Decanted for an hour or two. Served with homemade pasta and red sauce. Almost spicy with medicinal flavors when opened this mellowed out after a quick decant. This wine still has a lot of fruit left. I have 4 more bottles and I think I'll be drinking them sooner than later but no rush.
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Has so much cassis and minty spice it comes off as a really nice syrah. Give it zin raspberry notes in the mouth along with the returning currant notes and a plush but juicy finish, and you’ve got a wine that’s drinking great right now.
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Consumed at horizontal tasting of 2013 Ridge Zin's. In the Buchignani/Mazzoni Home Ranch group. The group preferred the Carmichael to either, but out of the 9 wines, it ranked third behind York Creek and Jimsomare.
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Like many Ridges before this, they always impress me with there depth of character and taste. Cannot image a winemaker with more character at this price point. Never underestimate a Ridge.
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Surprised me how good this was. Strawberry and raspberry fruit with cinnamon and pepper spice and rose floral notes on the nose. Medium body, with more raspberry and balanced acidity making for a juicy finish. Drink it while it’s this tasty.
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Served with Friday night home-made pizza. Opened bottle 30 minutes prior to serving. Look: very dark ruby, consistent to the rim. Sniff: nice, raspberry, hint of strawberry, nicely blended and enticing. Taste: dry, nice acid, raspberry, black pepper, spice. The wine started mellowing out as we drank. More fruit than tannin, but enough to keep interest. A touch of anise pops up. Second and third glasses smoothed with the air.
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The missus consumed while I was on the wagon. Better on night two. Drinks like a zin with lots of black fruit - but not at all dusty. Some deep red fruit on the finish.
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Nice, maybe not as deep as I would expect, drinks a bit like something from Paso, but there is some dust and a little bit of earth in there that you don't normally get.
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Nose: smoke, leather, baking spice, dark chocolate and raspberry pie. The more it sat, it developed a bit of manure. Interesting and involving nose. Palate: A bit lean but balanced. Plum/prunes and a touch of spice. Not the most impressive palate, but nothing bad. The nose made it enjoyable.
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I've been drinking Ridge frequently these days and I must say that across the range, the wines are highly enjoyable--luscious and interesting without any of the bombast so frequently passed off as power. This bottle was no exception, with its fruity but balanced emphasis. Bravo Ridge!
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Popped and poured. Medium to dark purple color. Juicy plum and black cherry notes on the nose along with a bit of vanilla and toffee from the oak. Similar flavors on the palate with a good balance of dark red fruit, peppery spice and toasty oak notes. Medium acid and tannin with a smooth mouthfeel and finish. I would say this is more of a near term drinker.
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Another great wine from Ridge. Really interesting nose of caramel and berry fruit with hints of cedar and spice. On the palate, the wine's tangy with a strong citrus rind, chocolate, raspberry notes. Perfect balance between fruit and acid, the wine drinks effortlessly. Just an easy wine to drink. I don't think it's one to age; drink it now while it's drinking so well.
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This blend of 88% Zinfandel, 8% Petite Sarah, and 4% Carignane from an old vines vineyard in Sonoma made a nice match for stir-fry flank steak with carrots and snow peas.
Deep purple. Almost no sediment. Dark fruit and warm spices on the nose. Well balanced and medium bodied. Drinkable now, but might improve with a couple of years of bottle age.
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Better on day 2 which tells me it could have used a couple more years of bottle age. Dark fruit, cherry, and cinnamon nose and flavor. Smooth fruity finish on day 2 which contrasted to a heavier slightly astringent finish on the first day. Balanced alcohol, acidity, and just a hint of sweetness. Really liked this zin.
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Winter in Wineland; 1/14/2017-1/20/2017 (Sonoma & Napa): From vines that are about a hundred years old. This was just a nice, well-balanced wine. Get some red currant and wild strawberry. Touches of white pepper. Again that woodsy field version. All of the flavors work well together with nothing really dominating. Very enjoyable.
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Consumed over three nights, strong fruit on day 1, day 2 seemed shut down, day 3 revealed a balance between fruit and oak. I agree that there is some creaminess to the mouthfeel/finish, although the length of the finish isn't quite as long as I would expect based on the description (although by day 3 it was noticeably longer than day 1, so again, decant if drinking near term).
This zin needs air, so do open (and decant) well in advance of drinking if opening in the near term. I suspect this will improve over time as the wine balances more.
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3/14/2024 - DeniseDenise wrote:
Counted wrong on data entry
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3/25/2023 - ppearson9 wrote: 92 Points
way better than previous bottles. very strange. a lot of volatility in the results here recommend based on this one.
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12/23/2022 - ppearson9 wrote: 88 Points
this is starting to go. drink up.
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2/21/2022 - casjf Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark plum morphed to red cherry after breathing. Strong anise shifted to leather. Drink now.
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10/3/2021 - MRichman wrote:
A bit soft but drinking well. Sweet and pretty floral notes. Fully mature, drink in the next few years. Or now.
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6/17/2021 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 91 Points
rather enjoy these older Ridge wines
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5/19/2021 - casjf Likes this wine: 90 Points
Red cherry, leather & cinnamon made this the perfect accompaniment to pan fried elk burgers.
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3/17/2021 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice Ridge Zinfandel.
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3/7/2021 - johnnychaos wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for an hour or two. Served with homemade pasta and red sauce. Almost spicy with medicinal flavors when opened this mellowed out after a quick decant. This wine still has a lot of fruit left. I have 4 more bottles and I think I'll be drinking them sooner than later but no rush.
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12/21/2020 - pgm wrote: 91 Points
Has so much cassis and minty spice it comes off as a really nice syrah. Give it zin raspberry notes in the mouth along with the returning currant notes and a plush but juicy finish, and you’ve got a wine that’s drinking great right now.
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7/9/2020 - gudetama Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pop and pour. Really solid zin. Still had good tannins so there is at least another year or two left in it. Too bad this is my last bottle.
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3/1/2020 - Mortgage92 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A true zinfandel with smoke, spice, and a nice balance of acidity. This wine has more life....I'm guessing about 3 -4 more years
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11/2/2019 - rlsimon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice mellow peppery (white) in your mouth along with the pleasant fruit.
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4/17/2019 - bjschmitt Likes this wine:
Consumed at horizontal tasting of 2013 Ridge Zin's. In the Buchignani/Mazzoni Home Ranch group. The group preferred the Carmichael to either, but out of the 9 wines, it ranked third behind York Creek and Jimsomare.
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12/8/2018 - mpricher wrote: 91 Points
Like many Ridges before this, they always impress me with there depth of character and taste. Cannot image a winemaker with more character at this price point. Never underestimate a Ridge.
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9/16/2018 - cmmatthews Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still very big and sweet.
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8/24/2018 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Surprised me how good this was. Strawberry and raspberry fruit with cinnamon and pepper spice and rose floral notes on the nose. Medium body, with more raspberry and balanced acidity making for a juicy finish. Drink it while it’s this tasty.
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6/22/2018 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Served with Friday night home-made pizza.
Opened bottle 30 minutes prior to serving.
Look: very dark ruby, consistent to the rim.
Sniff: nice, raspberry, hint of strawberry, nicely blended and enticing.
Taste: dry, nice acid, raspberry, black pepper, spice. The wine started mellowing out as we drank. More fruit than tannin, but enough to keep interest. A touch of anise pops up. Second and third glasses smoothed with the air.
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6/14/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine:
The missus consumed while I was on the wagon. Better on night two. Drinks like a zin with lots of black fruit - but not at all dusty. Some deep red fruit on the finish.
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6/6/2018 - CJM wrote: 86 Points
Clear deep garnet with no rim browning. Black pepper, black raspberry, vanilla. Low acids, low tannins. Plum. Medium to short balanced finish.
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12/15/2017 - cmmatthews Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice, maybe not as deep as I would expect, drinks a bit like something from Paso, but there is some dust and a little bit of earth in there that you don't normally get.
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11/18/2017 - Italiana Likes this wine:
A little jammier than expected, but still plenty of spice and sense of balance.
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11/16/2017 - flatlandfarmer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose: smoke, leather, baking spice, dark chocolate and raspberry pie. The more it sat, it developed a bit of manure. Interesting and involving nose. Palate: A bit lean but balanced. Plum/prunes and a touch of spice. Not the most impressive palate, but nothing bad. The nose made it enjoyable.
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11/14/2017 - Italiana Likes this wine:
I've been drinking Ridge frequently these days and I must say that across the range, the wines are highly enjoyable--luscious and interesting without any of the bombast so frequently passed off as power. This bottle was no exception, with its fruity but balanced emphasis. Bravo Ridge!
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11/10/2017 - Cmainardi wrote: 91 Points
Liquid velvet. Delicious and true to the varietal. Hold or drink.
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11/9/2017 - yaya Likes this wine: 90 Points
Flight Tasting with 2011, 2012, 2013.
The oldest two were stored in a wine fridge.
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8/26/2017 - ogres3 wrote: 92 Points
One of their better zins. Inky purple. Chewy purple and dark blue fruit. Pleasantly integrated. Long finish. Very good on night two.
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8/18/2017 - Rich S Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Medium to dark purple color. Juicy plum and black cherry notes on the nose along with a bit of vanilla and toffee from the oak. Similar flavors on the palate with a good balance of dark red fruit, peppery spice and toasty oak notes. Medium acid and tannin with a smooth mouthfeel and finish. I would say this is more of a near term drinker.
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6/26/2017 - Old School Fan wrote: 91 Points
Another great wine from Ridge. Really interesting nose of caramel and berry fruit with hints of cedar and spice. On the palate, the wine's tangy with a strong citrus rind, chocolate, raspberry notes. Perfect balance between fruit and acid, the wine drinks effortlessly. Just an easy wine to drink. I don't think it's one to age; drink it now while it's drinking so well.
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2/11/2017 - vegasoenophile Likes this wine: 92 Points
Liquid velvet and cashmere. Very opulent in its fruit profile with a nice somewhat muted spice underlayer. Great texture and nice balance.
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2/11/2017 - ProfBainbridge Likes this wine: 88 Points
This blend of 88% Zinfandel, 8% Petite Sarah, and 4% Carignane from an old vines vineyard in Sonoma made a nice match for stir-fry flank steak with carrots and snow peas.
Deep purple. Almost no sediment. Dark fruit and warm spices on the nose. Well balanced and medium bodied. Drinkable now, but might improve with a couple of years of bottle age.
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1/30/2017 - CurtaVino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Better on day 2 which tells me it could have used a couple more years of bottle age. Dark fruit, cherry, and cinnamon nose and flavor. Smooth fruity finish on day 2 which contrasted to a heavier slightly astringent finish on the first day. Balanced alcohol, acidity, and just a hint of sweetness. Really liked this zin.
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1/15/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Winter in Wineland; 1/14/2017-1/20/2017 (Sonoma & Napa): From vines that are about a hundred years old. This was just a nice, well-balanced wine. Get some red currant and wild strawberry. Touches of white pepper. Again that woodsy field version. All of the flavors work well together with nothing really dominating. Very enjoyable.
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12/30/2016 - aaronmphoto Likes this wine: 94 Points
"I really liked it" said the misses. Light but well balanced with good fruit taste ... not too fruity at all. Really yummy
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12/28/2016 - MRichman wrote:
Purple fruit, black tar, cinnamon. Has a real persistent black, bitter finish. Might do with a little bottle age to smooth out. Good stuff.
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12/12/2016 - Djfermentation wrote: 88 Points
I think this one really needs some time. Started to show some interest day two.
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11/22/2016 - ptm wrote: 85 Points
Decent nose and fruit - body a bit thin - agree with other reviewer: not much on the finish
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10/27/2016 - mseeber Likes this wine: 87 Points
Consumed over three nights, strong fruit on day 1, day 2 seemed shut down, day 3 revealed a balance between fruit and oak. I agree that there is some creaminess to the mouthfeel/finish, although the length of the finish isn't quite as long as I would expect based on the description (although by day 3 it was noticeably longer than day 1, so again, decant if drinking near term).
This zin needs air, so do open (and decant) well in advance of drinking if opening in the near term. I suspect this will improve over time as the wine balances more.
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