Pulled this for leftover pizza. (I know: who has leftover pizza? Never mind.) Perfectly adequate, but flat, showing only the occasional burst of fresh fruit; otherwise, it’s pleasantly but undistinguishedly Ridgey, if you know what I mean.
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While the first bottle of this set was somewhat mediocre, this one was firing on all cylinders. Brawny strawberry and earth aromas, nice balance, a hint of oxidation that provided complexity, and this was lovely to drink. Looks like bottle variation will be expected for my remaining 4 bottles of this.
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this garnet colored wine has medium body and medium finish. Aromas of oak and wet wool are noticeable. Flavors of red currant and flint produce a mild drinking wine.
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Opaque dark raspberry color; blackberry cobbled on the nose; medium bodied and minimally tannic; continuing black fruit and seeds; dark and lingering finish of wood, anise, and slight astringency
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Very good. Dark fruit, tar, smoke, muddy earth. This has softened considerably and lost a lot of its acidic bite. The carignane may be a more short lived bottling, but even 7 years on this is quite good. Probably better off drinking earlier, but this is in no way over the hill.
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Deep center, red rim with a little sign of age. Creamy, freshly squeezed blackberries, very slight VA, chocolate. Smooth, brambly pipe tobacco, good acidity and some tannin still, creme de mure, smokey, alcohol is present, some vinous greenness, good length, great fruit and sap finish. Drinking very well now, but has enough backbone to go for another 2-4 years.
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Thin. Tannins are fading. Drink as soon as you can if you have extra bottles. Ridge definitely means it when they say 3 to 5 years. I, unfortunately, have two more bottles.
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Have not been a fan of the carignane grape but this was pretty good. Maybe I'm getting old. Not supposed to age that well but has some layered purple and blue fruit, moderately complex, and a pleasant finish.
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Deep ruby, brown tinge, barely translucent, legs, 14.5% abv. Aromas of black fruit, parchment, earth, dried leaves. Dry, medium-medium(+) acidity, medium(-) tannin, medium-medium(+) alcohol (with no heat!), medium(+) body. Palate of black fruit, baked black prune, leather, cocoa pepper/spice. Elegant, balanced, complex and beautiful crunchy pleasant mouthfeel in lasting slightly sweet finish.
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Don't have fond memories of carignane, but this was surprisingly pleasant. Decent red and purple fruit, some back of the tongue acidity, and an OK finish.
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This one disappointed me. It was ok but certainly not great. I picked up my wife's Pinot Noir by accident and she immediately corrected me and that bottle was half the price of this one. I'm torn, it's like a mad teenager in that strange place where it's past being new and fruit forward but too young to concentrate the flavors or have a sophisticated finish. I'm putting Argon on the other half of the bottle and approaching again in a couple or three days. I'm letting the other bottle sit for five more years to see what happens.
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Raspberries and cranberries, on both nose and palate. Juicy. Dry and refreshing at once. Good acidity. Would pair well with food (especially Italian, I think). Simple and straightforward.
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Part of a Carignane tasting that I had with my wine group. This was the only wine that I supplied, and it was one of 7 wines we had. Much less rustic than the Languedoc versions. Less acidic than the Italian and Spanish (which was 50% Garnacha) we had. Really the most polished of the group. Big nose, notes of Cherries, Blackberries and some tar. Very dark color. Enjoyed it with a Flatiron steak.
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Served with Hawaiian beef short ribs, rice, and asparagus. Clean crimson/ruby - ready to go. Nose showed blueberry, spice, and cherry. Dry but not austere, moderate acid, cherry/blueberry, some heat, good length. Worked well with the short ribs.
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Deep dark center, red rim with a little sign of age. Sweet, candied blueberry and raspberry, perfumed, blackberries, garrigue. Smooth, blueberries and tart cherries, a touch vegetal, a little rubber, okay tannin, very good length. Excellent Carignane, good structure, drinking well now.
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Popped and poured. Dark crimson color. Nose of black cherry, juicy plum, slightly grapey, with a hint of spice. Similar flavors on the palate with medium acid and tannin with just a touch of heat on the finish. Not very complex but tasty and enjoyable as an end of night sipping wine.
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The most recent notes pretty much sum up my experience with this wine. Always fun to taste a 100% carignane. This one comes across as more round and less acidic than some vintages.
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Tasted at winery. 14.4% abv. Mostly fresh red fruit flavors, medium acid and tannin with medium body. Hint of spice on the finish. Short term drinking.
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One of the fun things about belonging to Ridge Vineyards wine clubs is getting their small batch wines that are unavailable in stores. Often, these wines come from heritage vineyards with obscure varieties, as is the case with the Carignane we drank (with grilled steaks) tonight.
Usually, Carignane is a modest wine with much to be modest about (to paraphrase Churchill). But Ridge has long used it as a blending wine in its Zinfandels, where it adds complexity and interest.
Sourced from a ranch in the Alexander Valley, this 100% old vine Carignane is a deep ruby. The bouquet is modest and did not expand much with time to breathe. On the palate, it is not very tannic, which makes it easy to drink now but suggests that it has limited aging potential. I pick up notes of pomegranate, dried figs, with vanilla (American oak) and pepper on the finish.
Nice match for steak but not a vin de grade.
Grade: 87
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Fairly inky dark ruby black Bone dry, but ripe tart black cherry flavors with a slightly bitter finish. Kind of simple, but I think this is absolutely lovely for what it is. (Not a great wine). Drink now for its freshness, I don't see this improving.
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Rhone Rangers WashDC June 18, 2015. For current drinking this was my WOTN (out of 30 plus sampled). I may have scored other wines higher but for sheer sensual delight, this was tops. A rush of red fruits, red currants, ripe raspberry, and fresh pomegranate juice, with a just-right background of clove and oak firming up the palate and bringing balance.
Reminded me of some of those super successful joven and crianza Spanish Riojas and Riberos but without the clumsy, syrupy thickness and alcohol that will soon throw everything out of balance. Fresh, aromatic and delicious from a grape with an unsung reputation.
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Aroma: blueberry compote and woody spice. Loam. Leather. Palate: fresh cherry and plum with good core acidity and a velvety texture. Notes of wood spice and earth in the background. Low to moderate tannin. Rather simple. Drink over the next 3 years.
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4/18/2024 - ppmm wrote:
Pulled this for leftover pizza. (I know: who has leftover pizza? Never mind.) Perfectly adequate, but flat, showing only the occasional burst of fresh fruit; otherwise, it’s pleasantly but undistinguishedly Ridgey, if you know what I mean.
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11/21/2023 - klezman wrote:
This bottle was just medium. Nice juicy fruit - almost candied. Not a whole lot else going on in this bottle, though.
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12/8/2022 - klezman wrote:
While the first bottle of this set was somewhat mediocre, this one was firing on all cylinders. Brawny strawberry and earth aromas, nice balance, a hint of oxidation that provided complexity, and this was lovely to drink. Looks like bottle variation will be expected for my remaining 4 bottles of this.
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9/18/2022 - klezman wrote:
This was tasty. Sometimes open and sometimes more closed down, but the occasional aromas of wild strawberries certainly hit home.
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2/9/2021 - Mortgage92 Likes this wine: 90 Points
this garnet colored wine has medium body and medium finish. Aromas of oak and wet wool are noticeable. Flavors of red currant and flint produce a mild drinking wine.
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12/30/2020 - chandlerc@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
Opaque dark raspberry color; blackberry cobbled on the nose; medium bodied and minimally tannic; continuing black fruit and seeds; dark and lingering finish of wood, anise, and slight astringency
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10/31/2020 - snsharma Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well integrated. Drinking in its prime right now.
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10/21/2020 - MRichman wrote:
Very good. Dark fruit, tar, smoke, muddy earth. This has softened considerably and lost a lot of its acidic bite. The carignane may be a more short lived bottling, but even 7 years on this is quite good. Probably better off drinking earlier, but this is in no way over the hill.
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9/12/2020 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep center, red rim with a little sign of age.
Creamy, freshly squeezed blackberries, very slight VA, chocolate.
Smooth, brambly pipe tobacco, good acidity and some tannin still, creme de mure, smokey, alcohol is present, some vinous greenness, good length, great fruit and sap finish.
Drinking very well now, but has enough backbone to go for another 2-4 years.
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5/21/2020 - gudetama wrote: 81 Points
Thin. Tannins are fading. Drink as soon as you can if you have extra bottles. Ridge definitely means it when they say 3 to 5 years. I, unfortunately, have two more bottles.
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4/8/2020 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Have not been a fan of the carignane grape but this was pretty good. Maybe I'm getting old. Not supposed to age that well but has some layered purple and blue fruit, moderately complex, and a pleasant finish.
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12/11/2019 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby, brown tinge, barely translucent, legs, 14.5% abv. Aromas of black fruit, parchment, earth, dried leaves. Dry, medium-medium(+) acidity, medium(-) tannin, medium-medium(+) alcohol (with no heat!), medium(+) body. Palate of black fruit, baked black prune, leather, cocoa pepper/spice. Elegant, balanced, complex and beautiful crunchy pleasant mouthfeel in lasting slightly sweet finish.
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11/29/2019 - Alro Likes this wine: 90 Points
this one gets smoother with proper cellaring and age....enjoy now through 2022
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9/16/2019 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Don't have fond memories of carignane, but this was surprisingly pleasant. Decent red and purple fruit, some back of the tongue acidity, and an OK finish.
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2/6/2019 - Birorganic Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really nice. Easy drinker. Ready now.
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11/29/2018 - casjf Likes this wine: 89 Points
Blackberry flavors predominate. Rich and drinking well now.
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11/12/2018 - casjf Likes this wine: 90 Points
Blackberry & violet flavors. Went well w claypot chicken.
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8/25/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 87 Points
Drink cold!
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8/23/2018 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Rich and fruity. Nicely balanced. Drinking well.
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6/20/2018 - Ecb1456 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Soft and supple. Under the radar varietal that is a personal favorite of mine. And Ridge does it so well.
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4/14/2018 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 89 Points
Just like previous bottle (and previous tasting note).
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12/19/2017 - WineAttic wrote: 87 Points
This one disappointed me. It was ok but certainly not great. I picked up my wife's Pinot Noir by accident and she immediately corrected me and that bottle was half the price of this one. I'm torn, it's like a mad teenager in that strange place where it's past being new and fruit forward but too young to concentrate the flavors or have a sophisticated finish. I'm putting Argon on the other half of the bottle and approaching again in a couple or three days. I'm letting the other bottle sit for five more years to see what happens.
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8/21/2017 - pkpjoe Likes this wine: 88 Points
Agreed with the other tasting notes. Good but not great.
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8/15/2017 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 89 Points
Raspberries and cranberries, on both nose and palate. Juicy. Dry and refreshing at once. Good acidity. Would pair well with food (especially Italian, I think). Simple and straightforward.
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7/17/2017 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 89 Points
Part of a Carignane tasting that I had with my wine group. This was the only wine that I supplied, and it was one of 7 wines we had. Much less rustic than the Languedoc versions. Less acidic than the Italian and Spanish (which was 50% Garnacha) we had. Really the most polished of the group. Big nose, notes of Cherries, Blackberries and some tar. Very dark color. Enjoyed it with a Flatiron steak.
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5/14/2017 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 89 Points
Served with Hawaiian beef short ribs, rice, and asparagus.
Clean crimson/ruby - ready to go.
Nose showed blueberry, spice, and cherry.
Dry but not austere, moderate acid, cherry/blueberry, some heat, good length. Worked well with the short ribs.
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3/1/2017 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep dark center, red rim with a little sign of age.
Sweet, candied blueberry and raspberry, perfumed, blackberries, garrigue.
Smooth, blueberries and tart cherries, a touch vegetal, a little rubber, okay tannin, very good length.
Excellent Carignane, good structure, drinking well now.
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6/25/2016 - Rich S wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Dark crimson color. Nose of black cherry, juicy plum, slightly grapey, with a hint of spice. Similar flavors on the palate with medium acid and tannin with just a touch of heat on the finish. Not very complex but tasty and enjoyable as an end of night sipping wine.
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4/14/2016 - petitblanc wrote: 80 Points
Sickeningly ripe fruit, searing hot alcohol.
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2/27/2016 - OliverHM Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great balanced wine, a tad of sweetness, very smooth; great with spicy, acidic food
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1/7/2016 - PNIELSEN Likes this wine: 88 Points
The most recent notes pretty much sum up my experience with this wine. Always fun to taste a 100% carignane. This one comes across as more round and less acidic than some vintages.
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1/4/2016 - ptm Likes this wine: 85 Points
Pleasant enough for easy drinking - good balance - a little spice, licorice, tea - don't hold it too long
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1/4/2016 - JM_MadTown wrote: 88 Points
Nice dark red fruit, a little spice and dried fig. Not for long term cellaring.
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11/1/2015 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 89 Points
The wine is aromatic and quite delicious to drink right now. It has notes of dark red fruit, vanilla, dried fig, spice, and zesty acidity.
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10/30/2015 - Italiana Likes this wine:
I liked this bottle a lot. Good clarity, fresh aromas, medium bodied but rich without being heavy, lots and lots of fruit without being a "bomb."
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10/5/2015 - Rich S Likes this wine:
Tasted at winery. 14.4% abv. Mostly fresh red fruit flavors, medium acid and tannin with medium body. Hint of spice on the finish. Short term drinking.
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10/2/2015 - ProfBainbridge Likes this wine: 87 Points
One of the fun things about belonging to Ridge Vineyards wine clubs is getting their small batch wines that are unavailable in stores. Often, these wines come from heritage vineyards with obscure varieties, as is the case with the Carignane we drank (with grilled steaks) tonight.
Usually, Carignane is a modest wine with much to be modest about (to paraphrase Churchill). But Ridge has long used it as a blending wine in its Zinfandels, where it adds complexity and interest.
Sourced from a ranch in the Alexander Valley, this 100% old vine Carignane is a deep ruby. The bouquet is modest and did not expand much with time to breathe. On the palate, it is not very tannic, which makes it easy to drink now but suggests that it has limited aging potential. I pick up notes of pomegranate, dried figs, with vanilla (American oak) and pepper on the finish.
Nice match for steak but not a vin de grade.
Grade: 87
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8/25/2015 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Fairly inky dark ruby black
Bone dry, but ripe tart black cherry flavors with a slightly bitter finish. Kind of simple, but I think this is absolutely lovely for what it is. (Not a great wine). Drink now for its freshness, I don't see this improving.
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8/14/2015 - TashNYC wrote: 88 Points
Wine tasting in Healdsburg; 8/14/2015-8/15/2015: Red fruit, pommegranete but a little simple. $28 retail
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6/27/2015 - Birorganic Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious. Balanced, complex, fruity, elegant.
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6/24/2015 - wilypod Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rhone Rangers WashDC June 18, 2015. For current drinking this was my WOTN (out of 30 plus sampled). I may have scored other wines higher but for sheer sensual delight, this was tops. A rush of red fruits, red currants, ripe raspberry, and fresh pomegranate juice, with a just-right background of clove and oak firming up the palate and bringing balance.
Reminded me of some of those super successful joven and crianza Spanish Riojas and Riberos but without the clumsy, syrupy thickness and alcohol that will soon throw everything out of balance. Fresh, aromatic and delicious from a grape with an unsung reputation.
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6/5/2015 - kosinski wrote:
Aroma: blueberry compote and woody spice. Loam. Leather.
Palate: fresh cherry and plum with good core acidity and a velvety texture. Notes of wood spice and earth in the background. Low to moderate tannin. Rather simple. Drink over the next 3 years.
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