Pours dark purple, quick swirl and sniff gives off alcohol. A quick look at the label confirms at 15.1%. Jammy nose of dried dark fruits and more heat. Boysenberry and backberry pie filling, some oak spice and more heat on the palate. Black pepper, ripe berries and mouth drying tannins but the burn on the finish detracts. Wonder what this was like 10 years ago. 10 more years won’t help. Enjoyed the 10 year older Nalle a lot more.
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Way past its prime drinking window. Stored perfectly since release. Fruit still there but showed its age. Held up for a second night and was still very enjoyable. Drink up if you have any. It's still good if you kept it at cellar temp.
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Zin nose quite evident after decanting. Soft tannin now, good body and fruit lighter than most zins, but it is 9 years old. Shows that a Zin made like claret can age. Had with Mexican food, so still plenty of stuffing to stand up to food.
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This ATP selection is drinking WONDERFULLY right now! Great nose of Zin bramble fruits, smooth silky tannins, rich mouth feel, balanced. Just delish. A bit high in alcohol (15%+) there is no evident heat, and the 100+ year old vine fruit imparts a certain sweetness, that if you know old vine zin will know exactly what I am referring to (if you don't, all I can suggest is you go out and buy a bottle from any of several top producers and experience this element for yourselves!).
This wine is at peak. Knowing the folks at Ridge, the back label said drink by 2010-2011. Knowing my cellar (never a day above 55) I know it can easily last another 3-5 without missing a beat. These guys are the best, most consistent, producers out there. Sure, anyone, even a monkey throwing darts can beat the S&P 500 for a year or two. Nobody has been as consistent or as fairly priced (sorry Helen) as these guys over time. For anyone who wants to know what great Zin is all about, you can not go wrong beginning here. It's just that simple.
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OMG. What a beautiful bottle of wine. From the nose to the last drop it was a melodious combination of melted dark fruit, vanilla and chocolate with silky soft tannins. It makes me want to go back and join the Ridge wine club. They seem to just get better with age.
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Technically speaking: OMG! Spectacular bright fruit. Nice acid, and enough structure to keep it all together. All that after an hour or so of decanting, and just as good the next day.
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This needed to be paired with something sweet. Unfortunately, we were having deep dish pizza and were hoping for a more traditional spicy zin. Nothing overtly wrong with this wine, but it wasn't really a classic zin either. Lighter, sweeter and with less punch than I expected, almost surprisingly so given it's age...
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An ATP selection that really didn't offer much pleasure at all. Decanted for about 30 minutes, thick cough syrup on the nose, black cherries macerated in sweet port on the palette. A bit of lingering heat on the finish.
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Another excellent Zin from Ridge. Nose giving up a forrest floor , loam and twigs- not really much fruit on the nose. Beautifully balanced.Full mouthfeel. Hits all the notes and does everything you expect from a well made wine. Dark fruit, spice, enough acid to support the fruit-all elements beautfully integrated. This bottle has been kept in my guest bathroom for years and survived perfectly.
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Up front fruit on the nose and tongue, this is vibrant and agreeable. Blueberry, zinberry and a bit of alcohol on the nose, the flavors tend to be classic zin. Chewy purple fruit, not quite plums but more purple than blueberry, vibrant acidity and just enough tannin to keep it interesting. A good bottle, maybe a bit pricey but it is Ridge. An example of a mid-weight Sonoma zin that is more a barbecue wine than a steak wine. Turley or 10 year old Lytton this ain't, but it has its charms and merits. Good wine except should be $20.
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Short on the nose, this makes up for it a bit on the palate, tasing of camelias, raspberry, myabe a hint of oak and sweet vanilla. Not a great wine, but solid. For Ridge, it continues the trend of falling short of outstanding. Too bad, their best days seem to be as long gone as Paul Draper is in the day to day operations up there. Someone needs to upgrade the facilities and winemaking...soon. I visited the old Nervo winery years ago B-R (before Ridge). The tasting room worker was approaching 100 years old, there were thousands of business cards attached to every surface of the inside walls of the room and the wine...SUCKED BADLY. So at least Ridge is a major upgrade from that.
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Drinking well right out of the bottle but did deepen after 45 min. I enjoyed the wine more by itself then with the steak.An example of whyI typically enjoy Ridge Zin's
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Memorial Day BBQ - Mom and Dad and the Goldmans - mini tasting, Nervo, Lytton East and Buchignani. All the ladies preferred the Nervo, Lee and I the Lytton.
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Very nice bottle. Tart cherries, tobacco/cigar and spices with a sweet middle that lingered through to the end. Ate pulled pork and barbecue sauce with this, yummy.
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12/3/2018 - River Rat wrote:
Pours dark purple, quick swirl and sniff gives off alcohol. A quick look at the label confirms at 15.1%. Jammy nose of dried dark fruits and more heat. Boysenberry and backberry pie filling, some oak spice and more heat on the palate. Black pepper, ripe berries and mouth drying tannins but the burn on the finish detracts. Wonder what this was like 10 years ago. 10 more years won’t help. Enjoyed the 10 year older Nalle a lot more.
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1/31/2016 - Birorganic Likes this wine: 90 Points
Way past its prime drinking window. Stored perfectly since release. Fruit still there but showed its age. Held up for a second night and was still very enjoyable. Drink up if you have any. It's still good if you kept it at cellar temp.
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12/25/2014 - daveste Likes this wine: 90 Points
Zins can age well -- this one was smooth and elegant though the aggressive berry fruit of its youth has faded. Gentle tannin, nice nose.
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10/4/2012 - daveste Likes this wine: 90 Points
Zin nose quite evident after decanting. Soft tannin now, good body and fruit lighter than most zins, but it is 9 years old. Shows that a Zin made like claret can age. Had with Mexican food, so still plenty of stuffing to stand up to food.
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8/30/2012 - svpandae Likes this wine: 92 Points
The recent reviews below nailed this wine. Acid, fruit, smooth, all soooo nice right now.
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7/2/2012 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 92 Points
This ATP selection is drinking WONDERFULLY right now! Great nose of Zin bramble fruits, smooth silky tannins, rich mouth feel, balanced. Just delish. A bit high in alcohol (15%+) there is no evident heat, and the 100+ year old vine fruit imparts a certain sweetness, that if you know old vine zin will know exactly what I am referring to (if you don't, all I can suggest is you go out and buy a bottle from any of several top producers and experience this element for yourselves!).
This wine is at peak. Knowing the folks at Ridge, the back label said drink by 2010-2011. Knowing my cellar (never a day above 55) I know it can easily last another 3-5 without missing a beat. These guys are the best, most consistent, producers out there. Sure, anyone, even a monkey throwing darts can beat the S&P 500 for a year or two. Nobody has been as consistent or as fairly priced (sorry Helen) as these guys over time. For anyone who wants to know what great Zin is all about, you can not go wrong beginning here. It's just that simple.
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11/19/2011 - oaxaca90049 wrote: 92 Points
OMG. What a beautiful bottle of wine. From the nose to the last drop it was a melodious combination of melted dark fruit, vanilla and chocolate with silky soft tannins. It makes me want to go back and join the Ridge wine club. They seem to just get better with age.
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7/12/2011 - dlynch wrote: 93 Points
Technically speaking: OMG! Spectacular bright fruit. Nice acid, and enough structure to keep it all together. All that after an hour or so of decanting, and just as good the next day.
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3/9/2011 - karpos wrote: 88 Points
This needed to be paired with something sweet. Unfortunately, we were having deep dish pizza and were hoping for a more traditional spicy zin. Nothing overtly wrong with this wine, but it wasn't really a classic zin either. Lighter, sweeter and with less punch than I expected, almost surprisingly so given it's age...
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1/1/2011 - drmarclevine wrote: 86 Points
An ATP selection that really didn't offer much pleasure at all. Decanted for about 30 minutes, thick cough syrup on the nose, black cherries macerated in sweet port on the palette. A bit of lingering heat on the finish.
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11/20/2010 - AlexHop wrote: 90 Points
Very spicy with bold cherry and oak. A little sour, would be amazing without the little flaw. Long finish but slightly hollow at the end.
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5/5/2009 - oaxaca90049 wrote: 90 Points
Another excellent Zin from Ridge. Nose giving up a forrest floor , loam and twigs- not really much fruit on the nose. Beautifully balanced.Full mouthfeel. Hits all the notes and does everything you expect from a well made wine. Dark fruit, spice, enough acid to support the fruit-all elements beautfully integrated. This bottle has been kept in my guest bathroom for years and survived perfectly.
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1/19/2009 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
Up front fruit on the nose and tongue, this is vibrant and agreeable. Blueberry, zinberry and a bit of alcohol on the nose, the flavors tend to be classic zin. Chewy purple fruit, not quite plums but more purple than blueberry, vibrant acidity and just enough tannin to keep it interesting. A good bottle, maybe a bit pricey but it is Ridge. An example of a mid-weight Sonoma zin that is more a barbecue wine than a steak wine. Turley or 10 year old Lytton this ain't, but it has its charms and merits. Good wine except should be $20.
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1/9/2009 - blard wrote: 87 Points
Agree with others. Not a lot going on here. Not bad, but not too good either. Middle of the road
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11/25/2008 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
Short on the nose, this makes up for it a bit on the palate, tasing of camelias, raspberry, myabe a hint of oak and sweet vanilla. Not a great wine, but solid. For Ridge, it continues the trend of falling short of outstanding. Too bad, their best days seem to be as long gone as Paul Draper is in the day to day operations up there. Someone needs to upgrade the facilities and winemaking...soon. I visited the old Nervo winery years ago B-R (before Ridge). The tasting room worker was approaching 100 years old, there were thousands of business cards attached to every surface of the inside walls of the room and the wine...SUCKED BADLY. So at least Ridge is a major upgrade from that.
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10/21/2007 - dmitchell4 wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well right out of the bottle but did deepen after 45 min. I enjoyed the wine more by itself then with the steak.An example of whyI typically enjoy Ridge Zin's
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10/18/2007 - PJWagner wrote:
Exceptionally average. Only made it through one glass and had to move on to beer.
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5/27/2007 - eastover wrote:
Memorial Day BBQ - Mom and Dad and the Goldmans - mini tasting, Nervo, Lytton East and Buchignani. All the ladies preferred the Nervo, Lee and I the Lytton.
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1/28/2007 - karpos wrote: 91 Points
Very nice bottle. Tart cherries, tobacco/cigar and spices with a sweet middle that lingered through to the end. Ate pulled pork and barbecue sauce with this, yummy.
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9/8/2006 - BuckeyeSmitty wrote: 83 Points
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3/28/2006 - tmay wrote: 87 Points
Alcoholoic, ripe fruit.
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3/26/2006 - jwwinec wrote:
Very heavy stewed, overripe fruit, alcoholic, seems like there is some RS. Not my thing.
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