At Ridge event from Magnum. This was really nice to be able to try at this age. If you like older complex wines then this is your friend and may surprise you what a Zin can become with age. I suspect this will probably hold on for a little while longer but the fruit is turning. If you steer towards younger wines then you'll want to drink this one up.
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A Ridge Tahoe Weekend; 6/29/2023-7/2/2023 (Edgewood Resort): The winner of this group. From a magnum. One of my takeaways from this day of Ridge drinking is we don’t drink enough Lytton Springs. This was just really tasty. Almost an uname character to the wine but with great fruit. It’s very nice drinking. Field blend of century old vines. It’s got a truly long life ahead of it and I don’t think this is actually the right drinking window but it was quite enjoyable nonetheless.
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Still drinking well, but probably would have been better a few years ago. Dark in color with some bricking. Mostly dark fruit on the palate with a prominent raisin flavor that dissipated with 1-2 hours of air. Very good acidity and some nice tannins. Went well with pizza, but missing some of the fruit intensity that makes these wines stand out.
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Low neck fill. Lovely saturated inky color in glass with a little browning. Intense bacon smokey bouquet. Deep fruit on palate with drying dusty tannins. Alcohol (14.4%) does not intrude. Slightly past peak so drink up. Trace of sediment.
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Decanted for 1h then back in bottle and consumed over next 5h. Rich, just ripe blackberries and just ripe plums aromas w baking spices, and earth and a bit of leather. Blackberries and plums, earth, baking spices, bark, and hints of leather w medium tannins on the midpalate. Nice acids give the wine lift. Nice finish of tart blackberries but marred by its alcoholic hot finish. Would have enjoyed it more if the finish wasn't hot. But still delicious with some nice complexity.
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Fully mature and probably on the way down as it has lost most of its tannic grip. Quite rich, medium acidity, black and red fruit. Medium finish and complexity. Drink-up.
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Tasted over 1.5 hrs, from 375 mL, bottle from secondary market -dark red -Port-like raisiny oxidized caramel -med- acidity, med/med- weight, not a lot of fruit but plenty of oxidized prune-y caramel and heat, med- tannins -surprising lack of fruit for this cuvée at 14 years old but suspect the format and probable prior poor storage contributing
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This is why you age Lytton Springs-delicious wine, nice balance, not at all flabby, soft tannins, restrained fruit, none of the over-the-top, out of balance, Zin character which often shows up with other top Zins with age. Served blind, guesses from experienced tasters included aged Brunello and Northern Rhone.drink now.
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Interesting wine. Short decant. Very complex aromas. Lots of Petit Sirah in this blend (17%) and it shows. Initial attack is some spicy red fruit but that gets overshadowed by more rounded, blue notes. Seems the Zin is fading faster than the Petit Sirah. Tannins are all but resolved and in the mouth it's a similar disconnect between fading spiciness and a prevailing round creaminess. This could be harmonious but it feels more on the disjointed side as if the wine is coming apart. Still reasonably pleasurable as a curiosity but its best days are behind. Drink up.
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With lamb chops. JH & Roosje in Rhinebeck. Next to the 04 and 06. I wanted to try this again because of the disppointment a week earlier. Conclusion the same; drink up as it is sliding. It still had some fruit but it could not hold up. I liked 2004 best, 06 next and than this.
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W pork roast at Rudy & Jenny with Greg and Jamie. As noted before, this wine needs to drunk now. Its OK but not my expected LS experience at 13 yrs old. The 2006 was better.
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W meatloaf. Color shows aged red wine, but still very fresh. Nose was fruity and had a bit of spice. Palate very fresh, good fruit (red berries). Good acidity no tannins. Good finish. Great combo with the food. This should be drunk though. Its on the way down.
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A much improved experience over the bottle I drank in 2010. Still holding up but one to consume soon. Green pepper, extracted dark fruit, earthy. Some acid, hollow midpalate that thankfully recovers on the very lengthy finish. Sediment and some alcohol burn.
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The color of this wine doesn’t let up: deep blood red at the wide rim then plum at the core. It has a sheen that reminds you of laquer. Draper perfume fills the nose. Some slight, rhubarb, baking spices, molasses and dark fruit compote complete the bouquet. The claret-like mouthfeel - luxurious without being lavish - has plumped up since my first bottle of this wine 3 years ago. The palate is fully integrated and almost seamlessly balanced. Is this at peak? Who knows; but it certainly delivers the goods right now. The sediment on the shoulder continues down the side of the “resting side” the length of the bottle, while still precipitating enough to deposit grains in the final pour. 14.4% alc. With grilled beef flank steak topped with bleu de Basque blue cheese. Recommended, leaning toward Highly Recommended.
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W grilled duck breast @ Rudy and Jenny. Next to the 2003. I am convinced this does not fit the food as both wine went flat during the meal (1 hour decant). The 2003 was way better upon opening but went head to head w the meal. Still good but not very inetersting.
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decanted 30 min, minimal sediment. just a superb bottle, showing on point tonight, with terrific equilibrium amongst all the components. petite sirah contributes quite a bit of black pepper & a touch of heat to the finish, but overall a fine drink.
This bottle was in a great spot. All components were dancing to the same beat... fruit, structure, texture and complexity on the palate and really good length. Fun
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A Ridge Lytton Spring Vertical and a few others (our home): Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black raspberries, charred wood, and spice. Also some plums. On the palate, this is a bit rougher than the others. With some air, it did settle down a bit. Firm tannins. Black raspberry fruit. Some heat on the finish. This seemed to still need time or air.
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Dusty dry mouthfeel. Holding up. Fully resolved. Delicious fruit. Would never guess it's ten years old. Drank a 2012 the same night as the 2005 and it was obvious they were the same wine.
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This old guy is presenting amazingly well, even just popping and pouring over a couple hours. Garnet color with no brown edges, suggesting little visible oxidation has occurred. Slow legs. Inviting, ample nose with aromas of ripe blackberries and strawberries (and some not so ripe fruit), with a touch of cooking spices, forest floor, sagebrush and gravel dust. Flavors of just ripe blackberries and strawberries, with a very slight note of oxidation. Strikes the palate as moderately sweet but retains some acidity. Finishes a bit bitter, with some lead pencil notes. After 10 years, tannins are still providing some traction and extending the finish. Moderate body with a smooth and velvety mouthfeel. This zin is quite delightful now.
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Beautiful showing. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, some raspberries, graphite and slight dried floral notes. On the palate, this is drinking young. Slight tannins. Slight vanilla, but I would not guess 10 years from vintage. Juicy acidity/texture. Bottle is drained quickly. Glad to have a couple more in the cellar.
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Big berry nose. Sure enough, blackberry on the tip of the tongue, but, then, a silky smoothness that makes check the label. Is this Zinfandel? Yep, 77% with some Petite Sirah and some Carignane. Not the big brambly, woody blackfruited Zinfandel, but a sophisticated integration of berry flavor, resolved tannins and supporting acid. Wow.
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PHMG WAG: Ridge Vineyards (Monte Lyon): My WOTN, this is an excellent, elegant, long smooth wine that just caresses your palate. Mellow but deep blackberry, raspberry, anise, and spice. On plateau, don't wait too long.
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Drank this alongside a mid level 2005 Bordeaux. Both wines showed well but in comparison the Ridge was much riper and far less complex in terms of minerality and nuances. Nonetheless, on its own this bottle was still perfumed, lively and balanced--I enjoyed it.
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The cork looks like it was bottled yesterday. Briefly decanted. Still totally opaque black/purple colour lightening to a crimson/purple at the meniscus. Nose is a ton of warm, welcoming and integrated oak with blueberries in the mid-ground and higher toned notes of blackberries and briarberries in the background....a bit of fried bacon in there too. Palate is beautifully fresh frontal acidity followed by drying blackberry pips tannins...the tannins predominate over the black fruits but it is still all in proportion and balance. A bit short on length and resonance but I'm not complaining because this is a beautiful take on French-influenced Californian Zinfandel at its very best. It punches well above its weight in terms of QPR and is always a nice way to surprise non-Americans with a new wine experience. Drank slowly over a simple dinner of grilled lamb chops and steamed vegetables, which was the perfect complement. I'm guessing that this is at prime drinking right now.
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waited a bit too long for this particular bottle. Not bad, but nothing particularly interesting going on here. Mellow and soft to the point of boring. Faded to the background with food, with isn't why we enjoy Lytton Springs. Its not supposed to be that far in the background. I'm trying to catch up to my "five year rule" for zinfandel; all this bottle did was reinforce that rule.
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More oak forward than expected (even for Ridge), but a lovely pairing with brisket after a couple hours in the decanter. The wood on the wine melded well with the wood on the meat - a perfect match.
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Double-decanted for a couple of hours before serving, which did it the power of good. Drank to accompany Tracy's home-made Lobster & Chisoru Paella, which was a great pairing. Dark red and still almost completely opaque although it has lost the purple hue from when I last opened a bottle two years ago. Nose is fresh blackberries and black cherries, raspberries and some white chocolate. Palate is mouthfilling and with a super resolved harmony of fresh acidity and well-delinated black fruits, with a touch of lighter raspberry, followed by a persistence of the acidity with nicely resolved tannins and lots of milk chocolate and blackberries on the back end. Surprising length. One of the few times you can use 'sophistication' and 'Zinfandel' in the same sentence: this never fails to please as a wine that punches two classes above its price point.
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Very much enjoyed. Have started drinking the Chester's anvil because of this wine. Decanted over an hour. Deep hues but not inky purple. Integrated black and blue fruit with nice finish. Tannins fading. In a good place.
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These were sitting in a liquor store in north Georgia where we have a cabin. We bought one to try and went back the next day and bought the remaining 10 bottles. this wine is in the perfect spot. Beautiful nose, balanced mouth feel and lingering aftertaste. Lovely. Only 5 left.
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Once again, blackberry syrup in the nose, and a smooth, berry-flavored wine (with plenty of acidity to structure the fruit) on the palate. Still quite primary, but a mouthful of Zin-ish fruit.
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This is apparently the first ‘05 Lytton Springs pulled from the cellar. The color is a deep and dark purple at the core that reluctantly gives way to plum at the very edge of the rim. The nose is full of Draper perfume, rhubarb, zin funk, molasses and spice. The nose is rich and pleasing. The mouthfeel is lighter than I would have expected leaning a touch light. Decidedly tight just now and needing more time to mature, the palate gives a shot of blackberry, but not necessarily tracking the nose. The finish shows somewhat hot. Notes on the back label - made in 2006 - suggest giving this wine until 2016. I’ll not pull another one until then .... or later. Abundant sediment grains drop out with the final couple of pours. 14.4% alc. With beef hamburgers. Recommended.
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Nose shows musk, ash, plum and some light herbs. I like the brightness of the palate, there is plenty of red fruit with strands of spice throughout. Tannins do grip quite tightly still, another few years won't hurt this.
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Lovely, lovely wine - we bought this after trying it at the Ridge tasting in Lytton Springs last autumn. Who knew that zinfandel could age so delightfully, a completely different proposition than the young primary wines I've tried in restaurants that represent my exposure to this variety- why isn't there more of this in the UK?
Sweet fruit still to the fore, but now a delightful and complex bouquet rather than primary fruit.....I could have sniffed this all night and been happy...but on the palate this was so smooth (and reasonably long) that would have been a waste.
Will be buying more Ridge zins to lay down if this is what happens with a bit of bottle age.
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Still a dark, tarry expression of Zin, with some licorice notes and pencil lead in the nose. Very smooth on the palate now. It may develop more tertiiary character with further age, but it will also lose some of the fruit that now makes it such an appealing wine.
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Agree with some previous reviews - this does not really exhibit the zin profile. It's nice but overly mellow, smooth, and lacks the zesty, pepper notes. I plan to finish off remaining ones. BTW, I opened a 2008 Lytton alongside this and it was very nice.
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Ridge zins are made for ageing in contrast to most, this one (77% zin) is drinking very well after 8 years. I normally get spice, pepper lot's of fruit with zin, but this has mellowed and is very smooth and well balanced. I actually prefer the younger zins with bigger flavor.
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From magnum, Xmas dinner at Penny's. Drinking well though could certainly age more in this format. Liked a lot by the nongeeks around the table who didn't realize there was such a thing as "red Zinfandel."
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In the glass the '05 Lytton Spring was an impenetrable, deep, dark purple color. The nose showed rich cherry and spice drop candy with floral tones, plum and hints of undergrowth. On the palate, it was juicy, with silky textures, as ripe black fruit and spiced cherry soothed the senses. The fruit brightened to blackberry, with a hint of tropical citrus and inner floral tones on the finish. The slightest hint of tannin remained, grounding you in reality.
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Initially plum but then black cherry and berry as the wine opened over time. Consistent aromas of toast, spice and slight vanilla & chocolate…I also detect a tiny touch of greenness - almost an asparagus/capsicum quality but that's probably just my funny nose. In the mouth there are flavours of juicy plum, chocolate, black cherry and berries, spice accompanied by fine talc like tannin...the body weight is quite light which lends a lovely wetness to the palate. Medium plus length. Very good.
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opened and let sit for about 90 minutes. Poured into glasses and let sit for another 20. Nice nose of eucalyptus, and cherries. On the palate the wine is nice. I think it has a lot of time left on it.
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I join the praise: this is drinking excellent right now. Lovely, full and balanced. Still relatively firm for a Zinfandel, but open and expressive with an almost polished fruit-profile. Probably still has some way to go, but to me it was spot on. (90-91 pts.)
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Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: Lytton Springs Zinfandel vertical (C's): Dark color- darkest of the flight. Aromas of cherry, herbs and black fruit. Lots of fruit on the palate with a sweet edge. Finishes very nicely. Adds aromas of candied cherries, spice and baked plums. Sweet fruit with a long finish. 91-92 pts.
My #1, Domino's #1 Group #2, 43 pts
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This is my third of these and perhaps the best. Beautiful clear garnet. The fruit is not in your face but there is ample black fruit and spice. This wine is really starting to show class. Really nice balance and mouth feel. I just love Ridge.
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Cellar clearance 2013 (our house): An interesting contrast to the '03 Geezer, this wine showed a much tarrier and peppery nose atop the plummy fruit. Medium bodied with decent acidity, it was an altogether darker expression of "Zin."
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Blood red in color. Aromas of baked cherries, raspberries and sandalwood. This wine is reminiscent of framboise liqueur. Slightly jammy with pepper, plums and just a touch of vanilla. Dusty tannins and a long, smooth finish. I'd be inclined to drink this wine over the next few years.
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Warm, ripe blueberry/raspberry jam. Lots of alcohol and quite a lot of mature tobacco notes. Unfortunately the oak is sill very obvious and the wine finishes off with an oaky bitterness that just ruins the experience.
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Did a vertical of the 2003 to 2007 Ridge Lytton Springs last weekend with our wine group. With the exception of the 06 & 07 all older wines were relatively close and we needed a few rounds to separate the better from the good. The 03-05 drank very nicely and quality generally followed age. Not sure if the 06&07 would get there eventually. The 07 had a distinct sulfer smell eventually wafted off after over an hour. The older wines were out of the bottle for about 30 minutes and opened up slightly over the next half hour - but not as much as I would have thought. 03 was the highlight - 92, 04 & 05 we rated 90 and 06 87 and 07 we rated 84.
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very nice and mixed darker berry, earth, bramble and spice; surprising sublime match with a sharp gorgonzola cheese, such that we stopped eating everything else and just polished off this cheese and wine....wowsa
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This has really come into it's own... It was really nice last time, but this time around it was fantastic. The Draper perfume in full effect here. Dark black fruits, a bit of oak, dark cherries and maybe a bit of cinnamon? Whatever it was, the nose was intoxicating. Med/full bodied on the palate and silky smooth. This all leading to a verrrry nice finish with a great balance of acid and tannins that are starting to integrate themselves into the wine. Will go a few years longer, IMO.
The nose showed dark brooding berry fruit with vanilla, cinnamon, cherry tobacco and a bit of varnish. On the palate it was smooth with a full velvety body and flavors of black raspberry jam, minerals and bark. The long finish showed dried cherry fruit. Beautiful!
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This was thoroughly enjoyable. Very approachable, zesty and generous with acidity. It has a good balance of ripe black and red fruit, licorice, anise, spice, thyme, oregano, toasty vanilla, oak and just a tinge of graphite. Smooth, velvety texture with a mild peak at the midpalate. Tannins are negligible and finishes quite long. Drink now until 2016.
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Dark black fruit. I love the Petite structure--I guessed 15%+ PS before seeing the label (17% PS). In a good place right now if you like present tannins with fruit and complexity. Will hold on for at least 3 more years, and probably fine for 5.
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Popped and poured at cellar temperature then drank slowly over a couple of hours. Dark purple-red and still almost completely opaque in colour except translucent at the rim. Great nose of wet ashphalt, sharply fresh blackberries and black cherries, raspberries, cocoa and dark chocolate. Palate is mouthfilling and harmonious with great balance of fresh and poised acidicty, austerity and well-delinated black fruits, with a touch of lighter respberry, followed by a persistence of the acidity with nicely resolved tannins and lots of milk chocolate and blackberries on the back end. Moderate length combines with a growling and persistent background resonance in the head. This is an exceptionally well made and enjoyable wine that Californians should really toot as their indigenous varietal....way more impressive than the much more expensive and less expressive Silver Oak 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon we drank along side it.....this has tone.
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A very good Zinfandel. Dark in color. Cherry pie and spice on the nose, concentrated raspberry, chocolate covered cherries and spice in the mouth. Tannins are still firm with medium acidity. Drinking very well right now.
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Another good Zin from Ridge. After an hour this was so smooth. It can definetely age for a while longer, but is very good at the moment. Style wise, more restrained than the Pagani Ranch and Geyserville.
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Cool 3 years since first bottle, and 18 months since the last. P&P impression. Still that this is dark for a Zin reaction, but alas the Ridge blend master at work. Very strange hard to place nose. TV dinner from 1970's? Mashed Potatoes, Gravy & Fried Steak? Weird Some kind of dried fruit. Sure that this will all blow away. NIce weight, glycerin, fruit, acid, oak, big second wave, deep finish. Coolio, nice, likey. Tannins on the attack, this is not showing any age of a Zin, the PS giving some backbone.
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This improved from our last bottle in 2008, just another lovely example of Ridge wines, really nice, really tasty - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackberries, plum, cherry, spice and vanilla, excellent balance, interesting, well structured, sweet, smooth on the finish with excellent length, awesome (92 Points).
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Medium Ruby Color to it. Nose of raspberries and cherry to go along with some underlying oak. Tart cranberries start the attack leading to a mid-palate of raspberries and a touch of mocha. med+ finish with great aciidity tying this up nicely and keeping it lively. It was a little too tart for me in the beginning but settled in nicely after that. I think this should age beautifully for at least a few more years.
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Spicy, raspberry nose. Floral perfume on the front of the palate, a little thin in the middle with a nice bit of raspberry fruit and pepper as it finished. Maybe a bit of heat. No pruning, good like Ridge.
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Good tannins and structure. Medium to full body, good acidity, and well balanced. Will last (in a temperature controlled cellar) another 4-5 yrs easily. Pleasant finish. Actually was better the next day!
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From magnum this is a remarkably low-key offering, even for a Ridge Zin. However it is none the worse for that. Delicious boysenberry fruit with an attractive, balanced palate. Now -2015
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Medium to dark ruby color. Prominent nose of ripe cherries, raspberries, plums, forest. Well-balanced medium tannin and acidity. Very good, and seems to be improving.
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Nose - really nice deep ethereal quality, full lovely fruit, dried herbs and floral notes. Incredibly complex, deep fruit, lavender, light floral notes, custard, boysenberry.
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Seemed a bit lightweight for a Lytton Springs. While I realize that it is a blend this bottle didn't show a lot of zinfandel character, which was disappointing since we usually love this wine. Maybe its just in a muted period and will open up with time?
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I love this wine. Powerful scent of dark fruit and chocolate, oak was there but not overpowering. Palate mimicked the nose. Decent finish, about 30secs. Very high alcohol content but unapparent.
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Dark blood red and completely opaque in colour. Great nose of fresh blackberries, sweet black cherries, cocoa and dark chocolate. Palate is lovely, mouthfilling and harmonious with sweet black fruits followed by balancing fresh and poised acidity and nicely resolved tannins and lots of milk chocolate and blackberries on the back end. Moderate length and not much resonance but this is an exceptionally well made and enjoyable wine that is in a good place right now. I really enjoyed this.
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Before decant, both too tart and too sweet, and tannins seemed very firm, but all of this faded way back. Not as much spice on the nose as a typical Ridge Zin, florals are very faint. After 2-3 hour decant, much darker fruit and a mocha/coffee pleasant touch of bitterness emerges to balance the initial sweetness. After 24 more hours that bitterness was too dominant to enjoy. I "like it" but I don't really like the value at $30.
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Dark ruby-purple. Sweet cherries, blackberries, minerals and dried flowers on the nose. Mid+ bodied with firm tanins, nice fruit and high acidity. Still quite primary, will improve with further cellaring. Long finish.
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Perplexing and disappointing. Disjointed and one dimensional, it falls apart in front of the eye. Harsh, almost fishy nose, with light strawberry on the palate. In the mouth it drops right off the edge, bitter finish. The cork was pristine but I almost wonder if this was oxidized. Ridge really lost me on this one. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and won't score...though I'll whisper "78".
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Popped and poured then enjoyed over a long evening. Gorgeous dark chocately purple totally opaque colour. A BAM nose of white chocolate, vanilla and brambly black fruit. Palate is initially tartly tannic but very quickly melts into unfolding blackberries and caramel to a good dry and satisfying finish. Some length and a touch of resonance in the head. Still quite young but will mature into something very special over the next few years. If ever a wine has "California" printed on it then this is it. I love it. It was unfair on the wine not to have decanted it though.
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Enticing aromas of candied walnuts that continues onto the palate but with a meatier, earthier addition. I can smell it now...like walking through the Christkindlmarkt and catching whiffs of the warm candied nuts floating out from the vendors' stalls! Luscious and delicious!
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outstanding bottle...let it air for about one hour b4 bringing it to dinner..velvety smooth easy to drink zin blend;good length on the finish; wish i had more
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Bramble on... big taste of pungent fruit when popped and poured. Next day much better, integrated and balanced. Definitely give this one some time to open up and you will be richly rewarded. Plenty of legs left for the next few years.
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Popped and poured. Muted nose of dark fruits, spice, earth and pepper. Medium mouthfeel. Tastes of berries, mushrooms and a touch of cigar. Moderately long tannic finish. This will go very well with steak or lamb.
50+5+11+16+8
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Full of berries on the nose, nicely peppered but a bit flat at first taste, light finish, it all comes together after breathing for 15-20 minutes into an easy drinking wine for entertaining.
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Our third bottle since May 2008 and this is the best. It has come together well. The nose still lacks some punch. But it has good spice and fruit. Reminds me of blueberry pie. Nice spice and bramble on the palate. A nip of cayenne pepper. This is a little rough around the edges on the mid-palate. Some heat creeps in and continues through the medium finish,
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Popped and poured. Deep purple hue. Bramble fruits, plum, anise, and a touch of oak on the nose (Draper perfume?). Medium-plus body. Ripe flavors of plummy fruit on the palate are complimented by notes of black licorice, cedar shavings, and vanilla. Acidity and tannins are both slightly heightened but complementary to the fruit. Medium length finish.
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Maybe a bit harsh on this wine, but the reason for the 88 is the fact that it feels a bit artificial, as if you added sugar post opening. Nice zinfandel colour and nose mild body and finish. Still this is no 2005 Geyserville Ready to drink. 30minutes of decanting.
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Deep dark red. Dark cherry and blackberry nose with a hint of flowers. Black cherry with a really nice chewy sweetness dominates at first on the palette and then persists as the firm tannins with some peppery spice take it to a long complex finish.
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Ridge has always been a dependable producer and the Lytton Springs is no exception. The color was a thick deep purple. The nose was mostly fruit. Nice blueberry flavors on the palate with a long finish. We don't drink many Zins and Paula enjoyed it quite a bit.
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Funny, just read my previous TN on this, and again I have no particulars in this. I guess this wine has reached the point where I know I'm going to enjoy it so I just open and enjoy. It is certainly a go to bottle that I know will deliver. This one was a 750 size. 91+
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Probably *the* best bottle of Zinfandel I've ever had. A little closed on the nose initially, but this wine made me understand what people mean what they say a wine "floods the palate" with flavor. Soft, round, full of blackberries, and dark chocolate. Freakin' delicious. Really amazing. Just moved Ridge into the #1 slot for Zin producers in my book just in front of formidable competition from Seghesio and Buehler.
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Pleasant, but still a little young at the moment, slightly tannic and acidic. Has not rounded into form as all LS does eventually. I would wait another couple of years to try this again, or drink with a heartier meal.
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Opaque black with a deep purple rim. Nose of black licorice, some red berries -- raspberry and bing cherry mostly. Spicy notes in the mouth, black pepper and chipotle (minus the heat), over more raspberry. Dark chocolate on the finish, with cocoa tannins. Very nice balance, a very long finish.
I think Vaynerchuck was wrong on this one; its pretty darn good. Not necessarily varietally correct, but it's an enjoyable wine. Drink now through 2015
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On ne cessera pas de le dire Paul Draper fait du bon vin. Fier de son vignoble Montebello dans Santa Cruz Mountain où il produit un magnifique Cabernet et un somptueux Chardonnay, il produit aussi de profonds Zinfandel. Ceux de Lytton Springs et de Geyserville en sont de bons exemples.
2005 ne fut pas l'année du siècle au dire de monsieur Draper et ça parait. Il manque un petit quelque chose à ce Zinfandel. Il a une belle robe rubis, passablement profonde. Le nez manque de distinction, on y retrouve des cerises rouges et un peu de tabac à pipe. Malheureusement pour un vin à 50$ je m'attendais à plus. En bouche le vin n'est guère mieux. La finale est passablement sèche. Des notes vaporeuses sont aussi perceptible en rétro-olfaction. J'avoue avoir une certaine déception.
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12 month on since my first taste and the bottle age is helping. Acid is reconciling with tannins and fruit, same notes as previous with a bit more complexity with age. This is a really really nice Zin.
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Sweet, jammy nose of bosenberry, dark chocolate, and menthol. All dark fruits and coffee on the palate, with some spice on the back end. Lacking in the textural complexity of the best vintages (99, 01) of Lytton Springs, but tannins are fine and well established for a decade + of good drinking.
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Lytton Springs Offline (RJs, London): Full colour but lighter than I expected; transparent. Red fruit and brambles on nose. Quite acidic entry. Seems a bit flabby and diffuse though. Others liked it more. **
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Drank in Cornwall with friends. Long time fan of Ridge but think this could do with a little longer in the bottle. Great with venison. Two bottles consumed.
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Decanted for 1 hour; nice purple-red wine; beautiful aromas of blueberry and some herbs on the nose; fruit forward blueberry pie, spice, mild pepper on the palate. Nice acidity, fine tannins, decent finish. Will wait awhile before opening the last one.
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Just such a solid wine for the money. Lytton Springs holds up the Zin category of my collection; and quite nicely - Someone show me a more solid Zin for the price.
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I really like this wine when I want a little extra "oomph". The zin blend tones down the alchohol effect. It is perfect for a casual dinner, such as shish kebab.
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Light bright color. Bright, ripe fruits, Cranberries, Currant, dried herbs on the nose. Classic glycerin Ridge mouth feel, spiky acid and tight tannins still the order of the day for this young Zin blend.
Strawberries, Cherries and Raspberries in the front and mid palate, lingering sour cherry finish. Interesting wine making, fun, but the acid bite makes me wonder if it will resolve.
3 Nights vacuumed and in the fridge, licorice on the nose and palate, fruits seemed to have darkened a bit. Interesting peek and where this wine may go. Tannins and acid blending in. Hmmm. 6th night. Bit alive, now an extracted burnt fruit. Richer. Last sip very nice flavours, not deep, just burnt licorice lingering strawberries. This wine should get fun in a few years.
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opened for a few hours nose - fruit battles wood. not entirely pleasant. I get a bit of a purple ink pen smell, slightly chemically. mouth - very juicy fruit forward mouth but almost comes across as a bit thin. zesty midpalate and long tannic finish. Good with food
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A tasty, if simple version of LS. Probably needs a few years to come into its own... a little bit of sweet tannin balances the nice, typical zin fruit. Not as much 'Draper perfume' as I expect in the LS. Despite all that, a very enjoyable bottle. Check back with the others in 2010.
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Nose of blackberry and tar, and some sweet oak. palate is big and round, with just a hint of firmness, really fruit driven, but balanced by the oak and held together with good structure. Finish fades a bit, a little short, most ly of dark fruit and charcoal. Good balanced Zin, not too syrupy.
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Deep dark color. Blackberry, boysenberry on the nose - kind of a fruit bomb when first opened. the tannins and acidy were both firm and seemed fairly well integrated. The carignane seems to tame the spice from the the zin, like cotton candy. Nice finish, maybe a little sweeter than expected but still very enjoyable.
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A bit sweeter than I think of the Lytton bottles, but nevertheless good briary raspberry and cherry fruits, with a wonderful spiciness. Nice ripe tannin. All in all a well balanced wine, and one to watch for at least 5 years, probably more.
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A little late on the review. We found this "okay" but not up to the quality I expected. The nose had an off-putting quality, but not awful. The wine was nice, some bluebery, red fruit and good earthiness and spice. However, it lacked the body and complexity I was expecting. Still a bottle in the cellar -- maybe it will be better next year.
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Chicago Air & Water Show (1660 N LaSalle, Chicago, IL): Lots of great purple / dried red fruits on the nose, light hints of dark wood..an interesting nose given the variety of fruits. Smooth mouthfeel, great red fruits, slight / well done oak, medium tannins and good length on the finish. Really very nice.
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All the makings of a great zin are there - good spice, raspberry, a little bramble; but it's just a bit light and lacks punch. For this vintage, Geyserville just blows this away.
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Strong zin especially upon opening, but it its alcohol predominated as the night wore on. I found the heat on the finish overwhelmed the cherry flavors, all but some oak and, ultimately, the experience.
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Tasted from a 375. Opaque purple color. Nose of dark fruits, some oak. Palate of blackberries, plum, tar, spice with some heat on the finish. Concentrated. Enjoyable on its own.
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Had this in a magnum sized bottle. The bottle was uncorked at about 6:30 AM to be served in a late afternoon BBQ.
Color was a deep purple with little or no rim. I did take any notes on the particulars, but this had a woinderful nose and just kept getting better as the night went on. Truly nice wine that I will certainly buy again.
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Great nose, great color, complex. Mouthfeel is weighty, glycerin holding the flavours, but not integrated yet. This wine will develop much much more. Tannins still tight, and I found there was a bit too much acid for my liking. Not sure where that will take this wine. Love the winemaking and this has great fruit, hold for 6 months.
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Plum and other dark fruits on an impressive nose. Good mouthfeel with plum and mocha on the palate. Finish is lacking, however, and I would prefer a touch more spice. It got better with a little air, but I still prefer the 2005 Geyserville.
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Velvety and purply dark plum coloured, with a heavy nose that hinted of pencil, dark cherry, plum and blackberry. The taste was more muted than the smell, and full of pleasant tannins. Almost strawberry-like and full of fruit. Impressive.
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Excellent, a bit 'lighter' than some other vintages, but perhaps this may be longer lived - Medium purple in colour, medium concentration, notes of plum, cherry, spice and oak on the nose, well structured, yet quite elegant, with a strong tannic backbone, smooth on the palate with an excellent finish (90 Points).
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Opened and not decanted. As I am not a fan of the huge Zins, I was pleasantly surprised to find a more elegant styled Zin that was well balanced. Red berry fruits and spice come across the palate with a clean acid profile. Drank well on day two as well.
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I would rate this as an 88; it is a very fine wine indeed. Not a pure Zinfandel, but rather a blend of 77% Zinfandel, 17% Petit Sirah, and 6% Carignane. This wine has benefitted from its mixed heritage with the silkiness of a high-quality Zin combined with a pleasantness that called to mind certain Piedmonts.
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Made from 77% Zinfandel, 17% Petit Syrah and 6 % Carignane this beldn was not as great as I had hoped. Plenty of fruit, alo0ng with some alcohol, on the nose. The palate was fairly acidic and not particularly flavourful.
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Great stuff, right out of the bottle. Got some strawberries/sweet fruit on this, which was a bit of a surprise for a zin. Finish with a bit of a cherry syrup taste. Little tannic. Started to fall apart a bit after a couple of hours in the decanter, but for $25, I'd put it next to Turley SVDs.
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Arrgh, someone keeps drinking this great wine. Oh yeah it would be me. I really like both the Lytton and the Geyserville Zinfandels from Ridge. Perhaps once one or two of these should be allowed to age a bit. But apparently it will not be in my cellar.
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Wine has deep color, nose of dark fruit and berries, and something else I can't identify but i know I didn't like it. Light tannis and spice on the palate, It tastes better than it smells. This wine should stand up weel to a hearty meat dish. This wine will probbably improve in the next few years
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Took 1 bottle of 2 to BYOB at May Street Cafe. Don't remember the details but fondly remember the wine as well as the pairing versatility with mole sauces, and meats ranging from chicken to beef.
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surprisingly muted and downright wimpy for a lytton springs. May have been slightly corked, just enough to suck teh flavor out but not enough for that wet cardboard taste. Certainly doesn’t match the reviews.
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This one has more earth on it than the Geyserville, and it cycled considerably over several hours opening up and showing lush fruit and then shutting down and seeming pretty green and herbal. It opened back up again after 3 hours and was really a pretty wine.
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Universally preferred by everyone at Joe Wilson's house. He described it as "smoother [than the 2004 Siraz 9]" with which I concur. It's less agressive than a year ago, with the abundant tannin, acidity and fruit much better integrated. Very fine zin and if 2005 was an off-year for North Coast zin as Parker says, this must be one of the very best.
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Did not decant. Very nice blend - drinks like a Zin, but a little bit lighter. Color- dark red/purple. Fruity nose - cherry, raspberry. Lush taste, good tanins. nice long finish.
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Nose was great. Red fruits with some chocolate and coffee. The taste was disappointing - austere and quite bitter. Decanted over the course of 3 hours - my last glass was better but still nothing special. I think I will wait a few years before opening my other bottle of this. The Geyserville is much better.
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Interesting perfume and black cherry nose that gave way to just dark cherry after being decanted for about an hour. Palate was a bit thin with good acidity but soft tannins, some cherry and dark berries on the palate. Although after an hour the tannins became more noticable and this started to get better. The finish was moderate with a touch of chocolate showing after about 2 hours. I would be interested to see how this ages after 4-5+ years.
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Very dark red-purple. Some heat on the nose, with dark fruit. Blackberry, plum. Firm tannins. Not as vibrant as I expected it to be. Color 5/5 Nose 7/10 Balance 8/10 Taste 15/20 Finish 4/5
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Drank all by lonsome at the Famous steakhouse in Colorado Springs. Decanted and began tight, nose of sprigs of spice, and high alch which continued on the bright fruit palate. Steak arrived and wine opened up over the 2 hours finishing with darked choco fruit. spice. Great wine making, great wine. Can go loads longer. Only gonna get better and more integrated.
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creamy. not as hot as i'd expect for a 2005 w > 14% alcohol. based upon my recent tasting of a '99 geyserville (which was far more flavorful), i'd say lay this down for a while. it'll improve with time.
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Good, not great. Some real depth and texture, but also a little rough and hot. Definitely evolved over the course of the evening. Got less jammy and sweet, which was a good thing, but got a little more tannic and harsh. Interesting notes of raisins followed bya creamy herbalness. I might not go out of my way to grab more just because there are so many other things I want to try, but I wouldn't be disappointed if someone gave me a bottle of this.
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nice nose that improved with time; initially tight with medium tannins; lighter bodied, fruity, peppery; finish was a bit weak. Good with NY strip. Couldn't hold up to strong blue cheese. Not as good as some previous vintages of this wine, but still good (a little thinner than expected). Would buy again but suggest decanting as long as possible before drinking.
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Bright cherry, smooth with a lot of espresso and some baking spices. Long finish is a bit acidic and candied. This is an atypical Ridge Lytton, with thinner, sweeter, brighter fruit than I'm used to, and it lacks the suave, magical Ridge touch. Hopefully this does not indicate a style change for this wine, it is not for the better. B-
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This 2005 version is classic Ridge Lytton Springs; powerfully flavored with that bramby Dry Creek fruit and backed by very firm tannins. It's one of the more "serious" zins with less sweet cherry and more of a blackcurrant spine to the flavor profile. The '05 summer was not as warm as usual which, although good for the chardonnay, cabernet and pinot noir is a disadvantage for zinfandel which thrives on heat. Yet I really don't see a difference between this year's version and prior ones. Paul Draper knows just how to get the maximum out of his zins regardless of weather conditions.
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Excellent after an hour or so in the decanter. Next day not as impressive as expected, though it was not refrigerated for quite a while so that may have done it in. (Tasted too ripe and more like a typical (decent) CA zin.)
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Zinfandel (Snowgoose): Unfortunately my boss is a knuckle head and decided to pour this at a tasting the day after we received the container with the '05 Ridge products. This was very shocky and didn't show very well at all.
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4/8/2024 - bhammerl Likes this wine: 88 Points
Fruit almost gone. Strong vanilla and coconut flavours. Surprisingly fresh on the palate, not overaged. Very nice aged tannins.
Drink immediately, don't hold.
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4/1/2024 - ianwesley wrote: 90 Points
Final bottle. Lovely mature wine. No fruit left but very smooth long wine dominated by vanilla
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9/5/2023 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
At Ridge event from Magnum. This was really nice to be able to try at this age. If you like older complex wines then this is your friend and may surprise you what a Zin can become with age. I suspect this will probably hold on for a little while longer but the fruit is turning. If you steer towards younger wines then you'll want to drink this one up.
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7/1/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
A Ridge Tahoe Weekend; 6/29/2023-7/2/2023 (Edgewood Resort): The winner of this group. From a magnum. One of my takeaways from this day of Ridge drinking is we don’t drink enough Lytton Springs. This was just really tasty. Almost an uname character to the wine but with great fruit. It’s very nice drinking. Field blend of century old vines. It’s got a truly long life ahead of it and I don’t think this is actually the right drinking window but it was quite enjoyable nonetheless.
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3/13/2023 - jeramirez Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wow.
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11/2/2021 - Wineshington Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still a very nice wine. Has more elegance than in its youth, some fruit but more tertiary. Wonderful with lamb.
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2/19/2021 - Rhwinetracker Likes this wine:
Still drinking well, but probably would have been better a few years ago. Dark in color with some bricking. Mostly dark fruit on the palate with a prominent raisin flavor that dissipated with 1-2 hours of air. Very good acidity and some nice tannins. Went well with pizza, but missing some of the fruit intensity that makes these wines stand out.
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10/26/2020 - 41hijinx Likes this wine: 89 Points
Low neck fill. Lovely saturated inky color in glass with a little browning. Intense bacon smokey bouquet. Deep fruit on palate with drying dusty tannins. Alcohol (14.4%) does not intrude. Slightly past peak so drink up. Trace of sediment.
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10/10/2020 - James Kim Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 1h then back in bottle and consumed over next 5h. Rich, just ripe blackberries and just ripe plums aromas w baking spices, and earth and a bit of leather. Blackberries and plums, earth, baking spices, bark, and hints of leather w medium tannins on the midpalate. Nice acids give the wine lift. Nice finish of tart blackberries but marred by its alcoholic hot finish. Would have enjoyed it more if the finish wasn't hot. But still delicious with some nice complexity.
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10/4/2020 - Philip67 wrote: 90 Points
Fully mature and probably on the way down as it has lost most of its tannic grip. Quite rich, medium acidity, black and red fruit. Medium finish and complexity. Drink-up.
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7/4/2019 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 1.5 hrs, from 375 mL, bottle from secondary market
-dark red
-Port-like raisiny oxidized caramel
-med- acidity, med/med- weight, not a lot of fruit but plenty of oxidized prune-y caramel and heat, med- tannins
-surprising lack of fruit for this cuvée at 14 years old but suspect the format and probable prior poor storage contributing
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7/2/2019 - vintage52 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is why you age Lytton Springs-delicious wine, nice balance, not at all flabby, soft tannins, restrained fruit, none of the over-the-top, out of balance, Zin character which often shows up with other top Zins with age. Served blind, guesses from experienced tasters included aged Brunello and Northern Rhone.drink now.
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3/26/2019 - drmarclevine wrote: 89 Points
Interesting wine. Short decant. Very complex aromas. Lots of Petit Sirah in this blend (17%) and it shows. Initial attack is some spicy red fruit but that gets overshadowed by more rounded, blue notes. Seems the Zin is fading faster than the Petit Sirah. Tannins are all but resolved and in the mouth it's a similar disconnect between fading spiciness and a prevailing round creaminess. This could be harmonious but it feels more on the disjointed side as if the wine is coming apart. Still reasonably pleasurable as a curiosity but its best days are behind. Drink up.
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1/1/2019 - MichielV wrote: 89 Points
With lamb chops. JH & Roosje in Rhinebeck. Next to the 04 and 06. I wanted to try this again because of the disppointment a week earlier. Conclusion the same; drink up as it is sliding. It still had some fruit but it could not hold up. I liked 2004 best, 06 next and than this.
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12/22/2018 - MichielV wrote: 88 Points
W pork roast at Rudy & Jenny with Greg and Jamie. As noted before, this wine needs to drunk now. Its OK but not my expected LS experience at 13 yrs old. The 2006 was better.
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10/27/2018 - swfc wrote: 89 Points
Sweet strawberry, blueberry fruits. Now fully resolved and mature. Quite simple, but enjoyable mature zin. Drink now
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10/8/2018 - Rcolella Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sweet red berries and cherries Earthly herbs and firm tannins. Well balanced wine. Drink now.
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4/28/2018 - MRichman wrote:
Still quite alive, full mellow fruit. A good, but not great Lytton. Some earth and tobacco. Drink now and over the next few years.
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4/20/2018 - MichielV wrote: 91 Points
W meatloaf. Color shows aged red wine, but still very fresh. Nose was fruity and had a bit of spice. Palate very fresh, good fruit (red berries). Good acidity no tannins. Good finish. Great combo with the food. This should be drunk though. Its on the way down.
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11/18/2017 - jeffal66 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A much improved experience over the bottle I drank in 2010. Still holding up but one to consume soon. Green pepper, extracted dark fruit, earthy. Some acid, hollow midpalate that thankfully recovers on the very lengthy finish. Sediment and some alcohol burn.
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10/18/2017 - rwpalmer wrote:
Sadly both this and the 2009- both from magnums- had lost vivacity. Both a nice, round drop but without vigour or definition.
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6/24/2017 - timewithwine wrote:
The color of this wine doesn’t let up: deep blood red at the wide rim then plum at the core. It has a sheen that reminds you of laquer. Draper perfume fills the nose. Some slight, rhubarb, baking spices, molasses and dark fruit compote complete the bouquet. The claret-like mouthfeel - luxurious without being lavish - has plumped up since my first bottle of this wine 3 years ago. The palate is fully integrated and almost seamlessly balanced. Is this at peak? Who knows; but it certainly delivers the goods right now. The sediment on the shoulder continues down the side of the “resting side” the length of the bottle, while still precipitating enough to deposit grains in the final pour. 14.4% alc. With grilled beef flank steak topped with bleu de Basque blue cheese. Recommended, leaning toward Highly Recommended.
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5/15/2017 - MichielV wrote: 88 Points
W grilled duck breast @ Rudy and Jenny. Next to the 2003. I am convinced this does not fit the food as both wine went flat during the meal (1 hour decant). The 2003 was way better upon opening but went head to head w the meal. Still good but not very inetersting.
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1/12/2017 - pigdaddy wrote: 90 Points
decanted 30 min, minimal sediment. just a superb bottle, showing on point tonight, with terrific equilibrium amongst all the components. petite sirah contributes quite a bit of black pepper & a touch of heat to the finish, but overall a fine drink.
rustic crostini w/soft scrambled eggs & red wine salami; broccoli rabe w/calabrian chilies, garlic, anchovies & cream peas
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8/19/2016 - MichielV wrote: 91 Points
W venison! Great bottle, very balanced, great fruit and length LS is my favorite Ridge Zin and this confirmed it ( but those drying corks)
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7/28/2016 - JBVino wrote:
This bottle was in a great spot. All components were dancing to the same beat... fruit, structure, texture and complexity on the palate and really good length. Fun
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3/10/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
A Ridge Lytton Spring Vertical and a few others (our home): Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black raspberries, charred wood, and spice. Also some plums. On the palate, this is a bit rougher than the others. With some air, it did settle down a bit. Firm tannins. Black raspberry fruit. Some heat on the finish. This seemed to still need time or air.
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1/2/2016 - dmitchell4 wrote: 90 Points
A little past its peak
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10/25/2015 - Birorganic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dusty dry mouthfeel. Holding up. Fully resolved. Delicious fruit. Would never guess it's ten years old. Drank a 2012 the same night as the 2005 and it was obvious they were the same wine.
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9/24/2015 - beerenauslese Likes this wine: 92 Points
This old guy is presenting amazingly well, even just popping and pouring over a couple hours. Garnet color with no brown edges, suggesting little visible oxidation has occurred. Slow legs. Inviting, ample nose with aromas of ripe blackberries and strawberries (and some not so ripe fruit), with a touch of cooking spices, forest floor, sagebrush and gravel dust. Flavors of just ripe blackberries and strawberries, with a very slight note of oxidation. Strikes the palate as moderately sweet but retains some acidity. Finishes a bit bitter, with some lead pencil notes. After 10 years, tannins are still providing some traction and extending the finish. Moderate body with a smooth and velvety mouthfeel. This zin is quite delightful now.
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9/17/2015 - timewithwine wrote:
Drank this earlier in the month. Not certain of the pairing. No detailed notes, but we did enjoy it.
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8/22/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful showing. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, some raspberries, graphite and slight dried floral notes. On the palate, this is drinking young. Slight tannins. Slight vanilla, but I would not guess 10 years from vintage. Juicy acidity/texture. Bottle is drained quickly. Glad to have a couple more in the cellar.
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8/17/2015 - EMark Likes this wine:
Big berry nose. Sure enough, blackberry on the tip of the tongue, but, then, a silky smoothness that makes check the label. Is this Zinfandel? Yep, 77% with some Petite Sirah and some Carignane. Not the big brambly, woody blackfruited Zinfandel, but a sophisticated integration of berry flavor, resolved tannins and supporting acid. Wow.
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5/11/2015 - pford wrote: 89 Points
Really nice. Zins can sometimes be a little too fruit forward for my taste, but a little age has this wine showing very nicely.
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5/8/2015 - WilD wrote: 91 Points
My first Ridge Zinfandel. Great experience. I agree completely with Goldstone. Even the cork was sublime like it was bottled indeed yesterday !
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2/16/2015 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sort of a standard setter for CA Zin!
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1/23/2015 - fmoehl@yahoo.com wrote:
was excellent, could have kept longer
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1/17/2015 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
PHMG WAG: Ridge Vineyards (Monte Lyon): My WOTN, this is an excellent, elegant, long smooth wine that just caresses your palate. Mellow but deep blackberry, raspberry, anise, and spice. On plateau, don't wait too long.
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11/23/2014 - Tarpon222 wrote: 91 Points
Got even better after a couple of hours. Very nice, drinkable, gorgeous Zin nose. Ripe, full body.
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11/15/2014 - IlonaN wrote: 90 Points
Drank this alongside a mid level 2005 Bordeaux. Both wines showed well but in comparison the Ridge was much riper and far less complex in terms of minerality and nuances. Nonetheless, on its own this bottle was still perfumed, lively and balanced--I enjoyed it.
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11/14/2014 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 91 Points
The cork looks like it was bottled yesterday. Briefly decanted. Still totally opaque black/purple colour lightening to a crimson/purple at the meniscus. Nose is a ton of warm, welcoming and integrated oak with blueberries in the mid-ground and higher toned notes of blackberries and briarberries in the background....a bit of fried bacon in there too. Palate is beautifully fresh frontal acidity followed by drying blackberry pips tannins...the tannins predominate over the black fruits but it is still all in proportion and balance. A bit short on length and resonance but I'm not complaining because this is a beautiful take on French-influenced Californian Zinfandel at its very best. It punches well above its weight in terms of QPR and is always a nice way to surprise non-Americans with a new wine experience. Drank slowly over a simple dinner of grilled lamb chops and steamed vegetables, which was the perfect complement. I'm guessing that this is at prime drinking right now.
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11/9/2014 - twoamps wrote: 86 Points
waited a bit too long for this particular bottle. Not bad, but nothing particularly interesting going on here. Mellow and soft to the point of boring. Faded to the background with food, with isn't why we enjoy Lytton Springs. Its not supposed to be that far in the background. I'm trying to catch up to my "five year rule" for zinfandel; all this bottle did was reinforce that rule.
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10/3/2014 - stubbie999 Likes this wine:
More oak forward than expected (even for Ridge), but a lovely pairing with brisket after a couple hours in the decanter. The wood on the wine melded well with the wood on the meat - a perfect match.
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9/1/2014 - ifishtoo wrote: 93 Points
Alas, we are down to out last bottle. Truly shows what a few years of age will do for a well made Zin blend from a top producer.
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7/7/2014 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 92 Points
July 4th. Smoked my butt and drank 1.5 of these with the wife. Perfect with the smoked meat. Only 3 left.......
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6/30/2014 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 91 Points
Double-decanted for a couple of hours before serving, which did it the power of good. Drank to accompany Tracy's home-made Lobster & Chisoru Paella, which was a great pairing. Dark red and still almost completely opaque although it has lost the purple hue from when I last opened a bottle two years ago. Nose is fresh blackberries and black cherries, raspberries and some white chocolate. Palate is mouthfilling and with a super resolved harmony of fresh acidity and well-delinated black fruits, with a touch of lighter raspberry, followed by a persistence of the acidity with nicely resolved tannins and lots of milk chocolate and blackberries on the back end. Surprising length. One of the few times you can use 'sophistication' and 'Zinfandel' in the same sentence: this never fails to please as a wine that punches two classes above its price point.
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6/30/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very much enjoyed. Have started drinking the Chester's anvil because of this wine. Decanted over an hour. Deep hues but not inky purple. Integrated black and blue fruit with nice finish. Tannins fading. In a good place.
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6/20/2014 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 92 Points
These were sitting in a liquor store in north Georgia where we have a cabin. We bought one to try and went back the next day and bought the remaining 10 bottles. this wine is in the perfect spot. Beautiful nose, balanced mouth feel and lingering aftertaste. Lovely. Only 5 left.
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6/15/2014 - MLipton wrote:
Once again, blackberry syrup in the nose, and a smooth, berry-flavored wine (with plenty of acidity to structure the fruit) on the palate. Still quite primary, but a mouthful of Zin-ish fruit.
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5/27/2014 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep ruby color. Nose of black cherry and spice. Medium bodied and friendly on the palate with good balance and length. An elegant wine from Ridge.
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5/26/2014 - timewithwine wrote:
This is apparently the first ‘05 Lytton Springs pulled from the cellar. The color is a deep and dark purple at the core that reluctantly gives way to plum at the very edge of the rim. The nose is full of Draper perfume, rhubarb, zin funk, molasses and spice. The nose is rich and pleasing. The mouthfeel is lighter than I would have expected leaning a touch light. Decidedly tight just now and needing more time to mature, the palate gives a shot of blackberry, but not necessarily tracking the nose. The finish shows somewhat hot. Notes on the back label - made in 2006 - suggest giving this wine until 2016. I’ll not pull another one until then .... or later. Abundant sediment grains drop out with the final couple of pours. 14.4% alc. With beef hamburgers. Recommended.
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5/16/2014 - TiggerK wrote: 92 Points
Lovely restraint, florals and balance. Good wine.
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4/14/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Nose shows musk, ash, plum and some light herbs. I like the brightness of the palate, there is plenty of red fruit with strands of spice throughout. Tannins do grip quite tightly still, another few years won't hurt this.
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3/28/2014 - idc2001 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely, lovely wine - we bought this after trying it at the Ridge tasting in Lytton Springs last autumn. Who knew that zinfandel could age so delightfully, a completely different proposition than the young primary wines I've tried in restaurants that represent my exposure to this variety- why isn't there more of this in the UK?
Sweet fruit still to the fore, but now a delightful and complex bouquet rather than primary fruit.....I could have sniffed this all night and been happy...but on the palate this was so smooth (and reasonably long) that would have been a waste.
Will be buying more Ridge zins to lay down if this is what happens with a bit of bottle age.
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2/17/2014 - MLipton wrote:
Still a dark, tarry expression of Zin, with some licorice notes and pencil lead in the nose. Very smooth on the palate now. It may develop more tertiiary character with further age, but it will also lose some of the fruit that now makes it such an appealing wine.
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1/22/2014 - Tarpon222 wrote: 89 Points
Agree with some previous reviews - this does not really exhibit the zin profile. It's nice but overly mellow, smooth, and lacks the zesty, pepper notes. I plan to finish off remaining ones. BTW, I opened a 2008 Lytton alongside this and it was very nice.
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1/18/2014 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 88 Points
Ridge zins are made for ageing in contrast to most, this one (77% zin) is drinking very well after 8 years. I normally get spice, pepper lot's of fruit with zin, but this has mellowed and is very smooth and well balanced. I actually prefer the younger zins with bigger flavor.
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12/26/2013 - cweiss Likes this wine:
From magnum, Xmas dinner at Penny's. Drinking well though could certainly age more in this format. Liked a lot by the nongeeks around the table who didn't realize there was such a thing as "red Zinfandel."
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11/3/2013 - snarfglk wrote: 90 Points
A tad better than the previous bottle, demonstrated more zin character, especially on day 2.
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10/21/2013 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 91 Points
In the glass the '05 Lytton Spring was an impenetrable, deep, dark purple color. The nose showed rich cherry and spice drop candy with floral tones, plum and hints of undergrowth. On the palate, it was juicy, with silky textures, as ripe black fruit and spiced cherry soothed the senses. The fruit brightened to blackberry, with a hint of tropical citrus and inner floral tones on the finish. The slightest hint of tannin remained, grounding you in reality.
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10/20/2013 - chatters wrote:
Initially plum but then black cherry and berry as the wine opened over time. Consistent aromas of toast, spice and slight vanilla & chocolate…I also detect a tiny touch of greenness - almost an asparagus/capsicum quality but that's probably just my funny nose. In the mouth there are flavours of juicy plum, chocolate, black cherry and berries, spice accompanied by fine talc like tannin...the body weight is quite light which lends a lovely wetness to the palate. Medium plus length. Very good.
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9/15/2013 - robnmo wrote: 89 Points
opened and let sit for about 90 minutes. Poured into glasses and let sit for another 20. Nice nose of eucalyptus, and cherries. On the palate the wine is nice. I think it has a lot of time left on it.
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8/29/2013 - snarfglk wrote: 89 Points
Very nice zin, smooth with no rough edges. Just lacking a tad of oomph.
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8/19/2013 - JesperR wrote: 90 Points
I join the praise: this is drinking excellent right now. Lovely, full and balanced. Still relatively firm for a Zinfandel, but open and expressive with an almost polished fruit-profile. Probably still has some way to go, but to me it was spot on. (90-91 pts.)
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8/11/2013 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: Lytton Springs Zinfandel vertical (C's): Dark color- darkest of the flight. Aromas of cherry, herbs and black fruit. Lots of fruit on the palate with a sweet edge. Finishes very nicely. Adds aromas of candied cherries, spice and baked plums. Sweet fruit with a long finish. 91-92 pts.
My #1, Domino's #1
Group #2, 43 pts
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8/4/2013 - kmack wrote:
Drinking absolutely beautifully now. Lovely blackberry and black cherry fruit with a nice mix of tannin and acidity.
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7/10/2013 - twoamps Likes this wine: 91 Points
Held up quite well for a zin. I'm about to impose a 5 year limit on zins, this would be an exception. Still, probably liked it better new.
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5/11/2013 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is my third of these and perhaps the best. Beautiful clear garnet. The fruit is not in your face but there is ample black fruit and spice. This wine is really starting to show class. Really nice balance and mouth feel. I just love Ridge.
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3/8/2013 - cellardrinker wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful nose. Old vines zinfandel at its best. Soft tannins. Nice smooth finish. Moderate alcohol not overwhelming.
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2/24/2013 - cweiss wrote:
Prime drinking time now with pretty fruit remaining and the parts have come together.
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2/18/2013 - MLipton wrote:
Cellar clearance 2013 (our house): An interesting contrast to the '03 Geezer, this wine showed a much tarrier and peppery nose atop the plummy fruit. Medium bodied with decent acidity, it was an altogether darker expression of "Zin."
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12/31/2012 - R Miller wrote: 85 Points
This was the perfect bottle (split) to open so that we could each have just a bit more.
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12/25/2012 - shugmo wrote:
Spicy, slightly jammy fruit but not overly sweet, nicely balanced and smooth. Improved with a bit of air, FWIW. Excellent with Xmas lunch.
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12/7/2012 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Profound dark berry, cherry, cedar, vanilla. Plush texture with lingering finish with spicy minerally tail. Lots of life left
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12/6/2012 - tomlee wrote: 91 Points
Blood red in color. Aromas of baked cherries, raspberries and sandalwood. This wine is reminiscent of framboise liqueur. Slightly jammy with pepper, plums and just a touch of vanilla. Dusty tannins and a long, smooth finish. I'd be inclined to drink this wine over the next few years.
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8/2/2012 - Lord Rodney wrote: 88 Points
Same as last time. Okay but a little too old or pruney
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6/30/2012 - WilliamF17 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Far and away my favorite Zinfandel, year to year.
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6/22/2012 - peblin wrote: 88 Points
Warm, ripe blueberry/raspberry jam. Lots of alcohol and quite a lot of mature tobacco notes. Unfortunately the oak is sill very obvious and the wine finishes off with an oaky bitterness that just ruins the experience.
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6/3/2012 - Lord Rodney wrote: 88 Points
For sure a step below the Geyserville of same vintage. Quite plummy and dark. Still spicy and very ripe. Drink up
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4/10/2012 - tenor12bucks Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully. Like a glass of liquid raspberry jam with a finish that goes on forever.
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4/6/2012 - vino vidi vici wrote:
This wine speaks - and if you're inclined to listen, it can be very persuasive.
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4/2/2012 - Nivlac wrote: 90 Points
Did a vertical of the 2003 to 2007 Ridge Lytton Springs last weekend with our wine group. With the exception of the 06 & 07 all older wines were relatively close and we needed a few rounds to separate the better from the good. The 03-05 drank very nicely and quality generally followed age. Not sure if the 06&07 would get there eventually. The 07 had a distinct sulfer smell eventually wafted off after over an hour. The older wines were out of the bottle for about 30 minutes and opened up slightly over the next half hour - but not as much as I would have thought. 03 was the highlight - 92, 04 & 05 we rated 90 and 06 87 and 07 we rated 84.
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3/30/2012 - rlmabry wrote:
Absoliutely a fantastic wine. Dark fruit and silky.
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3/25/2012 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well-matured, softened, but still a rich dose of blackberry and bramble. Perhaps lost a bit of its zing, but
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2/19/2012 - Blue Shorts wrote: 93 Points
Exceptional zin blend.
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2/12/2012 - wabi47 wrote: 91 Points
very nice and mixed darker berry, earth, bramble and spice; surprising sublime match with a sharp gorgonzola cheese, such that we stopped eating everything else and just polished off this cheese and wine....wowsa
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1/8/2012 - yonster24 wrote:
This has really come into it's own... It was really nice last time, but this time around it was fantastic. The Draper perfume in full effect here. Dark black fruits, a bit of oak, dark cherries and maybe a bit of cinnamon? Whatever it was, the nose was intoxicating. Med/full bodied on the palate and silky smooth. This all leading to a verrrry nice finish with a great balance of acid and tannins that are starting to integrate themselves into the wine. Will go a few years longer, IMO.
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1/3/2012 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 91 Points
The nose showed dark brooding berry fruit with vanilla, cinnamon, cherry tobacco and a bit of varnish. On the palate it was smooth with a full velvety body and flavors of black raspberry jam, minerals and bark. The long finish showed dried cherry fruit. Beautiful!
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11/1/2011 - TwistedArmadillo wrote: 91 Points
Agree with other posts, very nice wine
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10/20/2011 - cweiss wrote:
Enjoyable for the attractive nose and still ebullient fruit, but was somewhat muddled, lacking focus. Better in a year or two? We'll see.
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10/16/2011 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was thoroughly enjoyable. Very approachable, zesty and generous with acidity. It has a good balance of ripe black and red fruit, licorice, anise, spice, thyme, oregano, toasty vanilla, oak and just a tinge of graphite. Smooth, velvety texture with a mild peak at the midpalate. Tannins are negligible and finishes quite long. Drink now until 2016.
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9/29/2011 - rcmcb wrote: 91 Points
Dark black fruit. I love the Petite structure--I guessed 15%+ PS before seeing the label (17% PS). In a good place right now if you like present tannins with fruit and complexity. Will hold on for at least 3 more years, and probably fine for 5.
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9/23/2011 - Goldstone wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured at cellar temperature then drank slowly over a couple of hours. Dark purple-red and still almost completely opaque in colour except translucent at the rim. Great nose of wet ashphalt, sharply fresh blackberries and black cherries, raspberries, cocoa and dark chocolate. Palate is mouthfilling and harmonious with great balance of fresh and poised acidicty, austerity and well-delinated black fruits, with a touch of lighter respberry, followed by a persistence of the acidity with nicely resolved tannins and lots of milk chocolate and blackberries on the back end. Moderate length combines with a growling and persistent background resonance in the head. This is an exceptionally well made and enjoyable wine that Californians should really toot as their indigenous varietal....way more impressive than the much more expensive and less expressive Silver Oak 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon we drank along side it.....this has tone.
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7/23/2011 - Leomania Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very good Zinfandel. Dark in color. Cherry pie and spice on the nose, concentrated raspberry, chocolate covered cherries and spice in the mouth. Tannins are still firm with medium acidity. Drinking very well right now.
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7/11/2011 - JS199 wrote: 91 Points
Another good Zin from Ridge. After an hour this was so smooth. It can definetely age for a while longer, but is very good at the moment. Style wise, more restrained than the Pagani Ranch and Geyserville.
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6/11/2011 - bwillia wrote: 85 Points
Not one of my favorite vintages of this venerable wine.
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6/7/2011 - tplskylrk wrote:
Cool 3 years since first bottle, and 18 months since the last. P&P impression. Still that this is dark for a Zin reaction, but alas the Ridge blend master at work. Very strange hard to place nose. TV dinner from 1970's? Mashed Potatoes, Gravy & Fried Steak? Weird Some kind of dried fruit. Sure that this will all blow away. NIce weight, glycerin, fruit, acid, oak, big second wave, deep finish. Coolio, nice, likey. Tannins on the attack, this is not showing any age of a Zin, the PS giving some backbone.
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6/5/2011 - Tarrant wrote: 92 Points
This improved from our last bottle in 2008, just another lovely example of Ridge wines, really nice, really tasty - Dark, full bodied with a nose of blackberries, plum, cherry, spice and vanilla, excellent balance, interesting, well structured, sweet, smooth on the finish with excellent length, awesome (92 Points).
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5/30/2011 - mhekman wrote: 90 Points
Outstanding bottle, pop and pour (don't let this set too long!), fruity aroma with a bold finish.
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5/17/2011 - yonster24 wrote:
Medium Ruby Color to it. Nose of raspberries and cherry to go along with some underlying oak. Tart cranberries start the attack leading to a mid-palate of raspberries and a touch of mocha. med+ finish with great aciidity tying this up nicely and keeping it lively. It was a little too tart for me in the beginning but settled in nicely after that. I think this should age beautifully for at least a few more years.
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4/21/2011 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
Spicy, raspberry nose. Floral perfume on the front of the palate, a little thin in the middle with a nice bit of raspberry fruit and pepper as it finished. Maybe a bit of heat. No pruning, good like Ridge.
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3/11/2011 - Winiac wrote: 90 Points
Good tannins and structure. Medium to full body, good acidity, and well balanced. Will last (in a temperature controlled cellar) another 4-5 yrs easily. Pleasant finish. Actually was better the next day!
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2/5/2011 - ArizonaWineGuy wrote: 89 Points
Tasty
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2/4/2011 - Lovettsmr wrote: 88 Points
A bit lighter than a typical zin. Pleasant but not memorable.
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1/17/2011 - chefpete wrote: 91 Points
Loved it
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1/15/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
From magnum and just gorgeous right now.
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1/9/2011 - rwpalmer wrote: 91 Points
From magnum this is a remarkably low-key offering, even for a Ridge Zin. However it is none the worse for that. Delicious boysenberry fruit with an attractive, balanced palate. Now -2015
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1/1/2011 - ianwesley Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very classy zin; the first of a new case and it should drink well for many years
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12/26/2010 - xboomer wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable
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11/29/2010 - xboomer wrote: 88 Points
Good light red wine (Zinfandel). I usually prefer a heartier Zin but this wine is just fine.
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11/1/2010 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 91 Points
Medium to dark ruby color. Prominent nose of ripe cherries, raspberries, plums, forest. Well-balanced medium tannin and acidity. Very good, and seems to be improving.
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10/30/2010 - wihong wrote: 88 Points
Color: Garnet, ruby, clear. Aroma: Very ripe fruit, blueberry, strawberry, jammy. Damp forest. Taste: Entry, strawberry, licorice. Mid-palate: Nice dark fruit, cherry, full body. Finish, cherry cough syrup, peppery. Nice powerful fruity wine with good acidity. Should pair well with steak.
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9/26/2010 - yhn wrote: 94 Points
Nose - really nice deep ethereal quality, full lovely fruit, dried herbs and floral notes.
Incredibly complex, deep fruit, lavender, light floral notes, custard, boysenberry.
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9/18/2010 - gmmilani wrote: 90 Points
One of my favorite wines. Drinking well now, but can continue to age.
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9/3/2010 - winejnky wrote: 87 Points
Seemed a bit lightweight for a Lytton Springs. While I realize that it is a blend this bottle didn't show a lot of zinfandel character, which was disappointing since we usually love this wine. Maybe its just in a muted period and will open up with time?
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7/29/2010 - AlvinMNL Likes this wine:
I love this wine. Powerful scent of dark fruit and chocolate, oak was there but not overpowering. Palate mimicked the nose. Decent finish, about 30secs. Very high alcohol content but unapparent.
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5/14/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 91 Points
Dark blood red and completely opaque in colour. Great nose of fresh blackberries, sweet black cherries, cocoa and dark chocolate. Palate is lovely, mouthfilling and harmonious with sweet black fruits followed by balancing fresh and poised acidity and nicely resolved tannins and lots of milk chocolate and blackberries on the back end. Moderate length and not much resonance but this is an exceptionally well made and enjoyable wine that is in a good place right now. I really enjoyed this.
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4/11/2010 - collinb227 wrote: 90 Points
Love it.
Nose: frosted mini wheats cereal.
Palate: Raspberries, plum
Delicious stuff, very enjoyable
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2/28/2010 - ianinvirginia Likes this wine: 88 Points
Before decant, both too tart and too sweet, and tannins seemed very firm, but all of this faded way back. Not as much spice on the nose as a typical Ridge Zin, florals are very faint. After 2-3 hour decant, much darker fruit and a mocha/coffee pleasant touch of bitterness emerges to balance the initial sweetness. After 24 more hours that bitterness was too dominant to enjoy. I "like it" but I don't really like the value at $30.
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2/19/2010 - Yiannis wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby-purple. Sweet cherries, blackberries, minerals and dried flowers on the nose. Mid+ bodied with firm tanins, nice fruit and high acidity. Still quite primary, will improve with further cellaring. Long finish.
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2/2/2010 - jeffal66 wrote:
Perplexing and disappointing. Disjointed and one dimensional, it falls apart in front of the eye. Harsh, almost fishy nose, with light strawberry on the palate. In the mouth it drops right off the edge, bitter finish. The cork was pristine but I almost wonder if this was oxidized. Ridge really lost me on this one. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and won't score...though I'll whisper "78".
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1/27/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured then enjoyed over a long evening. Gorgeous dark chocately purple totally opaque colour. A BAM nose of white chocolate, vanilla and brambly black fruit. Palate is initially tartly tannic but very quickly melts into unfolding blackberries and caramel to a good dry and satisfying finish. Some length and a touch of resonance in the head. Still quite young but will mature into something very special over the next few years. If ever a wine has "California" printed on it then this is it. I love it. It was unfair on the wine not to have decanted it though.
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1/23/2010 - al-Zabba wrote:
Enticing aromas of candied walnuts that continues onto the palate but with a meatier, earthier addition. I can smell it now...like walking through the Christkindlmarkt and catching whiffs of the warm candied nuts floating out from the vendors' stalls! Luscious and delicious!
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12/16/2009 - Venturifan wrote: 88 Points
Drank with Barbecue chicken and mashed potatoes. Not overly interesting with more subtle fruit and a decent finish. I would not buy again.
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12/13/2009 - williamswhine wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding Zin! Full bodied, dark purple, smooth velvety finsh. Wish I had more in my cellar-- seems to be a perfect time to drink!
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11/28/2009 - gesusser wrote: 92 Points
outstanding bottle...let it air for about one hour b4 bringing it to dinner..velvety smooth easy to drink zin blend;good length on the finish; wish i had more
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10/28/2009 - gallo nero wrote:
Had at elliots. Was okay not as light as we were going for.
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10/23/2009 - vino vidi vici wrote: 91 Points
Bramble on... big taste of pungent fruit when popped and poured. Next day much better, integrated and balanced. Definitely give this one some time to open up and you will be richly rewarded. Plenty of legs left for the next few years.
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10/11/2009 - Blue Shorts wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Muted nose of dark fruits, spice, earth and pepper. Medium mouthfeel. Tastes of berries, mushrooms and a touch of cigar. Moderately long tannic finish. This will go very well with steak or lamb.
50+5+11+16+8
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9/20/2009 - mjstern wrote: 86 Points
Full of berries on the nose, nicely peppered but a bit flat at first taste, light finish, it all comes together after breathing for 15-20 minutes into an easy drinking wine for entertaining.
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8/30/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 88 Points
Our third bottle since May 2008 and this is the best. It has come together well. The nose still lacks some punch. But it has good spice and fruit. Reminds me of blueberry pie. Nice spice and bramble on the palate. A nip of cayenne pepper. This is a little rough around the edges on the mid-palate. Some heat creeps in and continues through the medium finish,
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8/15/2009 - *Vine* wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Deep purple hue. Bramble fruits, plum, anise, and a touch of oak on the nose (Draper perfume?). Medium-plus body. Ripe flavors of plummy fruit on the palate are complimented by notes of black licorice, cedar shavings, and vanilla. Acidity and tannins are both slightly heightened but complementary to the fruit. Medium length finish.
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8/8/2009 - Papies wrote: 88 Points
Maybe a bit harsh on this wine, but the reason for the 88 is the fact that it feels a bit artificial, as if you added sugar post opening. Nice zinfandel colour and nose mild body and finish. Still this is no 2005 Geyserville
Ready to drink. 30minutes of decanting.
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7/21/2009 - AZ Cat wrote:
(2) Drank at Lon’s at Citi closing dinner. Not bad but nothing special.
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6/22/2009 - FPNova wrote: 90 Points
Deep dark red. Dark cherry and blackberry nose with a hint of flowers. Black cherry with a really nice chewy sweetness dominates at first on the palette and then persists as the firm tannins with some peppery spice take it to a long complex finish.
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5/27/2009 - Arch57 wrote: 89 Points
Ridge has always been a dependable producer and the Lytton Springs is no exception. The color was a thick deep purple. The nose was mostly fruit. Nice blueberry flavors on the palate with a long finish. We don't drink many Zins and Paula enjoyed it quite a bit.
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5/2/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote:
The Eighth Annual Philadelphia Wine Festival (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown): Not bad. The 06 Geyserville was better on this night. A touch watery without the same Zin complexity. Good but not great.
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4/12/2009 - J Dogg wrote:
Paired with ox tail braised in tomato sauce and went well. Dark fruits, blackberry, plum, full body, and soft tannins.
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3/15/2009 - Jazzman wrote: 91 Points
Funny, just read my previous TN on this, and again I have no particulars in this. I guess this wine has reached the point where I know I'm going to enjoy it so I just open and enjoy. It is certainly a go to bottle that I know will deliver. This one was a 750 size. 91+
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3/10/2009 - MarkL wrote: 86 Points
No note. Remember I enjoyed it a lot though.
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3/8/2009 - RobertDwyer wrote: 93 Points
Probably *the* best bottle of Zinfandel I've ever had. A little closed on the nose initially, but this wine made me understand what people mean what they say a wine "floods the palate" with flavor. Soft, round, full of blackberries, and dark chocolate. Freakin' delicious. Really amazing. Just moved Ridge into the #1 slot for Zin producers in my book just in front of formidable competition from Seghesio and Buehler.
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3/6/2009 - mayfield wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant, but still a little young at the moment, slightly tannic and acidic. Has not rounded into form as all LS does eventually. I would wait another couple of years to try this again, or drink with a heartier meal.
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3/3/2009 - MWes wrote: 85 Points
Zin tasting. My least favorite of the night. No formal notes taken, but notihng special.
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2/8/2009 - ian95762 wrote: 83 Points
I expect more from a name like this. Not worth the money. Sorry
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2/1/2009 - sbwino wrote: 87 Points
Light Purple Hue. Black Pepper with smoky overtones. Lean black fruits. Not nearly as concentrated or focused and previous vintages.
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1/8/2009 - THaas wrote: 89 Points
Opaque black with a deep purple rim. Nose of black licorice, some red berries -- raspberry and bing cherry mostly. Spicy notes in the mouth, black pepper and chipotle (minus the heat), over more raspberry. Dark chocolate on the finish, with cocoa tannins. Very nice balance, a very long finish.
I think Vaynerchuck was wrong on this one; its pretty darn good. Not necessarily varietally correct, but it's an enjoyable wine. Drink now through 2015
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1/6/2009 - Rodenbach99 wrote: 86 Points
On ne cessera pas de le dire Paul Draper fait du bon vin. Fier de son vignoble Montebello dans Santa Cruz Mountain où il produit un magnifique Cabernet et un somptueux Chardonnay, il produit aussi de profonds Zinfandel. Ceux de Lytton Springs et de Geyserville en sont de bons exemples.
2005 ne fut pas l'année du siècle au dire de monsieur Draper et ça parait. Il manque un petit quelque chose à ce Zinfandel. Il a une belle robe rubis, passablement profonde. Le nez manque de distinction, on y retrouve des cerises rouges et un peu de tabac à pipe. Malheureusement pour un vin à 50$ je m'attendais à plus. En bouche le vin n'est guère mieux. La finale est passablement sèche. Des notes vaporeuses sont aussi perceptible en rétro-olfaction. J'avoue avoir une certaine déception.
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12/27/2008 - billyg wrote: 89 Points
Plum, boysenberry, licorice on the nose. Black cherry, plum up front. Cassis, vanilla, cedar, blueberry, sweet tannins on the finish.
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12/14/2008 - tplskylrk wrote: 90 Points
12 month on since my first taste and the bottle age is helping. Acid is reconciling with tannins and fruit, same notes as previous with a bit more complexity with age. This is a really really nice Zin.
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12/5/2008 - ERoss wrote: 88 Points
Sweet, jammy nose of bosenberry, dark chocolate, and menthol. All dark fruits and coffee on the palate, with some spice on the back end. Lacking in the textural complexity of the best vintages (99, 01) of Lytton Springs, but tannins are fine and well established for a decade + of good drinking.
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11/27/2008 - kfr01 wrote: 91 Points
This is just such a solid wine for opening with guests that aren't big wine people - nice red fruit first, followed by a relaxed buttery finish.
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11/25/2008 - SimonG wrote:
Lytton Springs Offline (RJs, London): Full colour but lighter than I expected; transparent. Red fruit and brambles on nose. Quite acidic entry. Seems a bit flabby and diffuse though. Others liked it more. **
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11/17/2008 - fergus12 wrote: 90 Points
Drank in Cornwall with friends. Long time fan of Ridge but think this could do with a little longer in the bottle. Great with venison. Two bottles consumed.
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11/16/2008 - green-steve wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 1 hour; nice purple-red wine; beautiful aromas of blueberry and some herbs on the nose; fruit forward blueberry pie, spice, mild pepper on the palate. Nice acidity, fine tannins, decent finish. Will wait awhile before opening the last one.
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11/15/2008 - smrose wrote:
Very concentrated, too young.
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11/15/2008 - kfr01 wrote: 91 Points
Just such a solid wine for the money. Lytton Springs holds up the Zin category of my collection; and quite nicely - Someone show me a more solid Zin for the price.
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10/27/2008 - itsallgone wrote: 90 Points
I really like this wine when I want a little extra "oomph". The zin blend tones down the alchohol effect. It is perfect for a casual dinner, such as shish kebab.
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10/23/2008 - tplskylrk wrote: 90 Points
Light bright color. Bright, ripe fruits, Cranberries, Currant, dried herbs on the nose. Classic glycerin Ridge mouth feel, spiky acid and tight tannins still the order of the day for this young Zin blend.
Strawberries, Cherries and Raspberries in the front and mid palate, lingering sour cherry finish. Interesting wine making, fun, but the acid bite makes me wonder if it will resolve.
3 Nights vacuumed and in the fridge, licorice on the nose and palate, fruits seemed to have darkened a bit. Interesting peek and where this wine may go. Tannins and acid blending in. Hmmm. 6th night. Bit alive, now an extracted burnt fruit. Richer. Last sip very nice flavours, not deep, just burnt licorice lingering strawberries. This wine should get fun in a few years.
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10/13/2008 - michigan dogs wrote: 89 Points
enjoyed while playing Hearts, Ridge makes good wine!
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10/8/2008 - soyhead wrote: 88 Points
opened for a few hours
nose - fruit battles wood. not entirely pleasant. I get a bit of a purple ink pen smell, slightly chemically.
mouth - very juicy fruit forward mouth but almost comes across as a bit thin. zesty midpalate and long tannic finish. Good with food
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9/21/2008 - stubbie999 wrote:
A tasty, if simple version of LS. Probably needs a few years to come into its own... a little bit of sweet tannin balances the nice, typical zin fruit. Not as much 'Draper perfume' as I expect in the LS. Despite all that, a very enjoyable bottle. Check back with the others in 2010.
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9/19/2008 - Biggsy wrote: 91 Points
Rich dark ruby red. Raspberries and subtle background spices with a long oaky, herb laden finish.
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9/18/2008 - Nutty08 wrote: 88 Points
Nose of blackberry and tar, and some sweet oak. palate is big and round, with just a hint of firmness, really fruit driven, but balanced by the oak and held together with good structure. Finish fades a bit, a little short, most ly of dark fruit and charcoal. Good balanced Zin, not too syrupy.
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9/3/2008 - szang wrote: 90 Points
Deep dark color. Blackberry, boysenberry on the nose - kind of a fruit bomb when first opened. the tannins and acidy were both firm and seemed fairly well integrated. The carignane seems to tame the spice from the the zin, like cotton candy. Nice finish, maybe a little sweeter than expected but still very enjoyable.
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8/29/2008 - jt wrote:
A bit sweeter than I think of the Lytton bottles, but nevertheless good briary raspberry and cherry fruits, with a wonderful spiciness. Nice ripe tannin. All in all a well balanced wine, and one to watch for at least 5 years, probably more.
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8/25/2008 - MRichman wrote:
Pretty good, but a sweeter than usual Ridge Lytton.
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8/22/2008 - jrobs7777 wrote: 86 Points
A little late on the review. We found this "okay" but not up to the quality I expected. The nose had an off-putting quality, but not awful. The wine was nice, some bluebery, red fruit and good earthiness and spice. However, it lacked the body and complexity I was expecting. Still a bottle in the cellar -- maybe it will be better next year.
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8/16/2008 - cobbpa wrote: 88 Points
Chicago Air & Water Show (1660 N LaSalle, Chicago, IL): Lots of great purple / dried red fruits on the nose, light hints of dark wood..an interesting nose given the variety of fruits. Smooth mouthfeel, great red fruits, slight / well done oak, medium tannins and good length on the finish. Really very nice.
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8/1/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote: 86 Points
All the makings of a great zin are there - good spice, raspberry, a little bramble; but it's just a bit light and lacks punch. For this vintage, Geyserville just blows this away.
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7/6/2008 - jeffs wrote: 86 Points
Strong zin especially upon opening, but it its alcohol predominated as the night wore on. I found the heat on the finish overwhelmed the cherry flavors, all but some oak and, ultimately, the experience.
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7/4/2008 - vardaman wrote: 88 Points
Dark ruby in color. Hints of dark fruit, cherry and minerality.
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7/3/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 89 Points
Tasted from a 375. Opaque purple color. Nose of dark fruits, some oak. Palate of blackberries, plum, tar, spice with some heat on the finish. Concentrated. Enjoyable on its own.
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6/22/2008 - Jazzman wrote: 91 Points
Had this in a magnum sized bottle. The bottle was uncorked at about 6:30 AM to be served in a late afternoon BBQ.
Color was a deep purple with little or no rim. I did take any notes on the particulars, but this had a woinderful nose and just kept getting better as the night went on. Truly nice wine that I will certainly buy again.
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6/16/2008 - tplskylrk wrote: 89 Points
Great nose, great color, complex. Mouthfeel is weighty, glycerin holding the flavours, but not integrated yet. This wine will develop much much more. Tannins still tight, and I found there was a bit too much acid for my liking. Not sure where that will take this wine. Love the winemaking and this has great fruit, hold for 6 months.
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6/12/2008 - T.J.Burn wrote: 87 Points
Plum and other dark fruits on an impressive nose. Good mouthfeel with plum and mocha on the palate. Finish is lacking, however, and I would prefer a touch more spice. It got better with a little air, but I still prefer the 2005 Geyserville.
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6/8/2008 - acheng wrote: 85 Points
Good nose of oak, mocha and blackberry. Not the most complex wine. Went well with BBQ NY strip. A decent wine but way over-priced.
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6/8/2008 - Frederyck wrote: 91 Points
Velvety and purply dark plum coloured, with a heavy nose that hinted of pencil, dark cherry, plum and blackberry. The taste was more muted than the smell, and full of pleasant tannins. Almost strawberry-like and full of fruit. Impressive.
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6/2/2008 - SteeveR wrote: 93 Points
facile, full body, manque de finesse, pas assez minéral
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5/9/2008 - Baggio wrote: 88 Points
For me this was muted and subdued. An interesting wine but hard to understand Tanzer's 92.
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5/4/2008 - Tarrant wrote: 90 Points
Excellent, a bit 'lighter' than some other vintages, but perhaps this may be longer lived - Medium purple in colour, medium concentration, notes of plum, cherry, spice and oak on the nose, well structured, yet quite elegant, with a strong tannic backbone, smooth on the palate with an excellent finish (90 Points).
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4/27/2008 - ChinonRouge wrote: 85 Points
Blunted pencil lead that left me uninspired.
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4/26/2008 - risaacs wrote:
Way to young to drink.
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4/12/2008 - cseanb1 wrote: 89 Points
Opened and not decanted. As I am not a fan of the huge Zins, I was pleasantly surprised to find a more elegant styled Zin that was well balanced. Red berry fruits and spice come across the palate with a clean acid profile. Drank well on day two as well.
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4/8/2008 - conform wrote:
Enjoyed this, though I don't think of myself as much of a zin drinker. Lots of fruit, decently tannic, chocolate, mouthcoating, plush.
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3/31/2008 - warres wrote: 88 Points
I would rate this as an 88; it is a very fine wine indeed. Not a pure Zinfandel, but rather a blend of 77% Zinfandel, 17% Petit Sirah, and 6% Carignane. This wine has benefitted from its mixed heritage with the silkiness of a high-quality Zin combined with a pleasantness that called to mind certain Piedmonts.
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3/29/2008 - jamieirving wrote: 75 Points
Made from 77% Zinfandel, 17% Petit Syrah and 6 % Carignane this beldn was not as great as I had hoped. Plenty of fruit, alo0ng with some alcohol, on the nose. The palate was fairly acidic and not particularly flavourful.
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3/29/2008 - DukeDrew wrote: 91 Points
Great stuff, right out of the bottle. Got some strawberries/sweet fruit on this, which was a bit of a surprise for a zin. Finish with a bit of a cherry syrup taste. Little tannic. Started to fall apart a bit after a couple of hours in the decanter, but for $25, I'd put it next to Turley SVDs.
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3/22/2008 - chicagobagley wrote: 92 Points
Arrgh, someone keeps drinking this great wine. Oh yeah it would be me. I really like both the Lytton and the Geyserville Zinfandels from Ridge. Perhaps once one or two of these should be allowed to age a bit. But apparently it will not be in my cellar.
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3/18/2008 - vpoms wrote: 89 Points
Wine has deep color, nose of dark fruit and berries, and something else I can't identify but i know I didn't like it. Light tannis and spice on the palate, It tastes better than it smells. This wine should stand up weel to a hearty meat dish. This wine will probbably improve in the next few years
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3/13/2008 - brianmik wrote: 91 Points
Took 1 bottle of 2 to BYOB at May Street Cafe. Don't remember the details but fondly remember the wine as well as the pairing versatility with mole sauces, and meats ranging from chicken to beef.
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3/5/2008 - twoamps wrote: flawed
surprisingly muted and downright wimpy for a lytton springs. May have been slightly corked, just enough to suck teh flavor out but not enough for that wet cardboard taste. Certainly doesn’t match the reviews.
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3/4/2008 - UMich99 wrote: 92 Points
Really liked, but could have enjoyed it more 3-5 years from now. Real earthly, great smell. Highly Recommend!
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2/27/2008 - ove wrote: 90 Points
Not bad, drank it late at night after several other wines with impaired judgement. Lacking the abundance of fruit I like in a Zin.
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2/24/2008 - CAP wrote: 92 Points
This one has more earth on it than the Geyserville, and it cycled considerably over several hours opening up and showing lush fruit and then shutting down and seeming pretty green and herbal. It opened back up again after 3 hours and was really a pretty wine.
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2/23/2008 - sdr wrote: 90 Points
Universally preferred by everyone at Joe Wilson's house. He described it as "smoother [than the 2004 Siraz 9]" with which I concur. It's less agressive than a year ago, with the abundant tannin, acidity and fruit much better integrated. Very fine zin and if 2005 was an off-year for North Coast zin as Parker says, this must be one of the very best.
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2/19/2008 - jeffreym123 wrote: 87 Points
I found this to be pretty average, and can find similar quality in the $15-$20 range. No heat considering the alc, though.
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2/14/2008 - JR_Boston wrote: 91 Points
Great Blend - nice berry and tanins
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2/1/2008 - JR_Boston wrote: 91 Points
Did not decant. Very nice blend - drinks like a Zin, but a little bit lighter. Color- dark red/purple. Fruity nose - cherry, raspberry. Lush taste, good tanins. nice long finish.
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1/12/2008 - TheGraveWolf wrote: 85 Points
Nose was great. Red fruits with some chocolate and coffee. The taste was disappointing - austere and quite bitter. Decanted over the course of 3 hours - my last glass was better but still nothing special. I think I will wait a few years before opening my other bottle of this. The Geyserville is much better.
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12/30/2007 - cofidis2 wrote: 89 Points
Interesting perfume and black cherry nose that gave way to just dark cherry after being decanted for about an hour. Palate was a bit thin with good acidity but soft tannins, some cherry and dark berries on the palate. Although after an hour the tannins became more noticable and this started to get better. The finish was moderate with a touch of chocolate showing after about 2 hours. I would be interested to see how this ages after 4-5+ years.
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12/29/2007 - topher18 wrote: 89 Points
Very dark red-purple. Some heat on the nose, with dark fruit. Blackberry, plum. Firm tannins. Not as vibrant as I expected it to be.
Color 5/5
Nose 7/10
Balance 8/10
Taste 15/20
Finish 4/5
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12/25/2007 - mreinitz wrote: 90 Points
This was much better than the bottle I drank six months ago. Vibrant fruit and good acidity. Delicious.
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12/20/2007 - ews3 wrote: 89 Points
consistently good bottle of wine. this was had at a party, but didn't seem quite up to the previous bottles i've had, mostly of the 04.
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12/20/2007 - dannyk8232 wrote: 86 Points
Nothing earth-shattering. I think the zinfandel characteristics I look for were diminished by the blend.
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12/9/2007 - tplskylrk wrote: 90 Points
Drank all by lonsome at the Famous steakhouse in Colorado Springs. Decanted and began tight, nose of sprigs of spice, and high alch which continued on the bright fruit palate. Steak arrived and wine opened up over the 2 hours finishing with darked choco fruit. spice. Great wine making, great wine. Can go loads longer. Only gonna get better and more integrated.
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11/29/2007 - randalleron wrote:
creamy. not as hot as i'd expect for a 2005 w > 14% alcohol. based upon my recent tasting of a '99 geyserville (which was far more flavorful), i'd say lay this down for a while. it'll improve with time.
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11/22/2007 - dsimmons wrote: 88 Points
Not as good as past vintages. Less fruit and a bit one dimensional, Maybe it needs more bottle time??
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11/14/2007 - cab wrote:
Good, not great. Some real depth and texture, but also a little rough and hot. Definitely evolved over the course of the evening. Got less jammy and sweet, which was a good thing, but got a little more tannic and harsh. Interesting notes of raisins followed bya creamy herbalness. I might not go out of my way to grab more just because there are so many other things I want to try, but I wouldn't be disappointed if someone gave me a bottle of this.
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10/28/2007 - Outplaying wrote: 88 Points
nice nose that improved with time; initially tight with medium tannins; lighter bodied, fruity, peppery; finish was a bit weak. Good with NY strip. Couldn't hold up to strong blue cheese. Not as good as some previous vintages of this wine, but still good (a little thinner than expected). Would buy again but suggest decanting as long as possible before drinking.
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10/19/2007 - vespasian wrote:
Ruby in colour. Good legs. Coffee and red fruits. Good fruits on the palate. Good finish. Needs time.
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10/3/2007 - rsepulve wrote:
Well made, nothing to complain about but I didn't like it. I guess it's just not what I expect from a "zinfandel."
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9/24/2007 - chicagobagley wrote: 92 Points
Jammy, full of flavor, a bit spicy but smooth. I am going to have to purchase more and maybe even cellar some for more than three months.
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8/30/2007 - FakeAccount wrote: 90 Points
Nice and easy-drinking Zin. Nothing special, but not too bad.
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8/26/2007 - JR_Boston wrote: 90 Points
Very fruity, hints of brandy. Lots of raspberry, cherry, blackberry. Smooth and tasty.
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8/19/2007 - MRichman wrote:
Bright cherry, smooth with a lot of espresso and some baking spices. Long finish is a bit acidic and candied. This is an atypical Ridge Lytton, with thinner, sweeter, brighter fruit than I'm used to, and it lacks the suave, magical Ridge touch. Hopefully this does not indicate a style change for this wine, it is not for the better.
B-
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8/6/2007 - Wilson95005 wrote: 88 Points
Nice nose with subtle fruit. Taste was a little disappointing and rough. May well have benefitted from decanting or more time before opening.
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8/1/2007 - dke wrote: 89 Points
Cherries and fruit jam on the nice. A little lighter than what I expected but quite pleasant. (taste at the winery)
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7/27/2007 - sdr wrote: 90 Points
This 2005 version is classic Ridge Lytton Springs; powerfully flavored with that bramby Dry Creek fruit and backed by very firm tannins. It's one of the more "serious" zins with less sweet cherry and more of a blackcurrant spine to the flavor profile. The '05 summer was not as warm as usual which, although good for the chardonnay, cabernet and pinot noir is a disadvantage for zinfandel which thrives on heat. Yet I really don't see a difference between this year's version and prior ones. Paul Draper knows just how to get the maximum out of his zins regardless of weather conditions.
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7/8/2007 - jim dixon wrote: 89 Points
Excellent after an hour or so in the decanter. Next day not as impressive as expected, though it was not refrigerated for quite a while so that may have done it in. (Tasted too ripe and more like a typical (decent) CA zin.)
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7/3/2007 - PathDoc wrote:
pretty good, but don't think i'll be rushing out to buy more of this vintage
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5/9/2007 - peterkj wrote:
Californiske vine fra Ole Bergman (CSC Vinklub, Høje Taastrup): Aroma: Solbær, sødme. Smag: Syrlig. Pris: 199. Karakter: 9
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4/20/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: flawed
Zinfandel (Snowgoose): Unfortunately my boss is a knuckle head and decided to pour this at a tasting the day after we received the container with the '05 Ridge products. This was very shocky and didn't show very well at all.
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4/20/2007 - hutch wrote: 87 Points
Zin tasting: This was all rasberry and vanilla, and rather simple. Kind of creamy. Would have to give this some time to settle down. 87 for now.
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4/8/2007 - Avimd wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for hours.
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3/22/2007 - tmay wrote: 89 Points
Lots of dark fruit. Lush.
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3/10/2007 - kmack wrote:
Very deep, pretty color. Nicely structured with plenty of tannin. Very rich plum, blackberry, and black raspberry on the palate. Very nice.
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