - missionpk wrote:
Still lush and rich.
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6/25/2021 - 41hijinx Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cork broke in half during extraction. Lovely deep garnet color with hints of browning. Lovely bouquet of ripe black cherry and spice. Lots of spicy ripe fruit on palate with oxidation evident. Just starting to fade but really nice and complex so drink up!
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7/28/2020 - IAmVintage wrote: 91 Points
For the love of deep dark fruit with good character that is not over-extracted. Smooth soft tannins, yet a good earthy foundation to support the fruit & carry a nice long finish. Thankfully drank more like a 14.5 than a 15.2% alc.
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1/9/2020 - sortcode wrote: 88 Points
9.1.2020: last bottle, cork came out perfectly
Dark berries, sweet, warm and alcoholic, wood and tannins, med-long finish, dark chocolate, after 1h aromas comparable with an Amarone, good but not great, after 2h decent mints and fresh herbs.
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7/21/2018 - Colorado Native 3G Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bramble berry/dark fruit, tobacco leaf sweetness with mellow soft tannins. Smooth. Very nice.
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4/5/2017 - Colorado Native 3G Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bramble berry/dark fruit, tobacco leaf sweetness with mellow soft tannins. Very nice.
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12/25/2016 - bsmall wrote: 90 Points
very bright and fruity, nicely balanced with mellow tannins
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7/12/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 89 Points
Nice bramble and red berry fruit with some sweet spice. A bit hot/overly alcoholic (at 15.2%!) on open. With air, the alcohol integrates. Very little (sweet, mellow) tannin. Medium(-minus) acid. Good.
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12/24/2015 - Mackall817 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very dark, deep ruby in color, this wine had nice legs and hints of blackberry, cassis, and cherry. Very nice Zin. A smooth textured, full bodied wine that pairs well with strong European cheeses. A nice combo on Christmas Eve.
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11/22/2015 - Allison790 wrote: 80 Points
Not as good as previous vintage. The sweetness is muted.
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3/11/2015 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 91 Points
With home made sausage pizza.
Clean, dark (almost purple) to the eye, a touch of sparkle.
Wonderful nose - raspberry/blueberry, maybe a touch of fennel.
Medium body, dry, very balanced (this is a high alcohol wine which doesn't burn!), nice finish.
Drinking very well right now.
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2/19/2015 - WineCPA wrote: 91 Points
Full bodied and jammy. Consistent with prior notes. Nose of black cherry and plum. Enough acidity to hold things together and accommodate food. Drink now.
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11/9/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice mix of fruit. Not spectacular but very pleasant and well above average.
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11/8/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid - not bad, not great
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10/23/2014 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 89 Points
The wine has a velvet red color. The tannins and alcohol are well integrated. It is very rich with notes of baked (as in a slight sweetness) dark red fruits, spicy plums, bramble and chaparral. Very easy drinking.
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7/19/2014 - sbfern wrote: 90 Points
The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like raspberry, red currant, black currant (cassis) and orange blossom. Sweet begins-ins with a full fruit boom. The body is light/medium. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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3/22/2014 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice Ridge Zin. I agree with the previous review in that is has jammy dark red fruit, but also bramble and soft tannins.
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3/16/2014 - WineCPA wrote: 91 Points
Jammy dark red fruit. More sweetness than usual with this particular bottling. Full bodied with spice on the finish. More reminiscent of a Rosenblum Zin than a Ridge bottling. But still very good. Drink now-2016.
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3/2/2014 - storysworld wrote: 88 Points
Up front the alcohol is quite apparent with your nose near the glass and not in a good way. After a little time in the glass, it opens up a bit and smooths out. Nice ripe, dark fruited berries are there with a solid balance of acidity. Not a tannic wine at all at this time. Solid wine.
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1/18/2014 - fredb Likes this wine:
Dark purple-red color. Ripe aromas of blueberry, blackberry, and cherry with vanilla and cinnamon notes. Palate is ripe and rich with fresh pie filling notes of blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry with some vanilla sweetness that comes into a medium finish. There's some gritty tannins still present, but this is drinking well enough now. Wears its alcohol adequately, but packs a punch. Drink or hold for short term integration of tannins.
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1/19/2013 - missionpk wrote: 86 Points
No apologies. The Old School intentionally uses the ripest Geyserville grapes and that leads to a quite tasty wine. With the Carignan and the Petite Sirah, Ridge balances it out with some good acidity and tannins as well and expertly hides the 15.2% alc. Only marking it down because it is just too ripe for my taste. Have one bottle left and will be curious to see how it tastes once the fruit matures a bit.
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1/12/2013 - MarianneO Likes this wine: 98 Points
Very nice and smooth. some sweetness but not overdone or artificial.
stands up to red meat dishes and pasta with red sauce.
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1/12/2013 - Cadby Likes this wine: 91 Points
2009 Ridge Old School Zinfandel +++ $30
a bit fuelish nose, very jammy but delivers.
http://8wordsonwine.blogspot.com/2012/12/2009-ridge-old-school-zinfandel-30.html
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10/2/2012 - sully13 wrote: 90 Points
Jammy blueberry and raspberry with a smooth finish.
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6/19/2012 - markydecker wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous note.
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6/10/2012 - markydecker wrote: 92 Points
Well constructed Zinfandel, very drinkable now but with structure for further development. Sweet tannin, blueberry and blackberry fruits, tangy acidity, and in balance. Very nice drink, in the tradition of excellent single vineyard Zins from Ridge
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4/21/2012 - vinorsk wrote: 89 Points
Hot-high alcohol wine. It needs some time in the glass to mellow. Once it has been open the classic zin flavors of jammy ripe dark fruits come forward. Not super spicy, but a nice wine with good pure fruit flavors. The 14% Carignane helps it from being too over the top. I would decant but don't know that I would age it--despite the 8% PS you don't get a lot of tannin. Medium weight.
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2/3/2012 - kosinski wrote:
Subdued nose of soy sauce with a touch of raspberry. Smooth and mouth-coating flavors of sweet raspberry jam and a bit of spice. Lots of structure and tannins that could use some mellowing and integration. Finishes a bit hot, showing its 15%+ ABV. Can drink now for the fruit, but I'd prefer to let it age and develop more complexity.
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